A Socio-Historical Examination of Race, Gender, and Class in Single-Parent African American Mothers of Delinquent Youth

Abstract

This qualitative study examined the lived experiences of single parent African American mothers of delinquent youth in the context of several socio-cultural factors. Race, gender, class, single parenthood and juvenile justice/child maladjustment are all explored to ascertain how participants make meaning of these factors in their lives. African American women possess a unique history bounded by oppressive factors emerging in slavery and existent in the 21st century. A major purpose of this study was to explore lived experience for greater understanding of the lives of these mothers and how such experiences inform the parenting process relative to the rearing of sons who had been adjudicated in juvenile court. The study also gives voice to these mothers whose stories might otherwise go untold. A phenomenological methodology was used to derive lived experience. Critical Race Theory (CRT) is used as the interpretive lens in highlighting concepts of societal issues pertaining to race, class and gender. CRT also espouses the importance of intersectionality that conveys the necessity to view oppressive factors related to African American women in integrated ways. This investigation consisted of semi-structured interviews with three African American mothers. Data was gathered on audio and video tapes, and field notes. Data analysis was organized around general themes developed for each contextual factor and used to create textural and structural descriptions of experience. Core themes were extracted from the general themes to derive the essence of lived experience through a composite synthesis ofthe data. Core themes by contextual factor are: Race (Managing feelings of inferiority, Racism’s spillover in Black families, Human equality); Gender (An independent sense of self, The desire and power of female voice, The inevitability of male dominance); Class (Cultural constructs, The influence of time, space and others, A conscious choice); Single parenting (Beyond overwhelming, Confronting the self of the mother) Juvenile justice/ Child maladjustment (A range of emotions, Emerging helplessness, Limited benefits, A search for causality). Participants have revealed significantly oppressive challenges, the essence of which has been captured through phenomenological investigation. Additionally, heightened levels of resiliency have been uncovered in their lifelong journey of managing their challenges.%%%%Ph.D., Marriage and Family Therapy – Drexel University, 2008