Degree
Master of Science in Marketing
Department
Department of Marketing
School
School of Business Studies (SBS)
Date of Submission
Fall 2026-11-20
Supervisor
Dr. Asim Shabir, Assistant Professor, Department of Marketing
Committee Member 1
Dr. Shumaila Kashif, Examiner I, Assistant Professor, Department of Marketing, Institute of Business Management
Committee Member 2
Dr. Nabeel Nisar, Examiner II, Assistant Professor, Sukkur IBA University
Committee Member 3
Dr. Ashar Saleem, Director Graduate Programs SBS, Institute of Business Administration (IBA), Karachi
Keywords
Self-care practices, Motherhood, Institutional Logics Perspective, Logics Perspective, Maternal well-being, Maternal self-sacrifice, Societal support
Abstract
Motherhood in collectivist societies such as Pakistan is deeply intertwined with caregiving, leaving limited space for women’s self-care or personal well-being. This study explores how young Pakistani mothers negotiate self-care within competing expectations of maternal sacrifice, cultural morality, and structural constraints. Guided by the Institutional Logics Perspective (ILP), it examines how familial norms, religious values, and market forces collectively shape women’s self-care practices, framing self-care not as an autonomous act but as a negotiated process embedded within social and institutional boundaries. This study adopts an interpretive phenomenological approach to explore how Pakistani mothers experience and negotiate self-care within cultural and institutional expectations. Drawing on in-depth qualitative interviews with Pakistani mothers, the study reveals that self-care is often perceived as an indulgence rather than a legitimate need, constrained by entrenched gender roles, emotional labor, and the absence of institutional and policy support. Four interconnected themes emerge: the institutionalization of maternal self-sacrifice, the fragmented and reactive nature of coping mechanisms, the influence of economic and social capital on access to self-care, and the structural inequalities that render self-care a privilege rather than a right. By situating self-care within broader institutional frameworks, this research challenges dominant Western narratives that depict wellness as a consumer-driven or individually attainable pursuit. Instead, it conceptualizes maternal self-care in Pakistan as a site of institutional negotiation—shaped by overlapping moral, familial, and market logics that define acceptable expressions of selfhood. The study contributes to marketing and policy scholarship by illustrating how wellness consumption in emerging collectivist contexts is mediated through cultural legitimacy, gendered responsibility, and moral identity. Ultimately, it advocates for a reimagining of self-care as a collective societal imperative - anchored in equitable structures, inclusive marketing practices, and supportive institutional reform essential for maternal wellbeing.
Submission Type
Thesis
Document Type
Open Access
