QUALITATIVE DATA ANALYSIS EXERCISE

QUALITATIVE DATA ANALYSIS EXERCISE





Interview of an adolescent pregnant girl

Introduction

The interview is of a 16 year old Caucasian girl who is 26 weeks pregnant. To protect her identity, she has been named Jenny. Jenny's parents are divorced and she currently lives with her mother. She moved in about a year ago after she left her father's house. Her father had remarried and his new family moved in to their home which caused Jenny to eventually leave. Her mother lives with her boyfriend. Jenny goes to school in the morning and works in the afternoon. She spends her spare time with her boyfriend who lives with his mother.

Background

Jenny has been through a critical phase in her life that can be termed as a turmoil. Her life has been tough ever since her parents got divorced. She lived with her father and they did not have a very smooth relationship. They used to argue a lot. Her father wanted her to do well in school and engage in activities. This was the reason why she was a cheerleader when she was in Amherst and enjoyed good social relationships. She was never close with her mother and they only got to know each other when she moved in with her. Jenny was disturbed and disappointed when her father remarried and his wife moved in with them along with her children. Jenny was forced to share her space with new people and share her things as well. Before that, she used to be an honor roll student. The chain of events caused her grades to decline dramatically. As it is generally tough for any person to adapt to such an enormous change after being used to live alone with her father, she moved in with her mother. Since then she has been working and studying. Her life is going fast and she cannot seem to get a hold of it. She admits that she is in the middle of a rush. She also admits to be scared and confused after all, she is only 16 .

Situation

Although Jenny is mature for her age and has made attempted to get her life in control, she can not seem to anchor in. Although it is too early to tell if she is doing well in school or not, one can expect a mediocre academic performance due to the new and difficult situation that she is in. Jenny realizes that she has made a mistake by getting pregnant. It is evident that Jenny is confused and is not facing her problems well. She is either still not aware of the gravity of her situation or does not want to accept it. She claims to have the support of everyone around her and says that she has made new friends. But Jenny is not the same person who she used to be. She is reserved and does not talk or interact readily with people. She enjoys her close ties with her grandparents who have ...