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.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:IUPUI/oai:scholarworks.iupui.edu:1805/24612 |
| Date | 10 1900 |
| Creators | Jordan, Patricia Ann |
| Contributors | Thompson, Chalmer, Scheurich, James, Kazembe, Lasana, Grommon, Eric |
| Source Sets | Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Dissertation |
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