Abstract

Challenges and adversity are ubiquitous, but there is differential distribution by sex and social location. Women have an increased likelihood of experiencing social and biological challenges with an even greater probability among Black women because of the enduring historical context of oppression, devaluation, and inequality. As a result, Black women experience stressful and chronic strains over their changing life course, requiring early and greater adaptation and evolving regulatory processes that can lead to stress proliferation and allostatic load. Despite hardships, however, many have demonstrated historical and contemporary patterns of adapting and flourishing. This is suggestive of resilience. Yet, the extant literature is not inclusive of Black women’s conceptual understanding and perspectives of what resilience means and what it constitutes. This dissertation addresses the conspicuous gap. Using a grounded theory approach rooted in social constructionism, this study explored middle and older adult Black women conceptual understanding of resilience and adaptive functioning, and examined their perspectives on pathways to resilience and processes used to navigate aversive circumstances. Increasing sensitivity to culturally determined meanings and indicators of resilience give greater precision, depth, and texture to current knowledge on resilience. The study used multi-methods of nine focus groups and nine personal interviews with Black women residing in the South, East and West Coasts. From their conceptual understanding and perspectives, a unique model of resilience emerged that is Afrocentric, strengths-based, and congruent with a racial justice lens. In this model, resilience has an external and internal component and defines it as bouncing, snapping, popping or coming back, and moving forward, which occurs along a continuum. Integrated in the model are crucial features facilitating external and internal snap back, various culturally relevant pathways that lead to resilience, and mechanisms used to navigate adversity. For Black women, hardships induce changes with some effects yet undetermined. They are ever evolving within the changing landscape of life. Thus, resilience is ongoing. The model embodies the conceptualizations of groups of Black women who saw themselves as equivalent. Their shared legacy was more powerful than any existing variability in sociodemographic characteristics.

LLU Discipline

Social Policy and Social Research

Department

Social Policy and Research

School

School of Behavioral Health

First Advisor

Larry Ortiz

Second Advisor

Beverly Buckles

Third Advisor

Colwick Wilson

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Degree Level

Ph.D.

Year Degree Awarded

2019

Date (Title Page)

6-2019

Language

English

Library of Congress/MESH Subject Headings

Adaptation, Psychological; Black or African American; Women

Type

Dissertation

Page Count

xv, 229 p.

Digital Format

PDF

Digital Publisher

Loma Linda University Libraries

Usage Rights

This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights.

Collection

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Collection Website

http://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/

Repository

Loma Linda University. Del E. Webb Memorial Library. University Archives

Download

Share

COinS