The prevalence of type II diabetes is high among African-American women but research that emphasizes black mothers and their adult daughters is rarely studied in social sciences or communication research. Though existing research addresses various domains of the mother-daughter relationship scant information addresses the significance of talk or the transmission of health information between African-American diabetic mothers and their non-diabetic adult daughters. For that reason, this dissertation investigates information sharing among a sample of African-American mothers with type II diabetes and their non-diabetic adult daughters.This study's two primary research objectives were to: 1. describe whether and how African-American type II diabetic mothers and their non-diabetic adult daughters engage in information sharing about type II diabetes; and to 2. describe whether and how the sharing of health-related communication messages shapes African-American mothers' diabetic health behavior and/or shapes adult non-diabetic daughters' diabetic-related health behavior.This study used a modified grounded theory approach, in which I concurrently collected, coded and analyzed data. While an intention behind grounded theory is to develop theory "from the ground up," I also used the Health Belief Model (HBM) and Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) to inform research questions. I conducted 10 interviewswith members of mother-daughter dyads; two with each mother and two with each daughter. I concluded my interviews with both mother and daughter present, yielding a total of 50 interviews. Dyads were comprised of African-American type II diabetic mothers (age 45 and older) and their non-diabetic adult daughters (age 20 and older) living in New Mexico, Ohio and Kentucky.Information gathered from interviews yielded five patterns of communication used by mothers and daughters to talk about type II diabetes. The patterns encompassed the ongoing ways in which mothers' and daughters' negotiated the illness. This study described this negotiation as a unique "culture" that entailed 1) an historical knowledge of diabetes, 2) a present and personal experiences of living with diabetes and 3) an understanding of the future implication of diabetes for mothers, their adult daughters, and their entire family.This study represents the first step toward understanding the diabetic interaction between mothers and adult daughters living with a chronic illness. Results suggest that mothers and daughters are motivated to talk about diabetes, even though talk does not always address prevention in their health behaviors. This study is useful to inform practitioners of the significance of oral tradition as one mode of transmitting health care information within African-American culture and the value of integrated medical visits, particularly for diabetic mothers and their adult daughters. As well, health communication scholars can use this information to develop, test and implement innovative health education media and message strategies for families and mother-daughter dyads that address diabetic health information.

abstract: Emerging adulthood--a developmental point in the life span (usually between the ages of 18-25) during which children no longer see themselves as adolescents but would not yet consider themselves adults--is marked by identity exploration and discovering new life directions. When emerging adults find themselves serving as caregivers for their parent during a time when they would normally be establishing autonomy and exploring new directions, they may feel conflicted by their desire to both care for their parent and maintain a sense of independence. Thus, using a multiple-method research design that includes both an autoethnography and a qualitative content analysis of young adult caregivers' online posts, this study intends to uncover the dialectical tensions (the interplay of communicative tensions within a relationship) an emerging adult daughter experiences in her relationship with her mother as she serves as her caregiver, experiences her death, and grieves her passing by analyzing the author's personal narrative. To provide a deeper understanding of the dialectical nature of the emerging adult caregiver experience, the study was extended with an examination of other young caregivers' experiences, drawn from online forums, to explore how they encounter tensions within their own relationships with their parents. An analysis of the personal narrative revealed one primary dialectical tension, separation-connection, and three interrelated tensions--predictability-change, openness-closedness, and holding on-letting go--that seemed to influence this primary tension. Results of the qualitative content analysis revealed that other caregivers experienced one primary dialectical tension, sacrifice-reward, and two additional, interrelated tensions: independence-dependence and presence-absence. A comparison of the findings from each methodological approach revealed both similarities and differences in experiences of emerging adult caregivers. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.A. Communication 2010

Teen dating violence (TDV) affects nearly one third of adolescents in the United States and is increasingly one of the largest public health concerns of health researchers and practitioners. Parent involvement, and specifically messages communicated to children about healthy and unhealthy relationships, has potential to be a vital element of TDV prevention and intervention. Researchers have demonstrated that parent-adolescent communication has significant effects on adolescent risky behavior, but the effect of parent-adolescent communication on TDV has not been investigated. The purpose of this study was to examine the associations between mother-daughter communication quality, mothers' and daughters' beliefs about unhealthy relationships, and the dating violence experienced by adolescents. The sample was 58 adolescent daughters recruited from three rural Oregon high schools and their mothers. Self-report and observational data were collected from daughters and their mothers. It was hypothesized that (1) daughters' dating beliefs mediate the relationship between mothers' dating beliefs and daughters' experienced TDV, (2) mother-daughter communication quality mediates the relationship between mothers' dating beliefs and daughter's dating beliefs, and (3) mother-daughter communication quality mediates the relationship between mothers' dating beliefs and daughter's TDV. Structural equation modeling was used to test three path models where mother-daughter communication was represented by three different measures: daughters' report of having a quality conversation with their mother about dating in the past year, daughters' disagreement during observed mother-daughter communication, and daughters' disagreement during observed mother-daughter communication about dating. All three models were a good fit with the data, and significant associations were found between measures of mother-daughter communication, daughters' beliefs about dating, and daughters' experienced dating violence. Implications of this study include mother-daughter communication, perhaps a representation of a larger construct of mother-daughter relationship quality, as a point of intervention for adolescent girls' experiences of dating violence. Future research and clinical studies are required to further examine the relationships between parent-adolescent communication and TDV and the potential affect that parents may have on rates and experiences of TDV.

The present study aimed to examine intra- and interpersonal associations between poor mental health and mother–daughter relationship closeness in a sample of 467 dyads. An Actor–Partner Interdependence Model was utilized to examine bidirectional processes between mothers (mean age = 42.64, SD = 6.5) and their adolescent daughters (mean age = 15.37, SD = 1.15). The independent variable was self-reported poor mental health and the dependent variable was relationship closeness. Additionally, communication satisfaction was examined as a potential interpersonal mediator of the pathway between poor mental health and relationship closeness. Daughters’ self-reported poor mental health negatively predicted their own perception of closeness as well as mothers’ perception of closeness. Additionally, we find evidence that perceived communication may explain (i.e., mediate) both the actor effect (one’s own poor mental health on one’s own perception of closeness) and the partner effect (partner’s poor mental health on one’s own perception of closeness). Our results suggest that when daughters’ mental health is poor, relationship closeness as perceived by mother and daughter may be weakened, and that this effect may in part be explained by poor communication between mother and daughter. Strategies to promote family communication, especially for families experiencing mental health problems, may aid in the development of closer mother–daughter relationships. Further, our results suggest the importance of investigating the potential bidirectional influence of mothers’ and daughters’ mental health on parent-adolescent relationship quality within a dyadic unit.

Subtle occurrences of discrimination, insults, and slights against gender can impact woman of all ages, although little research has been done on the mental health impacts of these events on adolescents or middle-aged women. Additionally, a person’s own views on sex roles and sexism may impact how these events affect them. The following study examined the relationship between mothers and daughters on variables related to ambivalent sexism, gender-based microaggressions, and anxiety and depression. One hundred two mothers and their adolescent daughters completed various online surveys through the use of a Qualtrics panel. The sample was fairly representative, with respondents varying in social class, age, religious preference, and geographical location. Mother and daughter participants separately completed various online measures related to microaggressions, sexism, and mental health. Results indicated that mothers and daughters reports of mental health outcomes, experiences of microaggressions, and ambivalent sexism were very correlated. Additionally, for both mothers and daughters, there was a positive correlation between experiences of gender-based microaggressions and increased symptoms of anxiety and depression. A moderation analysis was done to see if a women’s level of benevolent sexism acted as a moderator to the relationship between experiences of microaggressions and mental health. Although no significant interactions were found, the results did approach significance for the dependent variable of mother’s depression. This study highlights the occurrence and impact of gender-based microaggressions on two under-researched populations, and also begins to explore how views about gender roles may interact with mental health.

La dyade mère-fille est traversée par quelque chose tenant de l’ordre du désir et du sexuel. L’idée d’un même, d’un identique rapprochant la mère et la fille ainsi que la notion de répétition qui englobe certaines de leurs relations dans un contexte de violence sexuelle intrafamiliale nous interpellent dans notre pratique en tant que clinicienne. A partir de l’apport des travaux de Sigmund Freud et de ceux de Jacques Lacan – particulièrement sur le ravage concernant ce dernier – nous souhaitons savoir quelle place peuvent subjectivement occuper les filles du point de vue de leurs mères quand ces dernières sont elles-mêmes issues de familles à transactions violentes et/ou incestueuses? Dans ces situations, nous nous interrogeons et nous penchons sur la nature de ce qui est transmis entre mère et fille. Nous ne faisons pas simplement référence à l’inceste père-fille, nous nous employons à observer aussi d'autres formes d'inceste impliquant d'autres personnes de l'entourage ainsi que ce qui est appelé l’inceste de deuxième type (selon Françoise Héritier) et l’incestuel (comme décrit par Paul-Claude Racamier). Ainsi, cette étude prend en compte ce qu’il y a derrière la confusion des rôles, des générations et de « langue » entre mère et fille dans le contexte d’inceste. Notre recherche s’articule dans le champ de l'anthropologie psychanalytique, tel qu’il est développé par Paul-Laurent Assoun et Markos Zafiropoulos (2002), qui prend en compte l'Autre social pour comprendre le sujet de l'inconscient chez Freud et Lacan. Aussi, la relation mère-fille et ses résonances sur les plans social, symbolique et psychique, ainsi que la question de l’inceste et de l'incestuel seront les fils conducteurs de notre travail. Nous proposons de parcourir la relation mère-fille dans un contexte incestuel avec ou sans passage à l’acte à travers la clinique psychanalytique en nous appuyant sur des études de cas. L’ambivalence entre l’amour et la haine, déjà présente « naturellement » dans la relation mère-fille, s’amplifie dans le contexte d’inceste. Nous tentons d’analyser en profondeur les racines de la mise en acte violente des mères lorsqu'elles « échouent » dans leur fonction protéctrice, perturbant le lien mère-fille d’une manière encore plus ravageante en reprenant ce terme au sens lacanien du mot ravage. Ces circonstances où la mère et la fille sont dans une véritable impasse témoignent d'un lien d’emprise qui nous amène à nous interroger sur le travail de transmission entre elles. / The mother-daughter dyad is crossed by something from the order of the desire and sexuality. The notion of a double, an equal, a repetition that encompasses some relationships between mothers and daughters in a context of intra-familial sexual violence is one question that challenges us in our clinical practice. From what Sigmund Freud and Jacques Lacan teach us - the latter specially about the devastation - we ask ourselves what is the place that daughters occupy in the subjectivity of mothers from families with history of incest ? What will be passed from mother to daughter ? We do not refer only to the father-daughter incest, but also to other forms of incest, involving others in the family circle, as well to what we call incest of second type (according to Françoise Héritier) and the incestual (as descibed by Paul-Claude Racamier). Thus, our research deliberates on what is behind the confusion of roles, generations and « language » between mother and daughter in the incest’s domain. The work is linked to the field of psychoanalytic anthropology as developed by Paul-Laurent Assoun and Markos Zafiropoulos (2002) which approaches the social Other to undestand the unconsciouns subject in Freud and Lacan’s theory. The mother-daughter relationship and its resonance in the social, symbolic and psychic arenas, in conjunction with the question of the incest and the incestual are the core os this work. We propose to investigate the mother-daughter relationship in a incestuous context with or without passage to the act through psychoanalytical reference supported by clinical case studies. The ambivalence between love and hate, which is « naturally » present in the mother-daughter relationship, is amplified in the incest situation. We try to analyze in depth the roots of violent action when mothers « fail » in their protective role, disturbing the mother-daughter relationship in an even more devastating way, as per the Lacanian term devastation. These circumstances in which mother and daughter are in a profound impasse reveal a relationship of domination and make us question how the transmission works between them.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / This study explored the perspectives of Black mothers and daughters as they contemplated how two institutions ---schools and prisons/jails -- influenced their relationship with one another. As the incarceration rates for Black females increase in the U.S., examinations of these perspectives can produce insights about the impacts of schools and jails/prisons on the lives of these girls and women, and more pointedly, about the perceived contributions of racist and misogynistic forces on the Black mother-Black daughter relationship. Three pairs of mother-daughter dyads were selected and interviewed for the study. The daughters were Black middle school-aged girls between the ages 10 and 14, and the mothers were of varying ages. Two specific research questions centered on: (1) the participants’ perceptions of how these institutions have had an influence mother and daughter relationships, and (2) how they dealt with problems they faced either separately or together that were associated with school (for both participants in the dyad) and/or that resulted from the jail/prison experience (for the mother). Interviews were analyzed using phenomenological research methods and metaanalyzed from a critical feminist framework. Findings show that both mother and daughter have been resourceful in maintaining strong ties despite the array of forces that challenged these unions. Participants from both sides of these mothers and daughters dyads expressed how mothers’ parenting styles, lifestyle decisions, and self-perceptions were effected by the institutions of schooling and criminal justice. Although the findings of the study offered a glimpse of participants’ perspectives on racism and sexism as forces that influenced their experiences, the relationship issues between them were most prevalent. Further research is recommended to uncover more of the intricacies of sexism and racism as they relate to relationships and personal issues of Black, formerly incarcerated mothers and their pre-teen and teenaged daughters.

This study is focused on the relationship between mothers and their daughters, and the ways in which this relationship serves as a critical site from which black women (specifically from rural Venda area in Northern South Africa) construct their identities. Within the broad framework of qualitative research, this investigation employs a hybrid theoretical model rooted in black feminist epistemology incorporating standpoint feminism, feminist social constructionism, and intersectionality theory. The study draws on 18 interviews with mothers and daughters aged between 35-55 and 18-25 respectively. Using thematic narrative analysis, various themes, i.e. perceptions of femininity, intersectional nodes of femininity, and tensions between normative and counter normative constructions of femininity are explored to showcase shifts and changes in gendered narratives of femininity. The research finds that the multiple and varied ways in which identity is constructed is a complex relational process mediated by various social factors such as class, gender and location; and are consistent with the traditional conception of women as respectful, resilient, „silent‟, and nurturing. Furthermore, findings showed that most mothers played an active role in enforcing patriarchal ideologies of femininity, whereas most daughters actively challenged traditional conceptions of femininity to construct an empowered sense of femininity drawing from their mother‟s own lived experiences. The study further illustrates that the critical triangle of the self, motherhood and social location is a messy one that demands complex and dynamic understanding. This highlighted the need to use socio-cultural and socio-economic frameworks to investigate the multi-layered, complex process of femininity construction for women in rural areas, and how mothers and daughters in interaction with each other can become agents of social change in relation to gender relations. / Dissertation (MSocSci)--University of Pretoria, 2020. / DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Human Development / Sociology / MSocSci / Unrestricted

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