Problem:
My research interest explores how Black mothers experience identity disruption when societal expectations of motherhood intersect with racialized stereotypes and structural inequities. Black mothers often navigate dominant cultural ideals of "intensive mothering," which are historically rooted in White, middle-class norms, while simultaneously confronting racialized expectations such as the "strong Black woman" trope and assumptions of resilience or self-sacrifice (Collins, 2000). These intersecting pressures can shape maternal identity, psychological well-being, and meaning-making. Understanding these lived experiences is essential for informing culturally responsive mental health, educational, and social support systems.
My philosophical orientation aligns with a critical constructivist worldview grounded in Critical Race Feminist theory. This orientation assumes that reality is socially constructed through historical, cultural, and political forces and that knowledge is shaped by power, race, gender, and lived experience (Burkholder et al., 2020; Creswell & Creswell, 2018). Ontologically, this perspective assumes multiple, socially constructed realities, meaning Black mothers' identities and experiences cannot be understood as universal or objective but must be interpreted within specific racialized and gendered contexts. Their realities are shaped by structural racism, cultural narratives, and personal meaning-making (Collins, 2000).
Epistemologically, this worldview assumes that knowledge is co-constructed between researcher and participant, and that lived experience is a legitimate and essential source of knowledge (Burkholder et al., 2020). Researchers acknowledge their positionality and recognize that inquiry is not value-free. Instead, research seeks to center marginalized voices, challenge dominant narratives, and produce knowledge that contributes to social justice (Crenshaw, 1991).
These assumptions lend themselves to qualitative research approaches, particularly phenomenology, narrative inquiry, and qualitative case study. Qualitative methods allow researchers to examine meaning-making, identity development, and lived experience in depth (Burkholder et al., 2020). For example, phenomenological research could explore how Black mothers interpret and experience racialized maternal expectations, while narrative inquiry could examine how they construct and reconstruct their identities through personal stories. These approaches align with a constructivist and critical orientation because they prioritize participant voice, context, and interpretation rather than seeking universal, objective truths.
Ultimately, this philosophical orientation and qualitative approach provide a framework for understanding how Black mothers negotiate identity within systems shaped by race, gender, and power, and for generating knowledge that can inform culturally responsive policy and practice.
Respond to a classmate who holds a different philosophical orientation than you and share an insight. Need Assignment Help?
References:
Babbie, E. (2017). Basics of social research (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
- Chapter 1, "Human Inquiry and Science"
Burkholder, G. J., Cox, K. A., Crawford, L. M., & Hitchcock, J. H. (Eds.). (2020). Research designs and methods: An applied guide for the scholar-practitioner . Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
- Chapter 1, "Introduction to Research"
- Chapter 2, "Philosophical Foundations and the Role of Theory in Research"