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Our Journey, Our Voice: Conceptualizing Motherhood and Reproductive Agency in African American Communities

Abstract Details

2017, PhD, University of Cincinnati, Arts and Sciences: Sociology.
Motherhood is not always a clear journey to a desired end, but at some point in their lives, most women grapple with the idea of motherhood and ponder whether or not they want to become mothers. A thorough understanding of the process whereby African American women navigate the territory of motherhood is still lacking, even though recent literature has begun to fill in the gaps. The overall problem this dissertation seeks to understand is why and how black women decide to become mothers (or not) and how, more generally, they make sense of their reproductive journeys. Using intersectionality as my theoretical lens, I argue that the decisions women make in terms of motherhood and the societal influences they interact with must be examined and understood in light of the constellations of constraints, opportunities, and experiences that their particular social locations provide. Data come from in-depth interviews with 50 African American women from different social classes. The interviews focused on the women’s thoughts on and experiences with motherhood. Findings show that 1) that poor and working class women view motherhood as their destiny whereas middle class women view it more as an option; 2) middle/upper class women think of their reproductive lives in terms of a plan whereas poor women are more likely to accept motherhood whenever it comes; and 3) while all women refer to community mothering, only poor women live lives where community mothering play an important role and serve as an important resource in their own experiences as mothers. Despite these differences, it is clear that the black women who participated in this study were all agents of their own lives; that is, they exercised reproductive agency. Here I argue that understanding reproductive agency for African American women can help us better understand how differently situated women think about and practice motherhood. As such, this research contributes important knowledge to the literature related to motherhood and intersectionality.
Annulla Linders, Ph.D. (Committee Chair)
Danielle Bessett, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Patricia Hill Collins, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Jennifer Malat, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
149 p.

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Odum, T. C. (2017). Our Journey, Our Voice: Conceptualizing Motherhood and Reproductive Agency in African American Communities [Doctoral dissertation, University of Cincinnati]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1505148678895392

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Odum, Tamika. Our Journey, Our Voice: Conceptualizing Motherhood and Reproductive Agency in African American Communities. 2017. University of Cincinnati, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1505148678895392.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Odum, Tamika. "Our Journey, Our Voice: Conceptualizing Motherhood and Reproductive Agency in African American Communities." Doctoral dissertation, University of Cincinnati, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1505148678895392

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)