An Ecological and Intersectionality Approach to Understanding African-American Men’s Perceptions of the Intersections of Gender, Race, and low SES and Social Determinants of Health

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Doctor of Social Work (DSW)
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African-American Men
Intersectionality
Social Determinants of Health
Gender Role Strain
Masculinity
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Social Work
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Abstract

Social Determinants of Health (SDH) are the conditions where people are born, grow, live, work, and age shaped by money, power, and resources that influence health outcomes. African-American men are disproportionately impacted by SDH. This qualitative study focused on low income heterosexual African-American men ages 18 to 44, utilized an ecological and intracategorical intersectionality conceptual framework to explore: 1) How do African-American men describe and experience the multiple intersections of gender, race, and socioeconomic status (SES)? 2) How is the intersectionality of African-American men’s gender, race, and SES associated with individual health behaviors, psychosocial and biological factors, community contextual factors, socioeconomic and structural factors? and 3) How do African-American men perceive self-agency with respect to health and wellbeing? Data was collected through 60 to 90 minute semi-structured individual interviews. Modified grounded theory methodology was utilized to analyze results. Seven themes that demonstrate how participants’ individual level experiences as African-American men reflect macro socioeconomic and structural inequalities were identified: (1) “It’s Hard to Be a Black Man in America”: Intersectional Self-concept, (2) “We Got to Be Warriors, We Got to Be Soldiers”: Gender Role Strain, (3) “You’re Going to Take the Working Route or the Drug Route”: Pressures of Employment and Unemployment, (4) “Black Men get Treated Like Trash”: Discrimination and Microaggressions, (5) “The Police Kill Us, Beat Us, and Steal From Us”: Police Surveillance and Harassment, (6) “Once I Started Selling Drugs, I Started Getting Locked Up”: Crime and Punishment, and (7) “What are the Resources in My Community?”: Access to Resources.

Advisor
Dr. Lina Hartocollis
Dr. Claudia Baquet
Dr. Kimberly Henderson
Date of degree
2017-05-15
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