Concept analysis of the maternal role

어머니 역할의 개념 분석

  • Published : 1994.05.20

Abstract

Concept analysis is a strategy that examines the attributes or characteristics of a concept. It is a formal linguistic exercise to determine those defining attributes. The basic purpose of concept analysis is to clarify ambiguous concepts in theory, and to propose a precise operational definition which reflects the theoretical base of the concept. The concept of maternal role is too broad and variable in expression, therefore there has been no authentic definition nor standard opinion for this concept. The purpose of this study is to clarify the concept of maternal role which in turn will help in the development of a theory of maternal role attainment. In order to analyze the concept of maternal role, much effort was extended to look up "maternal role" in various dictionaries and literature, but only a few cases were found which listed this terminology. Consultation on the meaning of "mother" and "role" separately was then done and consequently a definition of "maternal role" was obtained through concept analysis of these two words independently, finding their attributes and unifying them. The attributes of the concept of maternal role which was analyzed based on the steps of concept analysis by Walker & Avant (1988) are : 1) Women who have pregnancies 2) Women who have a child 3) Women who rear a child 4) Expected behavior according to social status 5) Learning through social cultures 6) Social interrelationships. The antecedents of the maternal role are : 1) women who are pregnant and deliver a baby, must keep in contact with their child. 2) Circumstances for childrearing must be provided. 3) Formation of self-concept as mother should be developed, cognitive activity, which is necessary for the nurturing activity, financial support and preparation of childrearing should be provided. And the consequences of the maternal role are : 1) Improvement 2) Changeability 3) Ambiguity 4) Stability Through this concept analysis, the concept of the maternal role is defined as "expected behavior by social interrelationships and learned nurturing behavior through social cultures."

Keywords