African American single mothers as curricula and teachers: A qualitative study

Abstract

This research study examines the lives of three African American single mothers experiencing poverty. Two aims guide the study: 1) to illuminate their self-defined living conditions and 2) to reveal their self-perceived social position. The first part of the study juxtaposes self-defined realities with externally imposed cultural myths and stereotypes, namely the welfare queen and the matriarch, to reflect the extent to which participants embody and are impacted by the representations. Second, it sheds light on how the participants view their position in the U.S. hierarchy. Life history research was used to describe the individuals¿ lives as shaped by their contexts in order to get a better understanding of what life is like for an African American single mother who uses government assistance. Black feminist thought, with its emphasis on refuting controlling images and defining a Black woman¿s standpoint, along with critical race feminism, with value placed on narrative inquiry and intersections of race, class, and gender, provide the theoretical foundation of the study. The findings, revealed in six themes that are woven throughout the narratives, teach us important truths from the lives of the participants in the study. Participants endured traumatic childhoods, view motherhood as central to their identities, function within and outside traditional gender roles, struggle to make ends meet mainly due to un- and under-employment, draw upon religiosity and spirituality to help them navigate the vicissitudes of life, and are not fully cognizant of institutional barriers. The participants function as both curricula and teachers.