Narges Alianmoghaddam
Doctor of Philosophy
Study Completed: 2017
College of Health
Citation
Thesis Title
Six Months Exclusive Breastfeeding: A Relational Behaviour Influenced by Actual and Virtual Social Networks
Read article at Massey Research Online: 
Mrs Alianmoghaddam conducted a qualitative study which highlighted the importance of socio-cultural contexts on infant feeding behaviour. She considered the limitations of approaches that treat the mother-infant dyad (a relationship involving exactly mother and her baby) as the main target for the promotion of exclusive breastfeeding in developed countries including New Zealand. Mrs Alianmoghaddam applied social constructionism (a theory of knowledge in sociology) as the theoretical framework underpinning her research as well as the work of two or more theorists in each chapter of the thesis to illuminate her research findings. She found that six months exclusive breastfeeding practice is not limited to the intentions or actions of the mother-infant dyad; it is socially constructed by actual and virtual social networks around the mother as well as other relational influences such as the historical, geographic, socioeconomic and social contexts of the mother’s life.
Supervisors
Associate Professor Suzanne Phibbs
Associate Professor Cheryl Benn