Viva-voce examination – July 21, 4 p.m.

On July 22 at 4 p.m.,  Gulnara Miribayeva will be defending her thesis in a public viva-voce examination on zoom platform.

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https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7153877358?pwd=ZkFaWC8rTmVaK1N4RGhqeDk5dmlCQT09
Meeting ID: 715 387 7358
Passcode: 1937

Title: “Trapped between Misery and Joy.” Young Women’s Experience of Unintended Non-marital Pregnancy in Kazakhstan

 

This multiple case study focuses on young unwed mothers residing at the Mother’s House non-governmental organization. Based on the qualitative data collected during in-depth interviews and ethnographic observations at Mother’s Houses in Kostanay and Almaty, the study aims to examine the factors that bring unwed mothers to the facility. These factors are analyzed through the lens of honour and shame hypothesis, which states that in so-called honour and shame societies, male members of the family claim control and ownership of female members’ bodies and sexualities; thus, sexual misbehaviour of a woman brings dishonour upon men in the family, who can reclaim honour by punishing the woman. The author demonstrates limited applicability of honour and shame hypothesis within the context of this study, although it provides new perspectives on the way kin relations are conceptualized in Kazakhstan. The results of the study show that non-acceptance of the child by the young mother’s family serves as a critical factor for her seclusion at the Mother’s House. Moreover, by taking the discussion beyond the honour and shame framework, the analysis suggests that unwed women actively negotiate social norms and reclaim agency over their lives by embracing lone motherhood.    

 

Internal Advisers: Gavin Slade & Alima Bissenova  
External Adviser: Laura Piacentini, University of Strathclyde Glasgow