Johnnie Hamilton-Mason

Everyday Conflict and Daily Stressors: Coping Responses of Black Women

The purpose of this study was to explore how Black women cope with the impact of daily stressors in their lives. To understand stress and coping among Black women, it was necessary to explore the interlocking effects of race, gender, and social class on these stressors and their effects on the women’s ability to cope with the consequences for their health and emotional and psychological well-being. An exploratory design with grounded theory methods was used to develop a midrange theory about stress and coping among Black women on the basis of the women’s experience with sociocultural factors, namely, race, gender, and social class. The implications for practice of the findings underscore the continuing significance of racism and sexism in the everyday lives of Black women.

And Some of Us Are Braver: Stress and Coping Among African American Women

African American women fulfill many roles within their family and community. Most notably, these women are often defined by their “strength” and rarely seen as “vulnerable.” Many African American women demonstrate strength as they struggle to maintain employment, raise children, and nurture spouses and extended family, but these same women are at risk for a higher rate of health and emotional problems. In this article, the authors use relational cultural, stress and coping, and lifespan theories, along with Black feminist thought to discuss the interlocking effects of race, gender, and class regarding the psychological well-being of African American women 18 to 55 years old. We conclude with a discussion of research, practice, and teaching implications.

Black women talk about workplace stress and how they cope.

Black women face the same struggles as White women; however, they have to face issues of diversity on top of inequality. The purpose of this study was to explore work-related stressors that affect the lives of Black women and how they cope with them. Using an exploratory design with grounded-theory methods, five basic themes emerged that identify when racism and sexism are experienced as stressors for African American women in the workplace. The themes are: (1) being hired or promoted in the workplace, (2) defending one’s race and lack of mentorship, (3) shifting or code switching to overcome barriers to employment, (4) coping with racism and discrimination, and (5) being isolated and/or excluded. The results from this study indicate African American women use emotion- and problem-focused coping responses to manage stress (e.g., racism and sexism) in the workplace. The article concludes with a discussion of practice implications of these findings.

Work/Life Fit The Intersection of Developmental Life Cycle and Academic Life Cycle

A successful academic trajectory tends to be characterized by a singular Standard, that is, doctoral degree, tenure-track position, tenure, and promotion to full professor, administration, or both. Significant numbers of social work faculty struggle with the intersection of the traditional career life cycle and the developmental life cycle. This article discusses barriers that emerge from the intersection of these life cycles. Strategies to support career success and family satisfaction are also discussed, including, current law, work/life policies, self-care, and mentoring.

Hope Floats: African American Women's Survival Experiences after Katrina

This article describes how 15 African American women 18 to 55 years of age coped with traumatic life events during and in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The studys main question is how did African American women cope with traumatic events during and following Hurricane Katrina? Second, we explore how the intersection of race, gender, and social class influenced their experiences. An exploratory design of primary and secondary data using grounded theory methods generates a mid-level theory about resilience, spirituality and coping among Black women in the aftermath of the storm.

Racial Scaffolding: Conceptual Overview

This chapter provides an overview of the focus of the book—the scaffolding that supports systemic institutional racism. It provides a brief explanation of the paradox presented by the coexistence of a declaration that “all men are created equal” and the persistent inequality between whites and people of color in the United States. The chapter gives a contemporary example of racial oppression, describes types of racism, and provides the authors’ definition of racism. It also introduces concepts used throughout the book to explain institutional racism: social construction, oppression, racial scaffolding, and institutional web, and notes the active and complex nature of these concepts within the American societal infrastructure. In addition, social construction is discussed as it relates to perceptual differences between racial groups and as the basis for racial oppression within the infrastructure of American society. This chapter culminates by presenting concept that constructs racial scaffolding (poles and rungs). The concept of scaffolding is used throughout the book to provide an understanding of the various components of the society that contribute to and promote the continuation of racism in American society.

Deconstruction of Racism

There has always been a struggle of resistance against racism and race-based social injustice. This chapter discusses in depth the deconstruction of racism through activism. It reviews major concepts presented in the book (social construction, oppression, institutional web, intersectionality, privilege, and scaffolding) and examines activism in relation to these major concepts: The chapter describes and analyzes in depth two contemporary grassroots activist movements that illustrate these major concepts and uses these examples to deconstruct the elements of the scaffolding (with emphasis on the poles: powerlessness, violence, exploitation, cultural imperialism, and marginalization) which supports the ongoing operation of racism in the USA. The chapter reviews styles and models of activism and explains the synergy of activist movements throughout the history of the United States. Finally, the chapter considers the relevance of future activist resistance to institutional racism.

Institutional Legalization of Racism: Exploitation of the Core Groups

The institutionalization of racism in the United States happened over a period of hundreds of years during which time a variety of treaties, laws, and other legal mechanisms were used to endorse and support racial discrimination. This chapter focuses on the legalization of racism during the formation and expansion of the United States. It briefly describes the historical context for building the scaffolding that supports institutionalized racism. This chapter then traces the evolution of legalized discrimination, which is directly tied to the history of four core groups: First Nation Peoples, Africans, Mexicans, and Chinese. These four groups then historically were the initial targets of oppressive racial discrimination in the Unites States. Each group is discussed in terms of how components of the scaffolding, particularly the legal structures rung, established and maintained their subordinate position. Their lives were, and the lives of their ancestors are, molded through formal and informal institutional decisions within the white American societal. The chapter traces the history of each group and discusses how their positions in society were institutionalized by numerous treaties, laws, and other legal mechanisms that systematically exploited and subordinated each group.

The Infrastructure of Racism: The Institutional Dimensions

The infrastructure of racism is perpetuated by structural dimensions that affect individuals, groups, organizations, and society as a whole. Institutionalized racism transcends the individual level and is supported by scaffolding in American society. This chapter focuses on entrenched systemic racism that operates to create and maintain racial inequalities at the broad societal level. It examines poverty and accumulated wealth as examples of racial disparities that illuminate the operation of this structural form of racism. It also discusses the invisibility of structural racism and describes the interlocking institutional web that, along with the racial scaffolding, assists in supporting the perpetuation of racism. Using a systems theory framework, the chapter describes and discusses the operation of institutional racism on three hierarchical levels—individual, organizational, and societal. The rungs of the racial scaffolding are conceptualized as societal level inputs that contribute to the outcome of racial inequality in the society at large. The chapter also presents and describes organizational racial equity and organizational racial tolerance and gives illustrative examples of how these factors are manifest in employment within an organization/company.

The Infrastructure of Racism: The Psychic Dimensions

The individual psyche is an important component of the societal infrastructure that assists in maintaining racism in the United States. The internalization of racism is an intrinsic part of who we are and is the outcome of centuries of acceptance and reinforcement of societal norms that reflect an unequal society. This chapter focuses on internalization of societal cues that help to form one’s racial identity. A case scenario to illuminate the impact of racial identity on people of all races is used. It explains that societal cues affect the formation of a racial sense of self for people of color and for whites. It also compares and distinguishes between ethnicity and race. Personal and environmental events are rooted in a racist society in America. Racial discrimination is analyzed with a model, based on distancing and oppression that assists with understanding internalized racism. Finally, the chapter presents and discusses Cross’ Racial Identity Development Model and Helms’ Identity Models, presenting scenarios to illustrate different stages in racial identity development.