Racial socialization and perceived social support for African American fathers in academia

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to understand the role that racial socialization plays in African American fathers' abilities to balance the responsibilities of being productive scholars and active parents and understand how racial socialization affects the perceived social support in the home and work environments. Background: Though there is research on the microaggressions and implicit bias that African American faculty face, there is little research that specifically details the experiences of those balancing both the father and faculty member roles. Method: Data were collected using semistructured interviews with 20 African American fathers who were employed as faculty members at various institutions in the United States. Additionally, I explored how the murders related to the #SayTheirName movement influenced conversations fathers had with their children related to racial socialization and anti-Black racism in the United States. Results: Participants noted that they experienced microaggressions in their academic environments. They were perceived as intimidating or characterized as the Angry Black Man. These perceptions were sources of mundane extreme environmental stress for participants. An emergent finding related to social support and work-life balance was that most study participants were members of Black Greek Letter Organizations (BGLOs) and found instrumental, informational, and emotional social support from these relationships. Conclusion: Racial socialization received in their upbringing was a source of self-efficacy for some participants. Additionally, perceived social support from the home and work environment was important for the participants' individual development, yet it was not the primary factor that influenced their work-life balance.