The Unprecedented Black Woman: An Autoethnographic Thematic Analysis of Black Womanhood

Date

2022-08-15

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

MAPC, The University of Tampa

Abstract

Investigating stereotypes involving Black women requires us to acknowledge the realism behind the Mammy, Jezebel, the Strong Black Woman trope, and the Superwoman Persona stereotypes. However, researchers have mostly acknowledged health factors, positioning, and the logical thoughts behind Black Women. This research will acknowledge and discuss the media's representation of professional Black women in regards to their personal development as well as their personal experiences using Critical Social Theory in Intersectionality and the Crooked Room Theory. Using Patricia Collins, Black feminist thought, researchers applied Critical Social Theory to examine and explain how culture and power play a significant role in the lives of Black Women. I will too consider how the controlling image of the Strong Black Woman trope contributes to the cultural understanding of race, discrimination and Black women. Also, this research will walk through the dynamics of how a Black Woman is viewed by the world and show the capitalization of Black Women taking back the stereotypes that have been placed upon them and reappropriating them. This project considers the stereotypical attributes that these tropes deem to be a fundamental understanding of Black womanhood. In conclusion, an autoethnography will examine the lives of Black Women who carry these tropes gracefully and showcase their strengths through the researcher's lens.

Description

MAPC 700 Capstone in Professional Communication

Keywords

Black women, Mammy + Jezebel, Superwoman persona

Citation

DOI

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