African American Gender Roles: A Content Analysis of Empirical Research From 1981 to 2017

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore how gender roles research has been conducted among African Americans in the psychological literature. Accordingly, we completed a content analysis of empirical studies on this topic. We utilized the Table of Contents of several psychology journals, psychological databases, and search engines to identify relevant literature. Articles included for review met the following criteria: (a) published between 1981 and 2017, (b) empirically based, (c) psychologically focused on gender-or sex-role constructs, and (d) included samples that were solely African American or consisted of a substantial number of African American participants (range: 17-3,000). Qualifying articles (N = 56) were categorized into one of five content areas (i.e., Self-Concept and Social Identity, Scale Development and Validation, Personality, Family and Gender Role Socialization, and Education/Vocation). We also analyzed sample characteristics, research methods, and publication trends across studies. A majority of the reviewed studies included samples of adults, utilized quantitative methods, and were published within the past 18 years. Using the results of the analysis, we highlight the strengths and limitations of the

African American Spirituality, Grief & Mental Health: Seeking the Church After a Family Member’s Violent Death

“…Previous research has indicated that instead of formal mental health service providers, African Americans tend to rely on more informal sources of support in grief, such as church and church family (Cai & Robst, 2016;Chatters, Taylor, Woodward, & Nicklett, 2015;K. Hays & Aranda, 2016;Holt et al, 2017;Jones et al, 2018). Ninety-two percent of African Americans indicate that religion and church attendance is very important to them and that they are hesitant to seek mental health providers for their mental health issues; for example, grief, because therapy would take away from their religious beliefs (Chatters, Taylor, Woodard, et al, 2015).…”

“…Other researchers have also found that aggregate adapting and thinking about others and covering of feelings were normal (Chandler, 2020;K. Hays & Lincoln, 2017;Jones et al, 2018;Morrison & Hopkins, 2019;Park et al, 2018;Robinson et al, 2018;Sargent et al, 2019).…”

“…For years, the churches have had important roles as community support systems (Robinson et al, 2018). The literature supports the fact that this is particularly true for African Americans who have historically sought solace from oppression in their religion and spirituality long before clinical counselors and psychologists (Banerjee & Canda, 2009;Cunningham et al, 2018;Johnson et al, 2015;Jones et al, 2018;K. Hays & Aranda, 2016;Robinson et al, 2018;Sargent et al, 2019).…”

“…Dalencour et al (2017) noted that between 2008 and 2012, approximately 30% of African Americans with a mental illness, for example, depression and PTSD, utilized mental health services to treat their conditions. Perhaps the low statistical representation of African Americans in the field of psychology and counseling, the documented increase in mental health needs of this diverse population, and the historical connections between African Americans and their spirituality and religion, accounts for where and how this population seeks guidance after experiencing grief (Jones et al, 2018;Turner et al, 2019). When Africans were first brought into their native lands to America, they were often not seen as human beings, but as slaves.…”

“…Research has indicated that instead of formal mental health service providers, African Americans rely on more informal sources of support in grief, such as church and church family (Cai & Robst, 2016;K. Hays & Aranda, 2016;Holt et al, 2017;Jones et al, 2018;Watlington & Murphy, 2016). A gap in the literature existed regarding the described experience of the African American adult who seeks the church for support through religion and spirituality after the violent death of a family member (Gonzalez et al, 2009;Park et al, 2018;Robinson et al, 2018;Wilson et al, 2014).…”