Janette Y. Taylor

Womanism: a methodologic framework for African American women

Although nurse scholars have become increasingly engaged in feminist research and theory development, only a few have included important feminist thoughts expressed by African American womanist theorists. This article presents an abbreviated review and synthesis of Afrocentric ways of knowing, which includes Black feminist, womanist, and Afrocentric perspectives. A developing methodology for use with African American women is also described.

Colonizing Images and Diagnostic Labels: Oppressive Mechanisms for African American Women's Health

The purpose of this article is to present colonizing images of African American women and describe how colonizing images and diagnostic labels function together to serve as oppressive mechanisms for African American womens health. The mammy, the matriarch, the welfare mother, the Jezebel, and the Black lady overachiever are representational images of African American women that contribute to how they are viewed and treated within the health care arena.

Race and ethnicity as variables in Nursing Research, 1952-2000

BackgroundAlthough the use of race and ethnicity as variables in research has increased over the past five decades, there is confusion regarding the meaning of the terms, as well as how the words are defined and determined in scientific inquiry. ObjectiveTo review the use of race and ethnicity as variables in nursing research literature. MethodsOriginal research articles published in Nursing Research in the years, 1952, 1955, and every 5 years thereafter through 2000 were reviewed. Those articles describing human characteristics (N = 337) were analyzed for content concerning: (a) frequency of racial and ethnic terms, (b) words used for racial and ethnic categories, (c) definitions of racial and ethnic terms, and (d) how a study participant’s race or ethnicity was determined. ResultsRacial and ethnic variables were mentioned in 167 of the 337 reviewed articles. Eighty-one terms and word phrases were used for these variables. In only five articles were the variables defined. Race and ethnic labels were often intermixed and the majority of studies provided no information about how categorization of the participant’s race or ethnicity was made. In addition, there was relatively little growth in the number of studies that had racial/ethnic groups, other than Whites, as the majority of the sample. ConclusionRacial and ethnic variables provide nurse researchers with many challenges. Although race and ethnicity were widely used in Nursing Research articles, the categories were not defined in the majority of papers, and methods used to determine a participant’s race or ethnicity were unclear. In order to construct a common and consistent understanding of racial and ethnic categories, nurse researchers should be explicit regarding the rationale related to their use of the categories and the assumptions underlying particular racial and ethnic categorizations.

The straw that broke the camel's back: African American women's strategies for disengaging from abusive relationships

Abstract In this ethnographic study, a womanist framework was used to investigate the disengaging-terminating process used by Black women (N= 21) who had survived intimate male partner abuse. Data interpretation revealed three stages of disengaging described by the survivors: (a) defining moments: rejecting the violence and exiting the relationship; (b) moving away: distancing the self; and (c) moving on: finding affirmation and support. This process is representative of individual and collective acts of resistance. Suggestions for therapeutic interventions are offered for each stage of the disengagement process.

SISTERS OF THE YAM: AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN?S HEALING AND SELF-RECOVERY FROM INTIMATE MALE PARTNER VIOLENCE

In this womanist ethnographic investigation African American women (N = 21) survivors of intimate male partner violence were interviewed about their resilience-recovering experiences. This article foregrounds the role of therapeutic support groups in African American womens healing experience and addresses how race and ethnicity shape the lives and the recovering process for many African American women. The findings are important to practitioners who strive to provide assistance and interventions for African American women as well as other women of color.

Physical health of women in prison: Relationship to oppression

This article examines the health of women in prison, taking into account social structures such as racism, classism, sexism, and the stigma of drug addiction in their daily lives. Women are the fastest growing segment of the criminal justice system and are entering the system with far greater health problems than men, but with less access to health services. Incarcerated women are disproportionately poor women of color who have experienced years of minority stress, drug addiction, violence, and abuse. The article identifies the need for better prison health services, increased access to substance abuse treatment, and a reconsideration of current drug policy and laws. There is a critical need to create broader community-health-oriented responses to the epidemic of drug addiction in our society. Such responses extend beyond individual risk factors for disease and address wider societal issues.

Talking back: research as an act of resistance and healing for African American women survivors of intimate male partner violence

Abstract The purpose of this article is to use a Black feminist/ womanist framework to: (a) explore the historical factors that discourage Black womens participation in the research process; (b) demonstrate how research can be a potential avenue of resistance and healing for African American women survivors of intimate male partner violence; and (c) suggest ways for practitioners and researchers to encourage the participation of this population. Benefits from the research process emerged as three themes: (a) healing the self, (b) helping others, and (c) envisioning new life directions.

Narrative Art and Incarcerated Abused Women.

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Engaging Racial Autoethnography as a Teaching Tool for Womanist Inquiry

Racial autobiography, self-narratives on how one learned about the idea of race, has been underutilized as a tool to familiarize and orient students in the process of critical inquiry for nursing research. The aims of this article are to explore how racial autoethnography: (1) repositions students to effect an epistemological change, (2) challenges dominant ideology, and (3) functions as a link between the student and critical theories for use in nursing research. Students engage in and share reflective narrative about a variety of instructional materials used in the course. Reflective narratives are presented in a framework that addresses white racial identity development.

The self-stigma of depression for women

Background: Self-stigmatizing women who avoid seeking treatment for depression could believe that they have pragmatic personal reasons for their decision. As a preliminary step towards testing this hypothesis, the aim of this study was to assess diverse, low-income working women for shared self-stigmatizing beliefs about depression. Methods: Depression and depression self-stigma were assessed in a targeted sample of African American, Caucasian and Latina women who qualify for public health services and have access to health care services. Results: Depression and self-stigmatizing beliefs about depression were positively correlated (r = .30–.64). Over one third of the women in the study (37.5%) said they would do what they could to keep their depression secret. Over half (55%) indicated that the person they normally would disclose depression to is their best friend. A majority (80%) of the women in the study said they would choose not to disclose personal depression to a health care professional. Pairwise t tests for group differences showed that Caucasian women, women recently seen by a health care professional and women with more years of education had higher self-stigma scores. Conclusion: Self-stigmatizing women who feel depressed could knowingly decide to keep their depression secret with the hope of avoiding loss.