Being Well Whilst Doing Good: Experiences of Caring in More Than One Place - Home, Work and Beyond - Among Christian Mothers Leading in Health and Social Care in Aotearoa New Zealand

Abstract

This thesis considers what it means to be well and do good at the same time. It explores themes of care, identity, purpose, belonging, and belief in daily lives of women who lead in health and social care, who are mothers, co-parents, partners, and Christians in Aotearoa New Zealand. As a researcher I am situated in the research and interested in understanding what it means to value care in more than one place. Twelve participants described their daily lived experiences as carers and leaders, making their way with responsibilities at home and in professional settings. The study is grounded in Heideggerian hermeneutic phenomenology and incorporates reflexive practices to deepen the analysis. The phenomenon of interest was ‘eudaimonia’, guiding the focus toward ‘being well whilst doing good’. Philosophical notions shed light on meanings of care, connecting, and turning toward the Spirit. The research found that daily lives of participants were loaded with care responsibilities. Being with others fostered encouragement and deepened awareness of their identity, as well as intentionally finding their ways forward, in the midst of layers of complexity. Prayer in everyday moments reflected through turning anxiety to peace, guiding a way to go, and enhancing connections between earthly and spiritual realms. Way-making was what participants engaged in, and being accompanied by partner and/or spiritual friends, enhanced their collective strength in pilgrimage. Stories of connection through ideological community included creative expressions of ‘church’ and small groups. High levels of capability surfaced in the ways they navigated the interconnected ecological webs that characterise caring in more than one space. They made connections between spaces, prayed in their cars, moved their bodies in nature, and practiced rhythms of active engagement as well as rest.

The literature showed that the site where change is stuck, is at the level of ideological beliefs – which shape the ‘shoulds’ people live by. The study calls for ideological belief change; and the ideological community of church – of which I am part - is invited to engage critically in what it means to be a ‘good leader’, ‘good woman’, ‘good mother’, ‘good man’, ‘good father’, ‘good partner’, ‘good family’. Shifting ideological beliefs would change ways that care is positioned, reducing burnout among women in health and social care leadership. It would foster dynamics between mothers and fathers, parents and children, households and community, and the navigation of intersections between work and home. The purpose is for wellbeing that is mutual – this is significant for covenant people living in Aotearoa New Zealand. The ideological shift would strengthen what it means to be well and do good – at home, work, and beyond.