Development of the racial and ethnic discrimination stress model

Abstract

Family stress models have been used extensively in family science for decades and have demonstrated utility in the examination of familial responses to stressors. Although these models have been applied to research on Black families and researchers have more recently considered the impact of integrated sociocultural context and reconceptualized models accordingly, current models do not fully explain outcomes associated with mundane extreme environmental stress (MEES) and the simultaneous influence of an iterative meaning‐making process. To address this gap, we extend the contextual model of family stress, by integrating the MEES concept and propositions from symbolic interactionism, family systems theory, and ecological theory. We introduce the racial and ethnic discrimination stress model (RED‐SM), a conceptual framework, to explain how the mundane extreme environment, resources, and socialization messages contribute to a meaning‐making process that influences adjustment outcomes for Black individuals. We conclude by offering suggestions for its usage in family science research.