African American Mothers with Deaf Children: A Womanist Conceptual Framework

Abstract

Although the incidence of disability is more prevalent among African Americans than any other ethnic group in the United States, empirically based guidelines grounded in the unique history and experiences of African American caretakers of children with disabilities are limited. A qualitative, exploratory design consisting of in-depth thematic interviews with 12 nondeaf African American female caretakers of deaf children was used to identify unique responses and approaches incorporated in raising deaf children of African descent. The data analysis plan entailed a modified grounded theory approach. Womanism was used inductively and deductively in organizing emerging themes as an explanatory model.

Black M/Otherhood: A Content Analysis Exploring How Black Mothers Are Represented in Social Work Literature

“…The other seven (22%) articles evaluated, with the exception of Holland (2009), did not frame the study around a particular attribute of Black mothers (e.g., income level, marital status). These articles were oriented around gaining knowledge from Black mothers on a particular experience (Evans et al, 2016; Hall et al, 2019), used culturally relevant theoretical frameworks (Borum, 2007), and affirmed Black mothers’ contributions to the family (Cain & Combs-Orme, 2005; Grief et al, 2000). What follows is a discussion of the patterns identified among the articles.…”

“…Among articles designated “not problem-oriented” with more explicit discussions of oppressions, Borum (2007) used a womanist framework to better understand the experience of African American mothers of deaf children and details the sociocultural contexts framing their experiences. Cain and Combs-Orme (2005) make clear the role of racism and economic deprivation among Black families.…”

“…Families were chosen if they were a) African American families and b) had a preschool-aged child with a diagnosable disability. Borum (2007) explored the experiences of 12 nondeaf African American female caretakers of deaf children. The author was intentional to recruit African American mothers from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds to "avoid confounding class and ethnicity" (p. 598).…”

“…Similarly, of the four articles labeled "not problem-oriented" that used qualitative methods, three of them (Borum, 2007;Evans et al, 2016;Holland, 2009) specifically mentioned using qualitative methods because of the dearth of social science literature and understanding related to their respective topics.…”

“…Siefert et al (2007) discussed the role of poverty and discrimination on Black mothers' mental health, yet, doesn't explicitly link the overrepresentation of Black mothers "among the poor" (p. 114) to structural oppression (i.e., racism and sexism). Among articles designated "not problem-oriented" with more explicit discussions of oppressions, Borum (2007) used a womanist framework to better understand the experience of African American mothers of deaf children and details the sociocultural contexts framing their experiences. Cain and Combs-Orme (2005) make clear the role of racism and economic deprivation among Black families.…”