Researchers have found that African American men are one of the most marginalized, targeted, and disenfranchised groups of people. In the past, African American men were less likely to attend psychotherapy compared to other ethnicities. Barriers to treatment includes the following: distrust in the mental health system, self-reliant behaviors, religious ideologies, cultural stigmas, and the ideology of what it means to be a man and an African American man in America. This study addressed the lack of qualitative studies on the experiences of African American men who attend psychotherapy by exploring the lived experiences of 10 African American men who voluntary attended psychotherapy 2 or more times in their adult lives. Sites of resilience, a theoretical framework for this study, provided an understanding of African American men's resilience and a clinical model for engaging African American men in mental health services. Handcoding was used to organize data by developing categories and later establishing common themes expressed during semistructured interviewing. Five themes emerged from the data: (a) stigmatization, (b) self-awareness, (c) self-realization, (d) emotions, and (e) transition between prepsychotherapy and postpsychotherapy experiences. The understanding of experiences of African American men who have chosen psychotherapy contributes to positive social change by identifying appropriate therapeutic strategies, including emotional regulation and distress tolerance skills. Furthermore, the lived experiences provided by this study's participants can provide direction for additional research to improve the experiences of African American men and mental health services.

African American men experience impediments when entering the field of Information Technology (IT), which may portend the disappearance of this ethnic group from the technology-driven work force of the future. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to investigate the socioeconomic factors faced by African American men from their own viewpoints. With this goal in mind, three research questions were studied focusing on the availably of IT resources; the quality of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) based education; and existing hiring practices within the IT industry. The conceptual framework for this study was the critical theory perspective, which provided an understanding of real and perceived problems of African American men attempting to enter the field of IT. To facilitate the collection of data for this study, a Web questionnaire program was used. The data analysis process was a 3-phase coding method which included open, axial, and selective coding in order to identify emergent themes such as: racial discrimination, economic hardships, employment opportunity, interpretations from job seeking experiences, the effects of unfulfilled needs, and inadequate access to IT. The data analysis strategy used for this research was the homogeneous sampling method, which made it possible to choose a target population of African American men enrolled in the City Colleges of Chicago who have sought employment in the IT field. The findings from this study have implications for social change by illuminating the experiences of previously-underrepresented African American men in the IT industry.

The dilemma of making education an equitable system, especially for minoritized groups, has persisted for centuries. While there have been efforts aimed at decreasing disparities, there is still more work that needs to be done. An often-overlooked population in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) is Black men—a group at the nexus of being a gender majority and racial minority. Thus, the purpose of this exploratory research study is to understand how Black men experience interpersonal relationships in undergraduate engineering programs. The overarching research question that guides this study is: What are the qualitatively different aspects of interpersonal relationships experienced by Black men in undergraduate engineering programs? Using Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory as a lens and a quasi-phenomenography methodology to understand the variance of the students' relationships, I conducted 14 semi-structured interviews with students who identified as a Black man and were a second-year or higher in their undergraduate engineering program. By examining interpersonal relationships, I clarify the meaningfulness of relationships at one historically Black college and university (N=1) and two historically white institutions (N=13). A total of seven relationship types and ten different ways students described their relationships were identified in the data. Each of the ways students described their relationship was organized on the emergent domains of academic, emotional/mental, financial, professional, social, and spiritual. Students also mentioned five environmental influences that impacted their experiences in engineering. My results indicate that students find value in relationships with people who were relatable, people who could provide insight or knowledge, and people who showed a sense of care or concern for the student. Students also mentioned how environmental influences bear significance on their over experience in engineering. The present study lays the groundwork for holistically examining the interpersonal relationships of Black men in undergraduate engineering programs. / Doctor of Philosophy / For decades, Black men have experienced educational hardships from as early as first grade. While many researchers have identified areas to improve the educational experience for Black men, few have looked at the educational experience of Black men in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). My research adds to the current conversations surrounding Black men in undergraduate engineering programs by looking at how relationships impact their educational experiences. I conducted a research study with 14 Black men in undergraduate engineering programs at two historically white institutions (N=13) and one historically Black university (N=1). I asked Black men about the types of relationships they had and why those relationships were meaningful to them. I also asked the students if there were outside influences such as stereotypes held by society that might impact how they look at their relationships. The students primarily discussed relationships with their STEM peers and professors. Relationships that were more meaningful for students were with people who were relatable, people who could provide insight or knowledge, and people who showed a sense of care or concern for the student. Outside influences that impacted students' relationships were their academic major, the type of institution they attended, their gender, their race/ethnicity, and National events. These findings contribute in several ways to our understanding of the value of relationships and provide a basis for future research involving Black men in STEM.

Mental health researchers have placed a lot of emphasis on the importance of informal social support resources and the effect on mental health outcomes among African Americans to help explain the low rates of mental disorder among this population (Cockerham 2006; Tausig, Michello, and Subedi 2004; Brown, Sellers, Brown, and Jackson 1999). It has been hypothesized that informal social support resources (family, friends, partner/spouse, etc.) used by African Americans (Taylor, Chatters, and Jackson 1997; Neighbors 1985; Stack 1974) buffers/reduces the effect of stress and distress on mental health (Pearlin 1999; Taylor, Hardison, Chatters 1996). In this study I combined the National Comorbidity Survey (NCS) and the National Comorbidity Survey - Replication (NCS-R) data sets to investigate the influence that relatives, friends, partners/spouses, and religious involvement have on levels of depression among African American men and women. I found that there is not much of a gender difference in the experiences of social support among African American men and women. I also found that for the most part social support has the same effect on depression for both African American men and women. Finally, there are no substantial gender differences in the way social support buffers stress for African Americans. / Ph. D.

Five African American fathers participated in a qualitative study that examined how fathers experience their children who live with chronic illnesses. The examination of their strengths and resiliencies revealed 10 factors that enhanced involvement and were incorporated into fathers' overall approaches to parenting: clear paternal definition; strong parenting alliance; gains experienced through father/child relationship; strong spiritual foundation; responsive social support systems; strategies for managing employment and illness demands; confidence in ability to navigate health care structure; attitude of self-sacrifice and flexibility; strategies for managing perceived disparities; and maintenance of future focus. In addition, fathers defined coping and advised professionals involved with families who have children diagnosed with chronic illness. In doing so, they revealed challenges to participation, potential constraints to involvement, and suggestions for productive encounters with systems of care and collaborative exchanges on behalf of children engaged in treatment. / Master of Science

The problem of not enough African American males enrolling in masters level teaching programs was addressed in this study. This phenomenological study examined the experiences of African American males in master of arts teaching (MAT) programs to understand why they enrolled and what factors led to persistence throughout their program enrollment. Six African American males currently enrolled in MAT programs in the southern, southwestern, and western regions of the United States participated. Data gathered for each participant included an individual, semi-structured interview and a demographic survey. Audio-recordings were used to capture the fullness of the interviews, and transcription software was used to code, analyze, and sort the data to help identify themes. This study looked through the lens of Strayhorn’s graduate student persistence and Albert Bandura’s self-efficacy theories. Factors that influenced African American males to enroll into a program were (a) education as a necessary credential, (b) desire to give back to society, (c) minority scholarship support, (d) making a connection to passion, and (e) desire to enhance teaching skills. External and internal factors were identified as assisting the males to persist within their programs. Academic institutions and policy makers may find the results useful for understanding the unseen educational barriers likely to limit African American males from enrolling in MAT programs, the issues likely to occur during the process of obtaining the degree, and the factors likely to be assistive to them for achieving program completion.

This dissertation was a sub-study of a National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded randomized clinical trial (R21 NR016112) that examined the effects of resistance training (RT; i.e., weight lifting) on depression in Black/African American (AA) men. The focus of this study was to examine resilience in that population. Resilience is one’s ability to adapt, withstand, and grow in the face of adversity and stress, and it is thought to be inversely associated with stress-related mental illness. Previous research has linked resilience with other intrapersonal factors such as physical self-concept (PSC), and mastery experiences, yet no study has examined the role exercise might play in these relationships. Purpose: To conduct the first study to examine the effects of RT on resilience and PSC, and to explore how mastery experiences might affect these variables. Methods: Twenty-nine participants in the parent study were randomized into either a 12-week RT group or time-matched control. Both groups were required to attend two on-site sessions per week (i.e., 24 total sessions), and all completed questionnaires at three time points (baseline, week 6, week 13). Changes in resilience, PSC, and mastery were analyzed using a series of linear mixed models. Results: There was a significant effect of Time (t = 2.3, p = .02) for resilience, such that the mean score significantly increased by 2.9 points from baseline to the Week 13 in the aggregated sample. There was no significant effect of Group; however, the resistance training group significantly increased their resilience from baseline to Week 13 (p < .01). There was a significant effect of Group (t = 2.5, p = .02) and Time (t= 2.4, p < .01) on PSC from baseline to Week 13. In addition, the results revealed that for every 1-unit increase in PSC from baseline to Week 13, there was a 0.1-point increase in resilience for the aggregated sample. Mastery was not related to any outcome. Conclusion: Results suggest that RT has the potential to influence both resilience and PSC. Furthermore, changes in PSC appeared to be associated with changes in resilience. Future research will be needed to better understand these associations.

Black men make up roughly 2% of the national teaching corps, and as Brockenbrough (2012) reminds us, there are recurring themes within Black Masculinity Studies that are central to bear in mind when looking at the lived and teaching experiences of these Black male teachers. The major one is to recognize and acknowledge the unique psychological, emotional, and spiritual toll of Black male marginality on Black men. “Oft-cited statistics on incarceration, homicide, unemployment, high school dropout, and HIV infection rates, among other chronic blights (Dyson, 1993; Noguera, 2003), illustrate not only the systemic marginality of Black men in American society, but also their distance from patriarchal definitions of manhood that rely on White supremacist and capitalist power to reinforce male domination” (p.5). The intention of this study was to engage with these Black male teachers’ narratives, stories, and commentaries and learn from their life and teaching experiences as Black men. The aim was to gain insight into how they were recruited, how they were supported, and also what their understandings and thoughts are around retaining Black male teachers in the classrooms. This is a small qualitative study is a sample of four Black Male teachers within the 2013 Teach for America Corps in NYC. As Lewis (2006) suggests, many of these Black male teachers consider their role bound to some form of social justice. This inquiry aimed to talk across the struggles and challenges of Black men in the NYC corps of the TFA program and to reach an understanding of their lived and teaching experience, and of the ways ideologies and narratives are negotiated and navigated in schools and classrooms. The questions of inquiry were aimed to provide insight into the recruitment, retention, and professional support of the Black male teacher, both in TFA and outside this program. Participation in this study was limited to Black male educators with one year of elementary or middle school teaching experience, in order to draw on and speak to the greater presence of male teachers at those levels to help teacher preparation programs navigate toward better recruitment processes, and supporting and sustaining more Black males in the classroom.

There is a need to increase awareness among African American men regarding their potential risk of prostate cancer and inform them of screening and treatment options, given the health disparities that affect their group. To do so, an innovative e health video was developed, using an animated avatar video to educate African American males about prostate cancer and potential screening methods in a way that is culturally appropriate. Effectiveness of this e-health intervention was tested on a sample of 41 African American males. Efficacy was measured using a repeated measures design that used pre- and post-measures of four target behaviors regarding prostate cancer screening. These four target behaviors include: (1) getting an annual physical exam, (2) discussing the possibility of getting a digital rectal exam to screen for prostate cancer with a doctor, (3) discussing the possibility of getting a PSA exam to screen for prostate cancer with a doctor, and (4) spreading awareness about prostate cancer among other African American men. The stage of change, which is a theoretical framework adapted from Prochaska and DiClemente (1983), measures changes in human behavior from precontemplation and contemplation on the low end to action and maintenance on the high end. Self-efficacy was also measured before and after the intervention for each of the four target behaviors. Paired t-tests show that the stage of change for the third and fourth target behaviors and self-efficacy for the second, third, and fourth target behaviors were significantly increased by the e-health intervention, indicating that the intervention was successful. Additionally, participant ratings about the intervention were largely positive. In effect, this study finds that the e-health intervention developed in this study not only works, but is an affordable, scalable, and practical tool that can educate African American males about prostate cancer screening practices.

Despite the growing concerns about routine prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening in men, little is known about the societal and economic impact of screening among the African American population. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore beliefs among African American men about PSA screening, funding for screening, and the role of the United States Preventive Service Task Force in addressing the problem. Guided by rational choice theory, data collection consisted of completion of a health beliefs survey, face-to-face interviews, field notes taken during interview, and interview audio recording. The population for the study included African American men residing in a large metropolitan Midwestern city, who are between the ages of 45 and 65, and who have not been diagnosed with prostate cancer disease. Data were analyzed using NVivo10-© to identify themes and patterns. Results from the study show that the decision to participate in prostate screening for African American men is hindered due to concerns about access, cost, and affordability. These three factors should be further evaluated in a larger setting for a greater understanding of their roles in more effective screening programs and policies. Insights gained from this study may positively impact future policy by providing a deeper understanding of the beliefs held by African American men on the issue of prostate cancer screening that may eventually lead to developing and successfully implementing policies that can be cost effective.