Strong Black mother : generational transfer of resilience
- UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
- Jasmine S. Gibbs (Creator)
- Institution
- The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
- Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/
- Advisor
- Ting Wang
Abstract: Changes in interpersonal relationships have marked the COVID-19 pandemic. Previous research on the consequences of COVID-19 for families has primarily investigated the broad topics of family well-being and caregiving, leaving more distinct connections, like mother daughter relationships, unexamined. Even less research has been conducted to investigate the pandemic experiences of Black families. The following thesis uses narrative data from 18 to 25 year-old Black female college students to comprehend the state of their relationships with their mothers before and after the onset of COVID-19. Thematic analysis was utilized to decipher relevant patterns and themes concerning mother-daughter relationships. Results indicated that daughters perceived their mothers as embodying strength and resilience before the pandemic as a shield to protect themselves. However, after the pandemic, participants reported vulnerability in their mothers, which created a new level of closeness in their relationships and increased mental health for mothers and daughters. Data also suggested that although participants faced challenges when COVID sent them back to their family homes, many were able to reconnect with their mothers and increase their relationship quality. Findings suggest that Black mother-daughter relationships largely benefitted from the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Mothers and daughters showed one another support and compassion after the start of the pandemic, abandoning societal expectations of strength and independence to elevate their relationships to new heights during unprecedented times.
Strong Black mother : generational transfer of resilience
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Created on 5/1/2023
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Additional Information
- Publication
- Thesis
- Language: English
- Date: 2023
- Keywords
- COVID-19, Focus Groups, Inter-generational, Mother-daughter Relationships, Qualitative, Strong Black Woman
- Subjects
- Women, Black
- Mothers and daughters
- Resilience (Personality trait) in women