The College of Education, Health and

Human Sciences

Announces the Final Examination of

Archandria Colette Owens

for the degree of

Doctor of Philosophy

May 13, 2014 at 01:00 pm

207 Ball Hall, University of Memphis

Memphis, TN

Biographical Sketch

Bachelor of Arts, Psychology, Texas Tech University

Master of Arts, University of Detroit-Mercy

Advisor Committee

Sara K. Bridges, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Counseling, Educational Psychology, and Research, Committee Chair

Nancy Nishimura, Ed.D., Associate Professor, Counseling, Educational Psychology, and     Research

Elin Ovrebo, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Counseling, Educational Psychology, and Research

Ronnie Priest, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Counseling Educational Psychology, and Research

Major Field of Study

Counseling Psychology

Period of Preparation:  2010-2014

Comprehensive Examination Passed: August, 2012

Life Role Salience in African American Men:  The Impact of Race-Related Stress, Hypermasculinity, and Sexual Self-Concept

Abstract

This study explores life role salience in African American men and the contextual factors that affect how African American men feel towards being in committed relationships and towards parenting.  African American men in the United States of America have unique encounters with racism and discrimination, a distinctive navigation of masculinity ideology, and a sociopolitical lens from which views on sexual self-concept hinge due to the complex intersection of their race and gender.  With research demonstrating the components of healthy families include consistency within the relationship of the parents, overall stability of the household, and parents who are present to their children, especially fathers, it is important to explore not only how African American men value the role of husband and father, but also what positively or negatively impacts their decisions to commit to these roles.  227 African American men completed self-report surveys addressing their socioeconomic status, experiences of racism, racial identity development, experience of their masculinity, and their definition of their sexual self-concept.  These contextual and personal factors were then assessed to understand how they affected role salience for African American men in being in committed relationships as well as being a parent.  Results from this study found that African American men demonstrated a heavy reliance on income in order to define both their valuing and commitment to these roles.  In addition to this, racial identity development, or one’s meaning-making system around their minority status, consistently affected all aspects of role salience over and above actual experiences of racism and discrimination.  Findings from this study could be utilized by mental health professionals to start facilitating dialogues with the African American men they work with concerning broadening their definition about what it means to be a good partner and parent.  These dialogues and interventions should also be aimed at helping African American men integrate healthier views of themselves as racial beings.