scholarly journals Do black men really love black women? : A qualitative study on how mass media shape black men's perception of black women for long-term romantic relationship -- or not

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Daphne S. Valerius
Keyword(s):  
Black Women ◽  
Aggressive Behavior ◽  
Black Men ◽  
Black Woman ◽  
Black Male ◽  
Romantic Relationship ◽  
Strong Black Woman ◽  
Media Messages ◽  
The Media

When confronted with the presence of a Black man in relationship with a non-Black woman whether in media messages or real life, more often than not Black women are also met with feelings of rejection and inadequacy. It is a form of rejection experienced by Black women that is often discussed behind closed doors, within her inner circle, in conversation with other Black women and/or trusted Black male confidantes. It is also a form of rejection that is often left unexpressed or silenced for fear of being labeled an "angry Black woman". When considered from the lens of race, the trope of the "angry Black woman" becomes even more problematic when the landscape of contemporary television media is dominated by non-fiction, reality television programming, featuring Black women displaying socially aggressive behavior. This calls into question whether or not media depictions of Black women further perpetuate the trope of the "angry Black woman" and make her less suitable or desirable for long-term romantic partnership. By taking a qualitative approach to examine media perceptions of Black women, this dissertation concerns itself with situating how colorism as an extension of whiteness, stereotypical media depictions and representations of socially aggressive behavior by Black women in the media all work in concert to further complicate perceptions of Black women as suitable long-term partners in the eyes of others -- specifically Black men. The present study situates the voices of Black men and examines how they read, receive, interpret and make meaning of media messages of Black women in order to better understand their selection and consideration of Black women as suitable partners for long-term romantic relationships in comparison to non-Black women. Taken together through the theoretical frameworks of audience reception theory, symbolic annihilation, and social aggression, the present study investigates how media portrayals of Black women and Whiteness shape heterosexual Black men's perception of Black women and their decision to be in long-term romantic relationship with Black women -- or not. The present study consists of five focus group conversations with Black male participants that reveal the most problematic media messages of Black women in consideration of long-term romantic partnership are those that perpetuate the normalization of the strong Black woman and socially aggressive behavior. Based on lived experiences with Black women, Black men recognize that the trope of the strong Black woman is problematic and misguiding. Black men are also cognizant of the fact that a Black woman's expression of passion is often misinterpreted and perpetuated by the media as anger. However, conversations with Black men further reveal that in spite of media messages, Black men love and advocate for long-term romantic relationship with Black women who they collectively agree are the ideal romantic partner for Black men regardless or shade, hue or skin tone. However, the façade of strength and media depictions of hypermasculinity as propagated in the media and internalized by Black women contributes to a level of tension between Black men and women that oftentimes pushes him away.

The Role of Coping in the Relationship Between Endorsement of the Strong Black Woman Schema and Depressive Symptoms Among Black Women

2021 ◽  
pp. 009579842110212
Author(s):  
Martinque K. Jones ◽  
Tanisha G. Hill-Jarrett ◽  
Kyjeila Latimer ◽  
Akilah Reynolds ◽  
Nekya Garrett ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Black Women ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Black Woman ◽  
Coping Styles ◽  
Mental Health Outcomes ◽  
Multiple Mediation ◽  
Strong Black Woman

The Strong Black Woman (SBW) schema has been consistently linked to negative mental health outcomes among Black women. However, few have begun to explicate the mechanisms by which the endorsement of the SBW schema may influence mental health outcomes. Accordingly, the current study examined coping styles (social support, disengagement, spirituality, and problem-oriented/engagement) as mediators in the association between endorsement of the SBW schema and depressive symptoms in a sample of Black women. Data from 240 Black women ( Mage = 22.0, SD = 4.0 years) were collected assessing SBW schema endorsement, coping styles, and depressive symptoms. Parallel multiple mediation analysis was conducted using PROCESS Macro. Of the four coping styles examined, disengagement coping partially mediated the association between greater endorsement of the SBW schema and greater depressive symptoms. Study findings add depth to our understanding of the association between the SBW schema and mental health outcomes and lend themselves to research and clinical implications.

scholarly journals 3278 Gendered racism, psychological distress, and the strong Black woman

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (s1) ◽  
pp. 107-107
Author(s):  
Maha Baalbaki
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Black Women ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Black Woman ◽  
Pearson Correlation ◽  
Mental Health Outcomes ◽  
Strong Black Woman ◽  
Gendered Racism ◽  
Cultural Construct

OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: Black women experience discrimination that targets their intersecting gender and ethnic identities, termed gendered racism (Essed, 1991). The gendered racism Black women experience has been linked to negative mental health outcomes (Thomas etal., 2008). The ‘strong Black woman’ is a cultural symbol of strength depicting the Black woman as unwavered by hardships, such as gendered racism (Shorter-Gooden & Washington, 1996). However, recent research suggests that belief in the strong Black woman cultural construct is associated with negative mental health outcomes (Watson & Hunter, 2015). The goals of the current study were to (1) replicate previous findings suggesting that experiences with gendered racism is positively correlated with psychological distress, (2) replicate previous findings suggesting that belief in the strong Black woman construct is positively correlated with psychological distress, and (3) explore how experiences with gendered racism and belief in the strong Black woman construct might interact to predict distress. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: A national sample of 112 Black women completed an online survey via MTurk. Survey measures included the Gendered Racial Microaggressions Scale, Strong Black Woman Cultural Construct Scale, and Psychological Distress Scale. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Pearson correlation revealed that experiences with gendered racism was positively correlated with psychological distress, r = 0.23, p = .02. Pearson correlation also revealed that belief in the strong Black woman cultural construct was positively correlated with psychological distress, r = 0.39, p < .001. Multiple linear regression revealed an interaction between experiences with gendered racism and belief in the strong Black woman construct (β = -0.18, p = .04) that predicted psychological distress, R2 = .20, F(3,108) = 8.63, p < .01. Namely, for those with high belief in the strong Black woman construct, experiences with gendered racism did not predict distress, β = -0.31, t = -0.29, p = .78. However, for those with low belief in the construct, experiences with gendered racism positively predicted distress, β = -2.57, t = 2.31, p = .02. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: The results underscore the harmful effects of gendered racism and gendered racial stereotypes on Black women’s mental health outcomes. Striving to appear as the strong Black woman is not likely to help Black women overcome daily hardships. In fact, belief in the strong Black woman construct is likely to add extra difficulties.

THE INTERSECTIONAL FIFTH BLACK WOMAN

2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 527-540 ◽  
Author(s):  
Devon W. Carbado ◽  
Mitu Gulati
Keyword(s):  
Black Women ◽  
Black Men ◽  
Black Woman ◽  
White Women ◽  
Feminist Criticism ◽  
Social Categories ◽  
Black Feminist ◽  
Self Presentation ◽  
Men 2 ◽  
Ways Of Being

AbstractIn 1989, Kimberlé Crenshaw published Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex: A Black Feminist Critique of Antidiscrimination Doctrine, Feminist Theory and Antiracist Politics, an article that drew explicitly on Black feminist criticism, and challenged three prevailing frameworks: 1) the male-centered nature of antiracist politics, which privileged the experiences of heterosexual Black men; 2) the White-centered nature of feminist theorizing, which privileged the experiences of heterosexual White women; and 3) the “single-axis”/sex or race-centered nature of antidiscrimination regimes, which privileged the experiences of heterosexual White women and Black men. Crenshaw demonstrated how people within the same social group (e.g., African Americans) are differentially vulnerable to discrimination as a result of other intersecting axes of disadvantage, such as gender, class, or sexual orientation.This essay builds on that insight by articulating a performative conceptualization of race. It assumes that a judge is sympathetic to intersectionality and thus recognizes that Black women are often disadvantaged based on the intersection of their race and sex, among other social factors. This essay asks: How is that judge likely to respond to a case in which a firm promotes four Black women but not the fifth? The judge could conclude that there is no discrimination because the firm promoted four people (Black women) with the same intersectional identity as the fifth (a Black woman). We argue that this evidentiary backdrop should not preclude a finding of discrimination. It is plausible that our hypothetical firm utilized racially associated ways of being—performative criteria (self presentation, accent, demeanor, conformity, dress, and hair style)—to differentiate among and between the Black women. The firm might have drawn an intra-group, or intra-intersectional, line between the fifth Black women and the other four based on the view that the fifth Black woman is “too Black.” We describe the ease with which institutions can draw such lines and explain why doing so might constitute impermissible discrimination. Our aim is to broaden the conceptual terms upon which we frame both social categories and discrimination.

scholarly journals Reconceptualizing Successful Aging Among Black Women and the Relevance of the Strong Black Woman Archetype

2014 ◽  
Vol 55 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. A. Baker ◽  
N. T. Buchanan ◽  
C. A. Mingo ◽  
R. Roker ◽  
C. S. Brown
Keyword(s):  
Black Women ◽  
Black Woman ◽  
Successful Aging ◽  
Strong Black Woman

“Fighting and Cutting and Shooting, and Carrying On”: Saloons, Dives, and the Black “Tough” in Manhattan’s Tenderloin, 1890-1917

2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (5) ◽  
pp. 925-940
Author(s):  
Douglas J. Flowe
Keyword(s):  
Twentieth Century ◽  
Black Men ◽  
Black Male ◽  
Historical Narrative ◽  
Black Experience ◽  
Media Depiction ◽  
Case Files ◽  
The Media ◽  
Progressive Organizations ◽  
Physical Spaces

Most historical studies of early twentieth-century American saloons focus on white ethnic immigrants and largely neglect black drinking dives. To understand the significance of saloons to African Americans it is necessary to differentiate the black experience from the dominant historical narrative. Scrutinizing the media depiction of black male Tenderloin residents as “toughs” I question whether some black men refashioned masculinity with public acts of mayhem, a purposefully heedless perspective, and a willingness to disregard the law. Employing countless media accounts, prison case files, trial transcripts, and correspondence between saloon owners and progressive organizations I argue that black saloons became centers of licit and illicit economies and physical spaces where black men reimagined their masculine identities.

scholarly journals JORNALISMO E NEGRITUDE: A REPRESENTATIVIDADE DA MULHER NEGRA NA VEICULAÇÃO DO JORNAL O LIBERAL

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 103-122
Author(s):  
Alice de Fátima Nogueira de Moura ◽  
Ingrid Pereira Reis
Keyword(s):  
Black Women ◽  
Black Woman ◽  
White Women ◽  
Black People ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Communication Model ◽  
Print Journalism ◽  
Black And White ◽  
The Media ◽  
Las Mujeres

A maneira como a mídia, em especial o jornalismo brasileiro, representa a mulher negra, ainda reforça o estereótipo racial e social pobre e sexista, além de o espaço para a veiculação de conteúdos produzidos e protagonizados por negras ser quase inexistente. A partir dessa afirmação, a problemática da pesquisa procurou responder o seguinte questionamento: qual a representatividade da mulher negra no jornalismo impresso, mais especificamente no jornal O Liberal? O objetivo geral deste trabalho foi investigar a representatividade da mulher negra no jornalismo impresso, mais especificamente no jornal O Liberal, e como objetivos específicos: pesquisar a representatividade da mulher negra no jornal em discussão; analisar a representatividade da mulher negra nesses conteúdos; comparar, o espaço de voz entre mulheres negras e brancas, e, identificar se o discurso do jornal fortalece o silenciamento das mulheres negras. Como instrumento de pesquisa, utilizou-se a entrevista semidirigida com a jornalista Sheila Faro, Presidente do Sindicato dos Jornalistas do Pará – SINJORPA, que foi transformada em material audiovisual. A conclusão aponta que o modelo atual de comunicação do jornal O Liberal fortalece o silenciamento das mulheres negras, negando a essas mulheres participação ativa em discussões essenciais para a estruturação de uma sociedade mais justa e igual.   PALAVRAS-CHAVE: Jornalismo Impresso; Mulher; Negritude; Representatividade.     ABSTRACT The way the media, especially Brazilian journalism, represents the black woman, still reinforces the racial and social stereotype poor and sexist, and the space for the production of content produced and carried out by black people is almost non-existent. From this statement, the research question sought to answer the following question: what is the representation of the black woman in print journalism, more specifically in the newspaper The Liberal? The general objective of this work was to investigate the representativeness of the black woman in printed journalism, more specifically in the newspaper The Liberal, and as specific objectives: to investigate the representativeness of the black woman in the newspaper under discussion; analyze the representativeness of the black woman in these contents; compare the voice space between black and white women, and identify if the newspaper's speech strengthens the black women's silence. As a research tool, the semi-directed interview with the journalist Sheila Faro, President of the Syndicate of Journalists of Pará - SINJORPA, was used, which was transformed into audiovisual material. The conclusion is that the current communication model of the newspaper O Liberal strengthens the silence of black women, denying these women an active participation in discussions essential for the structuring of a more just and equal society.   KEYWORDS: Printed journalism; Woman; Blackness; Representativity.     RESUMEN La manera como los medios, en especial el periodismo brasileño, representan a la mujer negra, todavía refuerza el estereotipo racial y social pobre y sexista, además del espacio para la difusión de contenidos producidos y protagonizados por negras ser casi inexistente. A partir de esa afirmación, la problemática de la investigación buscó responder el siguiente cuestionamiento: ¿cuál es la representatividad de la mujer negra en el periodismo impreso, más específicamente en el periódico O Liberal? El objetivo general de este trabajo fue investigar la representatividad de la mujer negra en el periodismo impreso, más específicamente en el periódico O Liberal, y como objetivos específicos: investigar la representatividad de la mujer negra en el periódico en discusión; analizar la representatividad de la mujer negra en esos contenidos; comparar, el espacio de voz entre mujeres negras y blancas, y, identificar si el discurso del periódico fortalece el silenciamiento de las mujeres negras. Como instrumento de investigación, se utilizó la entrevista semidirigida con la periodista Sheila Faro, Presidenta del Sindicato de Periodistas de Pará - SINJORPA, que fue transformada en material audiovisual. La conclusión apunta que el modelo actual de comunicación del diario O Liberal fortalece el silenciamiento de las mujeres negras, negando a esas mujeres participación activa en discusiones esenciales para la estructuración de una sociedad más justa e igual. PALABRAS CLAVE: Periodismo Impreso; las mujeres; negritud; Representatividad.

On the Shoulders of Little Giants: A Testimonial of Otherfathering and Social Capital in PETE

2020 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 256-263
Author(s):  
Langston Clark
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Black Women ◽  
Black Men ◽  
Black Male ◽  
Physical Education Teacher ◽  
Education Teacher ◽  
Black Professionals ◽  
Physical Education Teacher Education ◽  
The Social ◽  
Do So

In this autoethnography, I utilized the concepts of otherfathering, social capital, and testimonio (i.e., testimonial) to explicate the need for and value of Black male mentors in physical education teacher education (PETE). To do so, I describe how three of my mentors operated as otherfathers by imbuing me with the social capital needed to be successful in academia. I conclude by arguing for specific intersectional efforts to support Black men and Black women in PETE, along with the establishment of organizational efforts, to meet the needs of Black professionals in PETE.

The Strong Black Woman: Insights and Implications for Nursing

2020 ◽  
pp. 107839032098390
Author(s):  
Keisha Jefferies
Keyword(s):  
Black Women ◽  
Black Woman ◽  
Nursing Practice ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Black Families ◽  
Historical Overview ◽  
Discussion Paper ◽  
Strong Black Woman ◽  
Spiritual Well Being ◽  
Care Practices

OBJECTIVE This discussion paper describes the intricacies of the strong Black woman (SBW) construct and how understanding this construct is significant and relevant within nursing. METHOD This article is a discussion piece that provides a succinct conceptual and historical overview of the SBW construct. It then describes the impacts of this construct before presenting implications as they relate to nursing practice, education, policy, and research. RESULTS The SBW construct is exclusively and routinely applied to Black women. Typically, the SBW construct encompasses five components, which center on independence, caring, and strength. These five components include the obligation to (1) always maintain and present an image of strength, (2) suppress emotion, (3) be self-reliant, (4) succeed despite all odds, and (5) always place the needs [especially comfort] of others above those of oneself. Moreover, the SBW construct posits Black women as possessing superhuman capabilities. The nature of this construct is complex, with some Black women using it as a survival mechanism, and others finding empowerment through this image. Nevertheless, recent research has revealed the harms associated with this image including detriment to physical, mental, and spiritual well-being, with the implications extending to Black families and communities. CONCLUSION Understanding this topic is essential in providing support to all Black women in health care and within the Black community—including patients, nurses, faculty, staff, and students. Recognizing the implications of the SBW construct is essential toward ensuring that our care, practices, and policies are not only supportive but also antiracist.

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