Linking Racial-Ethnic Socialization to Culture and Race-Specific Coping Among African American College Students

Abstract

In addition to the use of coping strategies generally shared by all Americans, research has shown that African Americans tend to make use of culture and race-specific coping styles that distinguish them from other racial/ethnic group populations. These coping styles are important for the negotiation of multiple types of stressors. Little has been written on the antecedents of culture and race-specific coping (i.e., Africultural coping and John Henryism). This exploratory online investigation sought to determine if childhood racial-ethnic socialization (i.e., a cultural practice and protective factor) experiences predicted present self-reported culture and race-specific coping among a group of African American college students (N = 191). Results indicated that past racial socialization messages encouraging participants to engage in positive cross-racial interactions (i.e., cross-racial relationship messages) were positively predictive of spiritual-centered and collective

What's Race Got to Do With It? Racial Socialization's Contribution to Black Adolescent Coping

“…Our hypothesis was supported in that Black youth's engagement coping behaviors were related to general engagement coping socialization and RS. RS significantly contributed to the relationship between general coping socialization and coping behaviors for these youth, as supported by the literature (Blackmon et al, 2016;Womack & Sloan, 2017) and Cultural-Asset Framework (Gaylord-Harden et al, 2012). Given that there was a dearth of research on the association between RS and disengagement coping (e.g., Scott, 2003), no hypothesis was made.…”

“…Preparation for bias and racism messages have been found to relate to engagement coping behaviors for Black youth (Scott, ) and Latinx college students (Sanchez, Smith, & Adams, ). However, in a sample of Black college students, preparation for bias messages was negatively associated with engagement coping (Blackmon, Coyle, Davenport, Owens, & Sparrow, ). In addition, cultural pride messages were positively associated with spiritual‐centered, collective, and ritual‐centered engagement coping strategies and negatively associated with high‐effort and prolonged coping, which are often conceptualized as less engaged coping behaviors (e.g., John Henryism; Blackmon et al., ).…”

“…However, in a sample of Black college students, preparation for bias messages was negatively associated with engagement coping (Blackmon, Coyle, Davenport, Owens, & Sparrow, ). In addition, cultural pride messages were positively associated with spiritual‐centered, collective, and ritual‐centered engagement coping strategies and negatively associated with high‐effort and prolonged coping, which are often conceptualized as less engaged coping behaviors (e.g., John Henryism; Blackmon et al., ). Likewise, in another sample of college students, greater culturally based RS messages were related to engagement coping behaviors (Womack & Sloan, ).…”

Racial discrimination, John Henryism coping, and behavioral health conditions among predominantly poor, urban African Americans: Implications for community‐level opioid problems and mental health services

“…The John Henryism hypothesis suggests that racism and oppression-related stressors (e.g., poverty, unequal access to employment) leads some Black people to display a coping triumvirate: “efficacious mental and physical vigor; a strong commitment to hard work; and a single-minded determination to succeed” (Bennett et al, 2004, p.371). In support of the racial nature of John Henryism, previous research has found that it is exhibited to a higher extent by blacks’ than Whites’ (Blackmon et al, 2016; James et al, 1987). While certainly an active coping strategy, John Henryism highlights the importance of considering the adaptive/maladaptive nature over time.…”

"Triggers": systematic and social cues for black college student racial self-consciousness and rejection sensitivity, race-based.

“…Therefore, if administrators are not going to change campus climates, they should at least provide tools, such as mental health services, for black students to navigate the racially hostile environment. Not only does dealing with racism in school lead to increased levels of racial self-consciousness, but it could have larger impacts on black students such as racial battle fatigue, which is a variety of psychosomatic symptoms people of color experience while coping with constant racism (Blackmon, 2016;Smith, et al, 2007;Swim, Fitzgerald, & Bylsma, 2003). Black college students struggling with racial battle fatigue may show symptoms of depression, weight gain or loss, loss of concentration, impulsiveness, increases levels of cortisol or stress, and other psychological or physiological issues.…”