Cassandra Chaney

Religiosity and Spirituality Among Members of an African American Church Community: A Qualitative Analysis

This qualitative study explores how 21 African Americans, regular and active members in an African American Baptist church organization in the Midwest, define the terms religiosity and spirituality. The qualitative data were analyzed using a grounded theory methodology to determine the themes that were provided by the participants. This article will explore five recurring themes, including: (a) religiosity as external behaviors; (b) religiosity as internalized beliefs; (c) spirituality as acknowledging a “spiritual reality”; (d) spirituality as connectedness to God; and (e) interconnectedness of religiosity and spirituality. Narratives will be offered to support and illustrate each of these themes.

Factors That Facilitate Relationship Entry Among Married and Cohabiting African Americans

This article examines whether social class differences influences low-income, married and cohabiting African Americans to realize that they are in a “coupled” relationship. To determine the extent to which social class influences the assessment of “couple” status in these partnerships, we examined the qualitative responses of 30 cohabiting and 31 married African Americans to a question regarding the specific event in their relationship that made them realize they were a couple. Qualitative analyses of the data resulted in four delineated themes: (1) relationship marker, (2) affection/sex, (3) having or rearing children, and (4) time and money. Supporting qualitative data are presented in connection with each theme. The sociological aspects of income on African American romantic relationships are also discussed.

The character of womanhood: How African American women’s perceptions of womanhood influence marriage and motherhood:

This qualitative paper will focus on how black women understand and perceive womanhood, and will explore how black women’s perceptions regarding womanhood shape their attitudes and behaviours toward marriage and motherhood. Using a black feminist approach, I assert that black women’s perceptions of womanhood are not based on European notions as the family structure and experiences of African American women is characteristically different from that of white women. Further, I assert that African American women create a modified version of womanhood based on their education, social class and economic position in relation to black men, and which may, in turn, inform their decisions regarding marriage and motherhood. Specifically, I examine the written responses of fifteen African American women between the ages of 18 and 55 (mean age of 32.6 years) regarding what is expected of them as women. Qualitative analyses of the data revealed that womanhood was defined in terms of feminine attitudes (strength, sensitivity and sensuality) and feminine behaviours (familial care, their own physical appearance and self-respect). In addition, womanhood was demonstrated through a woman’s ability to care for her home and to take the lead in the absence of male leadership. Supporting qualitative data are presented in connection with each theme. Recommendations for future research are also provided.

Transitions to Engagement Among Low-Income Cohabiting African American Couples: A Family Perspective for Policy

With passage of the Welfare Reform Law of 1996, various national, state, and local programs were created to encourage marriage, particularly among low-income African American cohabiting couples with children. However, policy makers know little about the deterrents to marriage for members of this group. More specifically, there is a lack of data that address the narrative responses of low-income, cohabiting African Americans regarding their desire for and barriers to marriage. To address this paucity, interviews were conducted with 30 low-income African American couples to explore their marital status, their plans for marriage, as well as their perceived barriers regarding marriage. Using qualitative coding and analysis, implications and recommendations regarding how policy makers and programs can best encourage marriage, if it should be encouraged, among low-income African American couples, are also provided.

Racism and the Experiences of Latina/o College Students at a PWI (Predominantly White Institution)

This study explored Latina/o American college students at a predominantly white university in the South. The authors assessed how 12 Latina/o American college students understood racism and racial microaggressions, and developed counter-spaces to navigate the white college milieu. Qualitative analysis revealed instances of racism were dealt with through assimilation and working hard to excel. Additional responses involved aligning themselves with same-race groups and maintaining a high grade point average. Our findings demonstrated that Latina/o students often utilized counter-spaces and determination to excel in college. Finally, a major contribution of our research was that it provided an example of a small case study of Latinas/os, primarily consisting of males, a group that has traditionally been underrepresented in higher education, who performed very well academically at a PWI.

A change has come: The Obamas and the culture of black marriage in America

Given the historical nature of the Obama presidency, this paper qualitatively examines whether black men and women believe the Obamas can change low marriage rates among blacks in America. By using a marital–political–cultural change framework as our foundation, this exploratory study examined the written responses of 17 blacks between the ages of 23 and 61 years to two questions. (1) “Do you believe that President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama have the ability to change low marriage rates among blacks in the United States?” (2) “In what ways can President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama change low marriage rates among blacks in the United States?” Qualitative analyses of the data resulted in four delineated themes: (1) the inability of the Obamas to change the importance of marriage; (2) the inability of the Obamas to change marital motivations and stability; (3) the ability of the Obamas to change low marriage rates among blacks through positive interactions; and (4) the ability of the Obamas to change low marriage rates among blacks as a positive model for marriage. Supporting qualitative data are presented in connection with each theme. Policy implications for black marriage are also discussed.

Can the Earned Income Tax Credit Increase the Number of Unmarried Black Parent Families

Since the 1960s an increasing number of Black children are reared by poor unmarried parents on welfare. To reduce poverty, minimize welfare dependence, and provide a monetary incentive for low-income, unmarried parents to wed, the government established the earned income tax credit (EITC). Since its establishment in 1975, however, scholars know very little about whether this credit can increase Black marriage among low-income couples with children. To address this paucity, I support and extend Mayhews (1980, 1981) micro-sociological and macro-sociological perspectives by highlighting the individual, interpersonal, and sociological factors that encourage or discourage Black marriage. I examined the qualitative responses of 17 Blacks between the ages of 23 and 61 years regarding whether they believed an increased child dependent tax credit (limited to married parents) would increase the number of married parent Black families. Qualitative analyses of the data revealed that although some participants were hopeful that the EITC could increase the number of Black marriages, most did not believe the EITC would substantially increase the number of Black marriages because the credit fails to address the intrinsic value of marriage. Supporting qualitative data are presented in connection with each theme. Practical and policy implications for Black marriage are also discussed.

Perceptions of Emotional Closeness and Commitment Among African American Couples: Implications for Promoting Relationship Stability

This study investigated how married and cohabiting African Americans define and experience emotional closeness and commitment because these processes have been shown to be directly linked to relationship stability. Thirty married and 30 cohabiting African American couples participated. Couples were between the ages of 21 and 45 years and had been in their relationship between 3 and 15 years. Interviews were conducted with the couples in their homes and were aimed at yielding a co-construction of couples’ views of these constructs. Specifically, this co-construction involved an examination of the ways men and women in married and cohabiting relationships define and experience emotional closeness and commitment. Special attention was devoted to examining the themes elicited from these interviews and illuminate the specific ways in which married and cohabiting African American couples consider emotional closeness and commitment. In general, few differences were apparent in their perceptions of emotional closeness. However, married couples were more likely to report that commitment played a large role in their decision to be together. Conversely, cohabiting couples expressed different views of commitment, often stating that commitment played a minimal role in their relationship or that they experienced commitment in ways that were not linked to the legal affirmation of their relationship. Implications for future research and practice include the importance of pinpointing the individual and cultural deterrents that affect the relationship stability of low income African American couples.

“Like Siamese Twins”: Relationship Meaning Among Married African-American Couples

In this article I examined what it means to be in a relationship according to the narratives of married African-American couples. To determine whether there were differences in the narrative experiences of men and women, I examined the qualitative responses of 20 married African-Americans to a question regarding the subjective meaning that couples attribute to being in a marital relationship. Qualitative analyses of the data resulted in four delineated themes: (1) mutual dependence, (2) companionship, (3) commitment, and (4) work. The themes were related to times when an individual expresses confidence that his or her spouse will support them during difficult times, the friendship that develops between couples as a result of time spent together, the couples determination to remain together and work through difficult times in the relationship, and the amount of time that is necessary to keep the marriage strong, respectively. Most couples expressed relationship meaning to be based on mutual dependence. Supporting qualitative data are presented in connection with each theme. Implications for understanding and strengthening African-American marital relationships are also discussed.

Who is David and who is Goliath? The Eddie Long scandal and the black mega-church

The recent scandal involving Bishop Eddie Long of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church has led millions of individuals to evaluate the guilt or innocence of Bishop Long as well the significance of the black mega-church. This study examined the possible effects of a well-publicised scandal involving a black mega-church pastor on the mental health of African Americans within and outside of the church. To address this paucity in the research, over 3000 comments made by anonymous contributors on CNNs public website were analysed using a grounded theory methodology. The following five themes were identified: (1) Keep an Open Mind: “Most People Thrive on Negativity;” (2) Hypocrisy as Part of Religion: “They aren’t real Christians;” (3) Greed as Part of Religion: “Just in it for the money;” (4) Religion and/or Christianity as Problematic: “Christians scare the Jesus out of me;” and (5) Religious Leaders Actions are separate from Individuals’ Personal Faith and Their Relationship with God: “You don’t put your faith in a man.” Narratives will be offered to support and illustrate each of these themes, and the implications for the mental health of African Americans will be discussed.