Shifting Can Be Stressful for African American Women: A Structural Mediation Model

Abstract

<jats:p> The present study was designed to examine shifting, the phenomenon of altering or modifying one’s self-presentation in different social contexts, as a mediator of the predictive effects of African American women’s acculturation on their perceived race-related stress. To explore this issue, measures of African American acculturation, shifting, and race-related stress were examined within a structural model. The current study quantitatively examined the relationships of these variables among a sample of 366 African American women. Results of a structural equation model indicated full mediation; greater levels of immersion in African American acculturation resulted in greater levels of shifting, which, in turn, generated increased levels of race-related stress. These data extend previous work and expand the literature regarding African American women’s shifting. Implications for clinical work and future research with African American women are also discussed. </jats:p>

Development and validation of the Asian American Women’s Shifting Scale (AsAWSS).

“…Bicultural shifting among Asian American women may provide a means of achieving a harmonious synthesis of two sometimes-disparate sets of cultural cues (Benet-Martínez, 2017;LaFromboise et al, 1993) that need to be processed. Such shifting in response to multiple environmental cues has also been observed in both African American women (Gamst et al, 2020;Johnson et al, 2016) and Latinx women (Gamst et al, 2019). The BS subscale helps to operationalize bicultural processes that is occasionally addressed in the Asian American enculturation literature (e.g., Mok & Morris, 2010) and extends this phenomena to the actual shifting by Asian American women of their actions, beliefs, and appearance to better align with dominant cultural expectations.…”

“…The MAIP conceptualization, originally established as a broad behavioral health service delivery model (Dana, 1993(Dana, , 2000, has been broadened through the subsequent expansion of its multicultural status assessment component (Gamst et al, 2011), which has enabled investigators to hypothesize new predictive relationships among cultural constructs and clinical outcome variables. From this model, empirical research has shown the utility of the shifting construct as a mediator in multicultural research (Gamst et al, 2020). The MAIP consists of a set of culturally congruent parameters associated with the effective delivery of behavioral health services to diverse clients by health service practitioners.…”

Explaining the Black-White Disparity in Preterm Birth: A Consensus Statement From a Multi-Disciplinary Scientific Work Group Convened by the March of Dimes

“…However, upward mobility's benefits appear stronger in White mothers (397,399,400), this may reflect the chronic stressors that many upwardly mobile African-American women face (383,395,(401)(402)(403).…”

Gendered Racism and Mental Health among Young Adult U.S. Black Women: The Moderating Roles of Gendered Racial Identity Centrality and Identity Shifting

“…For instance, qualitative research by Dickens and Chavez (2018) on identity shifting among early career Black women found that some of the costs of identity shifting include being a "model Black citizen" or token Black woman, resulting in pressure to monitor their behaviors to serve as a representative on behalf of other Black people, and feelings of inauthenticity. In a recent quantitative study, Gamst et al (2020) reported that in a sample of African American women, greater levels of shifting produced an increase in race-related stress. In all, research suggests that the costs of identity shifting can include psychological distress and being tokenized and that a benefit of shifting may include enhancing one's cultural competence (Dickens et al 2019;Gamst et al 2019;Jones and Shorter-Gooden 2004).…”