The strong Black woman stereotype and identity shifting among Black women in academic and other professional spaces.

Abstract

Background: Black women, relative to their Black male and White counterparts, may be more prone to experiencing racism and sexism in academic and other professional settings due to the "double jeopardy" or stigma of being both Black and a woman. Few studies have quantitatively studied how Black women in academic and professional spaces may mitigate the oppressive circumstances experienced by engaging in a coping strategy called identity shifting.

Objectives: This study used an intersectional framework to investigate the relationships between the strong Black woman (SBW) stereotype, gendered racial identity centrality (GRIC), identity shifting, and mental health outcomes among 289 Black women (M_age = 29.46 years, SD = 10.74). It was hypothesized that there was a significant positive relationship between endorsement of the SBW schema, GRIC, and identity shifting. Additionally, we hypothesized the relationship between SBW and identity shifting is moderated by mental health such that more (a) depressive (b) and anxiety symptoms will result in a stronger relationship between stereotype endorsement and identity shifting strategies.

Design: This study employed a quantitative, cross-sectional design using data collected in 2019 and 2020 from a larger validation study.

Methods: Participants were recruited through emails, campus flyers, text messages, and social media postings. After providing informed consent, participants completed a 30- to 40-min online survey via Qualtrics.

Results: There was partial support for the first hypothesis. While greater endorsement of the SBW stereotype by Black women did result in engagement with more identity shifting strategies, the relationship between these strategies and GRIC was not significant. The second hypothesis was not supported as mental health variables did not moderate the relationship between SBW and identity shifting.

Conclusion: The importance of examining the gendered racial experiences of Black women is discussed, along with the importance of addressing SBW and identity shifting in academia and in professional workspaces.