My dissertation, Black Studies Definitions, examines the varied ways that Black Studies has been defined in the United States of America. Investigating the definitions found in college/university catalogues, foundation reports, encyclopedias, dictionaries, textbooks, scholarly articles/books, and the popular press, I suggest that the definitional difficulties surrounding this field can be clarified by considering the archive of these materials, the significance of “the year of promise,” 1968-1969, and a conceptual approach to the discipline. Quite often, observations about Black Studies are grounded in references to limited primary sources. By unearthing and extracting statements about the field from fifty years of materials, “Black Studies Definitions” suggests the inadequacy of such formulations and provides a resource for systematically researching Black Studies. The year of promise has been noted as an important historical landmark; however, its role in the development of Black Studies has not been comprehended accurately. Presenting selected texts that were written during this span, this dissertation identifies 1968-1969 as a vital developmental phase in Black Studies. It does so by using select texts written by the higher education establishment and by intellectuals to abstract key words and kernel elements that provide a basis for defining the discipline. Finally, “Black Studies Definitions” uses a conceptual approach to offer a provisional definition of the field. Addressing more than forty years of unsatisfying efforts, this dissertation points towards techniques that can lay the foundation for a fruitful future in the discipline. My dissertation is an interdisciplinary analysis that aims at a better understanding of Black Studies in higher education. After compiling and analyzing earlier definitions of Black Studies, I noted that these statements were often incomplete. These incomplete statements produced confusion surrounding the identity of the field; however, they also contained details that could provide a fuller understanding of Black Studies. Inquiring into the core concepts of the field, I discovered that Black Studies, which was a new discipline circa 1968, inspired definitions that included a few recurring keywords. My research attempts to determine when and how these keywords appear in materials defining the discipline. By charting such patterns in definitions of Black Studies, I lay the groundwork for a more careful chronicling of the different phases in the field’s public presentation. This kind of chronicling suggests that a conceptual approach to defining the discipline proves fruitful. Despite the proliferation of Black Studies programs between 1968 and 2017, academicians have yet to agree on what is included or excluded from this field. “Black Studies Definitions” addresses this situation with three crucial interventions. My work presents a bibliography of more than one thousand texts that engage the definition of this field. My research establishes 1968-1969 as a revelatory era in identifying the core concepts that underlie Black Studies. Finally, my dissertation illustrates that a conceptual approach provides a fruitful basis for defining this field. Specifically, it argues that Black Studies is a branch of the interdisciplinary human sciences that probe the relations between a state of mind, people and language.

Considerable attention---both within the research literature and popular media---has been devoted to the heightened risk of young, African American men for negative life outcomes such as early morbidity and criminal justice involvement. Much of the literature has focused upon various risk factors (such as poverty and low educational attainment) for negative life outcomes and is descriptive or quantitative in its analysis. The perspective and voices of the young men who experience this phenomenon has often been overlooked, and thus constitutes a significant gap in the literature This dissertation sought to address this gap in the literature through a qualitative research study which elicited the life stories of young African American men who are at risk for such outcomes. Spencer's (1995, 2006) phenomenological variant of ecological systems theory (PVEST) was the framework through which each participant's life story was analyzed, and enabled critical examination of the manner in which the manifestation of risk and protective factors influenced life stage outcomes. Results indicated that life stage outcomes were strongly influenced by an individual's net stress engagement (the manifestation of challenges and supports within various contexts), the reactive coping strategies they employed to negotiate life stressors, and identity development / acase@tulane.edu

Transcendental phenomenological research methodology was used to explore the disclosure of HIV seropositivity to the male sexual partners of African-American men who have sex with men (AAMSM). Very little research has been conducted that focuses on the serostatus disclosure process for AAMSM who are living with HIV. It is important to understand the social context within which AAMSM negotiate their sexual experiences Ten participants from Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Georgia, Shreveport, Louisiana, and New Orleans, Louisiana, were interviewed for this study. Interviews were audiotaped, transcribed, and analyzed using a transcendental phenomenological approach Analysis of the transcripts resulted in four themes related to intrapersonal, relational, societal, and contextual aspects of HIV disclosure. The identified themes were used as a framework to create stories that captured the co-researchers' experiences of HIV serostatus disclosure. A discussion of the results is provided, including implications for research and education and limitations of the study / acase@tulane.edu

This research assessed the effects of received and perceived social support on the health status of 65 HIV-positive African-American mothers over time. More specifically, this study examined the effects of received and perceived social support on both subjective and objective markers of their health status. Differences in types of received and perceived social support reported by the women, along with the influence of sociodemographic and psychosocial factors on received and perceived social support, were also examined Studies based on data from a wide range of populations suggest that perceived social support better predicts health outcomes for seriously ill persons than received support. From previous research with cancer patients and HIV-positive gay males, it was expected that: (a) perceived social support would have a more positive impact on health than received social support; (b) the type of received and perceived social support would change with progression of illness; (c) sociodemographic and psychosocial factors would affect received and perceived social support. Study results supported the notion that perceived social support affects health status more positively over time than received social support. Perceived emotional support from others and support from friends and neighbors were found to be the most important factors positively affecting health status. No change was found over time between types of received or perceived social support. When controlling for each of the health status variables, sociodemographic and psychosocial factors were found to have little impact on either perceived or received social support These results indicate that further research is warranted to separate and understand the differential impact that various types of received and perceived social support may have on both subjective and objective markers of health status. Given that social support is an important coping resource, research focusing on understanding how specific social network relationships provide social support to HIV-positive African-American women could further clarify the transactional complexity of social support. Findings from this study should be helpful to social workers practicing in health care settings and contribute to the general knowledge about the effects of social support on health outcomes experienced by HIV-positive African-American mothers / acase@tulane.edu

My dissertation, 'Marrying in and out of Whiteness: Twentieth-Century Intermarriage Narratives,' examines shifting American perceptions of race, ethnicity, and whiteness through the formula of the intermarriage story. In each chapter, I do a comparative study of black/white interracial marriage and WASP/white ethnic intermarriage stories. Through this intertextual analysis, I reveal how at different points throughout the twentieth century, white and nonwhite ethnics launched a collaborative deconstruction of white dominant culture ideals, while at other historical moments these groups have turned against each other in their efforts to better the conditions of their respective cultural communities. I argue that the narratives shift from stories of marrying into whiteness during the early twentieth century---when whiteness was equated with citizenship, privilege, ideal beauty, and personal safety---to stories of marrying out of whiteness after World War II---when whiteness becomes associated with repression, emptiness, imperialism, materialism, and the absence of community. In addition, I analyze why the mid-century era (from the onset of World War II to the Civil Rights Movement) is integral in reversing the formula of American intermarriage texts to stones which idealize 'otherness' and deconstruct 'whiteness.' I discuss a range of texts, including works by authors Israel Zangwill, James Weldon Johnson, Anzia Yezierska, Flannery O'Connor, Nella Larsen, George Schuyler, Helen Barolini, Bernard Malamud, Margaret Mitchell, Alice Walker, and Philip Roth / acase@tulane.edu

The Orisha religion of Trinidad is a complex system of beliefs and practices drawn from a number of cultural traditions. Its beginnings in Trinidad can be traced back to the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries when Africans were brought to the island to work on the colonial sugar plantations Sometime during the early developmental period of the primarily Yoruba (Nigerian) derived Orisha religion, syncretism involving specific elements of Catholicism occurred. In the early part of this century, the Orisha religion underwent further change as a result of contact with the Spiritual Baptists, an Afro-Protestant religion comprised primarily of worshipers drawn from the same socio-economic and ethnic class as that of the Orisha religion. Since 1950, various elements drawn from Hinduism and the Kabbalah were added to the existing religious system. The result is a highly eclectic system that is so broad ideologically that a number of disparate worship patterns are tolerated. The exploration and utilization of these various patterns often leads to confusion and conflict The present form and structure of the Orisha religion is the result of both centrifugal forces which are tending to further expand the religious system and centripetal forces which are acting to temper this change. Those mechanisms that engender variability include the loose organizational structure of the religion, fiercely independent shrine heads whose success and popularity is often judged by their ability to handle a diverse system of ritual and paraphernalia, and methods of knowledge transmission and enculturation which involve a few passing on information to the many. Those mechanisms which act against the forces of change include the annual feast circuit, which brings together worshipers from all over the island on a weekly basis, and Africanization, an anti-assimilative and anti-syncretic movement that emphasizes the retention of African elements and the expurgation of extraneous elements from the religious system, especially those of Catholicism This symbolically rich and sometimes confusing religion is examined both historically and ethnographically in an attempt to both describe and explain the various processes that have acted to transform it through time / acase@tulane.edu

This study explored the theoretical assumptions postulated by Gilligan (1982) that; (a) there exists two different moral decision-making orientations, the ethic-of-justice and the ethic-of-care, (b) that these orientations are gender related and c) that the face-to-face interview is sensitive to the context of the ethic-of-care as well as the ethic-of-justice. Thirty (15 males and 15 females) African-American college seniors participated in the study. The Bem Sex Role Inventory (BSRI) and Gilligan's interview were utilized to explore the possible relationship between sex role and moral decision-making The findings affirm (a) that there exists two distinct moral decision-making orientations; negate (b) that these orientations are gender related and affirm (c) that the face-to-face interview is sensitive to the context of the ethic-of-care as well as the ethic-of-justice. The overwhelming preference for the ethic-of-care orientation for 25 subjects with only 5 subjects preferring the ethic-of-justice was supported by the unanimous classification of androgyny for all subjects on the BSRI. An unexpected finding suggests that moral decision-making orientation may be more related to the context of moral conflict being concerned with intimate or non-intimate relationships than gender or sex role for this population / acase@tulane.edu

This phenomenological study investigates the religious and spiritual values of older African American women with an emphasis on how values motivate volunteering in the Black community. Research questions were posed to older African-American women through focus groups at community centers located in six neighborhoods. The responses to the research questions provide an understanding of the religious and spiritual values; indicate how values were learned, transmitted, and practiced within the context of volunteerism; and clarify what is helpful to motivate and maintain the practice of volunteering The descriptive voices of older African-American women are shown in the data analysis indicating major themes that emerged. Themes are interpreted using womanist theology and the Black helping tradition. These two paradigms provide lenses from which to view the intersection of race, gender, religiousness and spirituality, age, and class. Findings indicate religious and spiritual values motivate older African-American women to volunteer in order to strengthen their neighborhoods. Diverse value based volunteer activities that form a helping tradition are described and reflect practices that connect individuals, families, organizations, and neighborhoods. The limitations of the research and future research are discussed. Implications for the social work profession are presented with an emphasis on education, research, direct service, and policy practices / acase@tulane.edu

The purpose of this study is to describe characteristics of HIV-infected women who choose various reproductive decisions: (1) to become pregnant, (2) to get sterilized, and (3) to have an elective abortion subsequent to learning their HIV diagnosis. The medical records of 298 HIV-infected women who attended an HIV outpatient clinic were reviewed. A subset of this cohort, consisting of 104 HIV-infected women who presented at the clinic, were interviewed. They were recruited into the study based on whether or not they had ever had a subsequent pregnancy, then reclassified based on their subsequent sterilization status. The few cases of subsequent abortion are described The subjects interviewed were primarily African American and had not finished high school. The mean age at diagnosis was 25 years. Women who had a subsequent pregnancy were more likely to be younger, unmarried, diagnosed earlier in the epidemic, and have a recent history of non-IV drug use. Trends were noted for a history of pregnancy loss, subsequent sterilization, and current use of birth control. Among women who had a subsequent pregnancy, 12% had planned the pregnancy, over half had tried to prevent it, and a third had neither planned nor tried to prevent the pregnancy. Among women who never had a subsequent pregnancy, the majority had made a conscious decision not to become pregnant, mainly due to fears of transmitting HIV to a child Women who had a subsequent sterilization were more likely to have a partner who wanted no more children, to already have a live birth, and to be Baptist than women who were not subsequently sterilized. Sterilized women showed a trend toward believing that HIV infected women should get sterilized and that HIV-infected pregnant women should not have an abortion. The majority of women who became sterilized said their HIV diagnosis greatly affected their decision and cited reasons similar to those given by women who did not have a subsequent pregnancy Counseling of HIV-infected women should include frank discussions of her lifestyle, appropriate referrals for substance abuse treatment when needed, timely and accurate information about perinatal transmission, and permanency planning for her children. A nondirective approach that helps clients understand the meaning of various alternatives for her own life and that supports her decisions should be utilized / acase@tulane.edu

African-American women are disproportionately represented in the HIV/AIDS statistics in the south. This phenomenological research study explored and describes the sexual decision-making experiences of nine Louisiana African-American women ages 25--44. The research questions focused on the decision-making process with a new male sex partner. Participants retrospectively shared their lived experiences in the previous 12 months supported by Black Women's Standpoint Theory Semi-structured interviews were conducted with questions designed to uncover the complexity of the decision-making processes. Definitions of sexual intimacy, the role of spirituality, and the concept of connectedness were also explored along with the emotional and physiological feelings, meanings, and thoughts associated with their sexual decision-making experiences. Themes were identified through data triangulation as follows: the decision to have sexual intercourse, considerations involved in sexual decision-making, perceived risks for HIV/AIDS infection, and factors prompting safer-sex behaviors. Other considerations related to sense of self, the role of socialization, physical and emotional expectations, influence of alcohol, and condom use are discussed. The data supports inconsistent or no condom use during sexual intercourse with a man whose HIV status was unknown placing more than 50% of the women at high risk for HIV infection. HIV risks were higher among the women with minimal or no consistent spirituality and a diminished sense of connectedness to family and friends. Implications for HIV prevention, social work research, practice, and education are discussed / acase@tulane.edu