DIVERSITY
While diversity can be defined broadly, the resources here mainly reflect on race, ethnicity, and disability culture. The sources included here quite often deal with other subjects concerning women and disability such as aging, health care, mental health, and many others.
Ali, A., & Toner, B. B. (2001, September). Symptoms of depression among Caribbean women and Caribbean-Canadian women.
Psychology of Women Quarterly, 25(3), 175-180.
This study compared an immigrant sample of Caribbean-Canadian women (n =: 20) and a sample of women living in the Caribbean (n = 20) on the following variables: dominant domain of meaning (defined as that aspect of the participant's life from which she derives primary meaning for her sense of self); self-silencing (defined as the tendency to silence one's thoughts and feelings; Jack, 1991); and symptoms of depression. Results revealed that the Caribbean women were more likely to report relational domains of meaning as primary (e.g., family, friendships, intimate relationships), while the Caribbean-Canadian women were more likely to report domain of self-nurturance as primary (e.g., career goals, spirituality). Furthermore, univariate analysis revealed that the Caribbean-Canadian women reported higher levels of self-silencing and depressive symptoms, and derived less meaningfulness from their primary domains of meaning compared to the Caribbean women. These findings suggest that the immigrant experience may be a factor in women's emotional well-being.
America Undercover: The Execution of Wanda Jean [Film]. (2003). New York: HBO Documentaries.
This documentary about the execution of an African-American lesbian who killed her lover explores the humanity of both the death penalty and the label of mental retardation. The claim by Wanda Jean’s lawyers that she is mentally retarded and therefore unfit to be executed raises all aspects of this ongoing discussion. This personal look at Death Row, the power of labels, and the finality of the death penalty is unforgettable.
Banks, M. E., & Kaschak, E. (Eds.). (2003).
Women with visible and invisible disabilities: Multiple intersections, multiple issues, multiple therapies. Binghamton, NY: Haworth Press.
This thoughtful collection addresses the issues faced by women with disabilities, examines the social construction of disability, and makes suggestions for the development and modification of culturally relevant therapy to meet the needs of disabled women. Written in an accessible style—often in the words of women coping with various disabilities—and with a minimum of jargon, this book provides clinical material from the perspectives of psychotherapists, clients, personal assistants, and health administrators. Co- published simultaneously as
Women & Therapy, Vol. 26, nos. 1/2 and 3/4 in 2003.
Beatty, L. A. (2003). Substance abuse, disabilities, and Black women: An issue worth exploring. In M. E. Banks, & E. Kaschak (Eds.), Women with visible and invisible disabilities: multiple intersections, multiple issues, multiple therapies, Part II [Special issue].
Women & Therapy, 26(3/4), 223-236.
This paper presents information on the incidence and causes of substance abuse and disabilities in Black women, identifying common problems and risks. Drug abuse is technically a disability; however, there is little in the literature that jointly addresses issues of drug addiction and disability. Black women are the second largest group of women with disabilities and one of the largest groups to suffer the consequences of drug use such as HIV/AIDS, a rising source of disability highly correlated with drug abuse. Psychiatric co-morbidities related to disabilities and drug abuse are identified. Implications for research and treatment are discussed.
Boyd, J. A. (1998).
Can I get a witness? For sisters, when the blues is more than a song. New York: Dutton.
This book is a wake-up call to black women, their families, and the mental-health community on the subject of depression. Although it's the leading cause of mental-health-related deaths, depression is still not an illness that many African American women have been willing to recognize and treat. The author explores the links between self-esteem, depression, and women's health, and gives vivid testimony to black women's battle with the beast.
Boyle, J. S., Bunting, S. M., Hodnicki, D. R., & Ferrell, J. A. (2001). Critical thinking in African American mothers who care for adult children with HIV: A cultural analysis.
Journal of Transcultural Nursing, 12(3), 193-202.
This research study defines critical thinking in nursing and examines the thinking processes revealed by 15 African American mothers who are caregivers to adult children with HIV. The purpose of this cultural analysis was to compare the mothers' decision-making processes with their critical-thinking processes. Their culture, heritage, faith, and value of family influenced caregivers in this study. Their testimony revealed the patterns of creating a different path of care, weaving together resources, choosing among negative alternatives, and selecting stories to tell. Mothers' decisions were based on complex and holistic knowledge of their situations and culture and could be termed multilogical, a type of thinking considered necessary for managing complex situations. Health providers can benefit from an understanding of these decision-making processes.
Brown, D., & Keith, V. (Eds.). (2003).
In and out of our right minds: The mental health of African American women. New York: Columbia University Press.
African American women have commonly been portrayed as "pillars" of their communities--resilient mothers, sisters, wives, and grandmothers who remain steadfast in the face of all adversities. While these portrayals imply that African American women have few psychological problems, the scientific literature and demographic data present a different picture. They reveal that African American women are at increased risk for psychological distress because of factors that disproportionately affect them, including lower incomes, greater poverty and unemployment, unmarried motherhood, racism, and poor physical health. Yet at the same time, rates of mental illness are low. This invaluable book is the first comprehensive examination of the contradictions between the strengths and vulnerabilities of this population. Using the contexts of race, gender, and social class,
In and Out of Our Right Minds challenges the traditional notions of mental health and mental illness as they apply to African American women.
Buki, L. P., Borrayo, E. A., & Feigal, B. M. (2004, December). Are all Latinas the same? Perceived breast cancer screening barriers and facilitative conditions.
Psychology of Women Quarterly, 28(4), 400-411.
In this article, we examine perceived breast cancer screening barriers and facilitative conditions for immigrant women from Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, El Salvador, and South America (N=58). Focus groups conducted separately with women of each ancestry were analyzed using grounded theory methods. Identified barriers comprise secrecy, lack of information, embarrassment, fear, and distrust of health care providers. Perceived facilitative conditions include knowing the importance of early detection and noticing a symptom. We compare and contrast findings across ancestries and discuss how psychosocial and cultural factors could be better integrated into early detection programs. The women's high screening rates also suggest that breast cancer screening can be facilitated in this population by addressing institutional factors (e.g., access to health care, transportation).
Burr, J. (2002, April). Providing a contrasting view to evolutionary psychology's hypotheses on depression: Using a 'material-discursive' approach to interpret the experiences of depression in women from South Asian communities.
Psychology, Evolution & Gender, 4(1), 93-113.
This study reports findings from a qualitative study exploring women from South Asian communities resident in the UK and their "experiences of depression." The paper aims to provide an apparently contrasting social context to the evolutionary perspective on women's experiences of depression. The theoretical foundation for the analysis of these findings is a "material-discursive approach." Depression is recognized as "embodied," that is as grounded in the materiality of the body which is immersed in subjective experiences and the social context of women's lives.
Corbett, C. A. (2003, June). Special issues in psychotherapy with minority Deaf women. In M. E. Banks, & E. Kaschak (Eds.), Women with visible and invisible disabilities: multiple intersections, multiple issues, multiple therapies, Part II [Special issue].
Women & Therapy, 26(3/4), 311-329.
Minority Deaf women have been traditionally underserved by mental health professionals, and specifically, therapists are unaware of issues unique to this population. It would be highly unlikely for a minority Deaf woman to have a therapist who matches her in racial background, hearing status, and communication mode. Therefore, the therapy process will be completely cross-cultural. Therapists who provide psychotherapy services to minority Deaf women need to be aware that their clients are members of a community where deafness is a culture and not a disability. Minority Deaf women are also likely to report feeling forced to choose between competing identities in order to get important needs met. In the following article, case examples are provided which illustrate some of the major issues that are likely to arise in therapy with minority Deaf women. These issues include: access to important information; communication, support and level of involvement with biological families; competing cultural demands; health concerns; and coping with chronic mental illness.
Danquah, M. A. (1999).
Willow weep for me: A black woman's journey through depression. New York: One World/Ballantine.
This moving memoir of an African-American woman's lifelong fight to identify and overcome depression offers an inspirational story of healing and emergence. Wrapped within Danquah's engaging account of this universal affliction is rare and insightful testimony about what it means to be black, female, and battling depression in a society that often idealizes black women as strong, nurturing caregivers. A startlingly honest, elegantly rendered depiction of depression, Willow Weep for Me calls out to all women who suffer in silence with a life-affirming message of recovery. Meri Danquah rises from the pages, a true survivor, departing a world of darkness and reclaiming her life.
Davis, J. A. (2005). Differences in the health care needs and service utilization of women in nursing homes: Comparison by race/ethnicity.
Journal of Women & Aging, 17(3), 57-71.
The purpose of this study is to describe health care needs and service utilization among institutionalized women of color. The sample was dichotomized by length of stay to determine how African American, Native American, Asian/Pacific Islander, and Hispanic/Latino women differed at two points in time. Data for this study came from the Current Resident Survey of the 1999 National Nursing Home Survey. The data were analyzed using GLM. The findings suggest that Native American women are the most impaired and Asian/Pacific Islander women are the least impaired. Additionally, very few women received mental health services despite their extensive need.
Davis, Z. I. (1999).
Compensation [Film]. New York: Women Make Movies.
Compensation, the first feature by award-winning filmmaker Zeinabu irene Davis (
Cycles and
A Powerful Thang), presents two unique African-American love stories between a deaf woman and a hearing man. Inspired by a poem written by Paul Laurence Dunbar, this moving narrative shares their struggle to overcome racism, disability and discrimination. An important film on African-American deaf culture, Davis innovatively incorporates silent film techniques (such as title cards and vintage photos) to make the piece accessible to hearing and deaf viewers alike, and to share the vast possibilities of language and communication.
DiClemente, R. J., Wingood, G. M., Lang, G. L., Crosby, R. A., Salazar, L. F., Harrington, K., & Hertzberg, V. S. (2005, July). Adverse health consequences that co-occur with depression: A longitudinal study of black adolescent females.
Pediatrics, 116(1), 78-81.
Objective. The purpose of this study was to identify adverse health consequences that may co-occur with depression among black female adolescents.
Methods. Adolescents were recruited from high-risk neighborhoods in Birmingham, Alabama. The sample comprised 460 black female adolescents (aged 14–18 years) who completed assessments at baseline and at 6 and 12 months. Only adolescents who consistently scored above the threshold for depression at all 3 assessments (n = 76) or below the threshold at all 3 assessments (n = 174) were included (N = 250) in the data analysis. Within this sample, adolescents who were depressed were compared with those who were not depressed with respect to the following health consequences: low self-esteem, emotional abuse, physical abuse, verbal abuse, poor body image, and antisocial behavior.
Results. Using generalized estimating equations and controlling for covariates, depressed adolescents were 5.3 times more likely to report low self-esteem, 4.3 times more likely to report emotional abuse, 3.7 times more likely to report being physically abused, and almost 3 times as likely to report being verbally abused. Furthermore, depressed adolescents were more than twice as likely to report poor body image and nearly twice as likely to report engaging in antisocial behaviors.
Conclusions. The findings suggest that a broad range of adverse health consequences may accompany depression among black female adolescents. Physicians need to be alert to the co-occurrence of depression and low self-esteem; emotional, physical, and verbal abuse; poor body image; and antisocial behaviors among this population.
Dossa, P. (2005, June). Racialized bodies, disabling worlds: “They [service providers] always saw me as a client, not as a worker.”
Social Science & Medicine, 60(11), 2527-2536.
This paper makes a case for a contextualized reading of intersecting constructs of disability, gender and race as they unfold in the everyday lives of immigrant women with disabilities. Taking the vantage point of Mehrun, a Canadian Muslim woman with polio, we show that the disability, gender and race constructs converge in some contexts and remain separate in others. This is an important consideration as it forestalls a situation where immigrant women’s activist work is seen to be confined to the discrete sphere of their own communities. Mehrun’s story of migration and settlement as well as her ‘‘work’’ on community integration of persons with disabilities (regardless of race or gender) is a plea for the civil rights of disabled people. At the same time, Mehrun’s embodied reality as a racialized woman with disabilities suggests the possibility of making her marginality the epicenter of change.
Durr, M. (2005, December). Sex, drugs, and HIV: Sisters of laundromat.
Gender & Society, 19(6), 721-728.
“I was listening to 98.7 KISS and preparing to walk to the laundromat around the corner from my apartment in Brooklyn, New York, when the hosts of the radio program made the following public service announcement: As of December 2003, according to the Office of Women’s Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 67 percent of all women with AIDS are African American and 16 percent are Hispanic. The accelerating rate of AIDS among Black and Hispanic women stands in sharp contrast to the low rate found among Asian American women and the declining rate among white women and speaks volumes about continuing patterns of class and racial inequality.”
The author then reflects on how an encounter in a local neighborhood laundromat served to ground her further into the realities of HIV, substance abuse, and low income life among African American women.
Edmond, A. A. (2002, March). Motivation: [Guts & glory]: Taking the 'dis' out of disability.
Black Enterprise, 32(8), 102-103.
Profiles Carmen Jones, an African American woman who was paralyzed in an auto accident while she was a student at Hampton University. Discusses the decisions Jones made about her future in light of her accident, in particular, her creation of Solutions Marketing Group. States that the company "assists mainstream businesses in marketing to, and servicing people with disabilities."
Gillem, A. R., & Thompson, C. A. (2004).
Biracial women in therapy: Between the rock of gender and the hard place of race. Binghamton, NY: Haworth Press.
Biracial Women in Therapy: Between the Rock of Gender and the Hard Place of Race examines how physical appearance, cultural knowledge, and cultural stereotypes affect the experience of mixed-race women in belonging to, and being accepted within, their cultures. This unique book combines empirical research, theoretical papers, and first-person narrative to address issues relevant to providing therapy to biracial women and girls, helping therapists and counselors develop a treatment framework based on sociocultural factors. Researchers, practitioners, and academics provide insight into the biracial reality, taking multiple aspects of clients' lives into account rather than looking for simple hierarchies of well-being based on race.
This monograph was also published simultaneously as
Women & Therapy, Vol. 27, Nos. 1/2.
Glenn, E. (1995, January) African American women with disabilities: An overview. In S. Walker, K. A. Turner, M. Haile-Michael, A. Vincent, & M. D. Miles (Eds.),
Disability and diversity: New leadership for a new era. Washington, DC: President’s Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities and Howard University Research and Training Center for Access to Rehabilitation and Economic Opportunity. Retrieved March 31, 2005 from
http://www.dinf.ne.jp/doc/english/Us_Eu/ada_e/pres_com/pres-dd/glenn.htm.
The premise of this paper is that African American women with disabilities are victims of the impact of a "triple jeopardy" syndrome: race, gender, and disability. The author makes the point that there is a dire need for research which focuses on the status, needs, and aspirations of African American women with disabilities. The research study under discussion is designed to address the issue of multiple jeopardy in which most African American women with disabilities find themselves.
Han, L., Barrilleaux, & Quadagno, J. (1996). Race and gender differences in the distribution of home and community-based services in Florida. In M. E. Cowart & J. Quadagno (Eds.), Health care reform, long-term care, and the future of an aging society [Feature issue].
Journal of Aging & Social Policy, 7(3/4), 93-107.
This article examines the distribution of home and community-based services (HCBS) under Florida's Medicaid waiver program. Controlling for personal and community characteristics, it was found that gender and race significantly affect the access of the disabled adult population to HCBS services, with women and nonwhites significantly more likely to be receiving HCBS services. At the county level, the likelihood of one's being in the waiver program is contingent on the racial composition and level of segregation of the county. People residing in counties with substantial proportions of nonwhites are less likely to receive HCBS services--whatever their race. However, the higher the rate of racial segregation in the county, the higher the probability that the Medicaid disabled adult population will receive HCBS services. The Medicaid waiver program allows older, disabled black women to remain in their home neighborhoods rather than having to move to predominantly white areas where nursing homes are concentrated. Thus, the HCBS program not only provides them with a form of care that is preferred by most older people but also resolves market problems stemming from the lack of nursing homes in segregated areas by taking advantage of support systems in black households.
This feature issue was published simultaneously as
From Nursing Homes to Home Care.
Hanna, W. J., & Rogovsky, E. (1992). On the situation of African American women with physical disabilities.
Journal of Applied Rehabilitation Counseling, 23(4), 39-45.
This article examines the experiences of African American women who have physical disabilities. They claim that African American women have a higher instance of physical disability and that their socioeconomic situation is lower than their non-disabled counterparts. The authors use quantitative surveys as well as qualitative interviews to explore factors which seem likely to contribute to the experiences of African American women with disabilities. They conclude that these women experience multiple oppressions, specifically racism, sexism, and ableism. The authors offer as solutions to these inequalities cultural variations in services and taking into account the client's unique needs by offering culturally sensitive supports.
Hawthorne, S. (2001). Disability and diversity: Challenges to normalisation and sameness. In Theme: Women with disabilities.
Women in Action, No. 2. Retrieved March 4, 2005 from
http://www.isiswomen.org/pub/wia/wia201/hawth.htm.
The author talks about her experiences as an epileptic and her experiences in the disability rights and women's movement.
Husaini, B. A., Sherkat, D. E., Levine, R., Bragg, R., Holzer, C., Anderson, K., Cain, V., & Moten, C. (2002). Race, gender, and health care service utilization and costs among Medicare elderly with psychiatric diagnoses.
Journal of Aging and Health, 14(1), 79-95.
Objective: To investigate race and gender differences in health care service utilization and costs among the Medicare elderly with psychiatric diagnoses.
Methods: The authors employ a 5% sample of Medicare beneficiaries from Tennessee (N =33, 680), and among those with a psychiatric diagnosis (n =5, 339), they examine health care service utilization and costs by race and gender.
Results: African Americans had significantly higher rates of diagnosis for dementia, organic psychosis, and schizophrenia, whereas Whites had significantly higher rates for mood and anxiety disorders. White and African American men have higher rates of utilization of emergency and inpatient services and lower rates of outpatient utilization compared to White women and African American women. African American men have significantly higher health care costs.
Discussion: The findings suggest that race and gender interact to influence service utilization and preventive care, thereby driving up costs of care, for elderly persons with psychiatric diagnoses.
Kiger, H. (2003, October/December). Outreach to multiethnic, multicultural, and multilingual women for breast cancer and cervical cancer education and screening: A model using professional and volunteer staffing.
Family & Community Health, 26(4), 307-318.
Reaching low-income women from diverse ethnic and cultural communities for the purpose of breast and cervical cancer education and screening is a challenge. This article describes an approach used by Center for Healthy Aging in Santa Monica, California, to implement three projects aimed at Hispanic and African American women to encourage early intervention behaviors. Hispanic and African American volunteers and professional staff work together to establish trusting relationships, join forces with community leaders and develop collaborative approaches to achieve the goal of screening about 1,000 underserved women annually and providing education for an additional 5,000 women. Incorporated in the article are lessons learned about working with this population, the communities in which they live and the use of volunteers for these and other projects.
Kirk, G., & Okazawa-Rey, M. (Eds.). (1998).
Women’s lives: Multicultural perspectives. Mountain View, CA: Mayfield Publishing Co.
Among the diverse articles in this volume are several representing the viewpoints of women with disabilities, including one on reproductive rights by Marsha Saxton and one on parents with disabilities by Carol Gill.
Jones, M. (2004).
Whisper writing: Teenage girls talk about ableism and sexism in school. New York: Peter Lang Publishing, Inc.
In
Whisper Writing three teenage girls share their stories about life as students, as young women with disabilities, and as minorities in a male-dominated special education school culture. Their stories are unique because of their disability label and the experiences that go along with such a label. Trapped in an artificial school culture created by educators, these girls have gained valuable insight about power and subordination both in and out of school. Their narratives, along with extensive observations and interviews with these students and their peers, will both stun and enlighten the reader, prompting questions about current school practices involving segregation, a curriculum of control, and the devaluing of students with disabilities—particularly those with behavior issues.
Koss-Chioino, J. D. (1999). Depression among Puerto Rican women: Culture, etiology, and diagnosis.
Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 21(3), 330-350.
As in most of the societies that have been studied, more than twice the number of Puerto Rican women compared to men suffer from diagnosed depression. The aim of this article is to examine depression in women in Puerto Rico from epidemiological, etiological, and especially, experiential perspectives. This study includes a comparison of women's complaints around negative mood states in cases within the public mental health system and equivalent cases encountered within a traditional healing system, espiritismo. Several general questions are raised concerning the effect on the etiology of depression of cultural constructions regarding female roles and statuses, reproductive events, and negative life events in general, as well as the value of closely examining the experience of depressed women relative to standard diagnostic assessments in mental health care.
Lisi, D. (1993). Found voices: Women, disability and cultural transformation.
Women & Therapy, 14(3-4), 195
The cultural consequences of disability on the lives of six women are explored. The relationship between disability rights and feminism and ethnic identity and the impact of disability on the sense of self and personal goals are considered.
Madigan, J. C. (2003, December). Female students of color in special education: Classroom behaviors and perceptions in single-gender and coeducational classrooms.
E-Journal of Teaching and Learning in Diverse Settings, 1(1), 75-93. Retrieved July 6, 2005 from
http://www.subr.edu/coeducation/ejournal/Madigan%20Article.htm.
The purpose of this research was to determine whether there were measurable differences in classroom behaviors and school perceptions in adolescent female students identified as learning disabled (LD) in a single-gender special education classroom (SGSEC) and a mixed-gender special education classroom (MGSEC). A mixed design was used; the study was conducted over a four-month period on a secondary level campus in an urban center in northern California . Data were collected using classroom observations, focus group and individual interviews, and document analysis. Participants included four Latina and four African American female students with learning disabilities. Findings indicated that in comparison to Latina and African American female students attending the MGSEC, female students in the SGSEC reported a greater degree of comfort and support from teachers and peers. There were higher rates of classroom participation for Latina students in the SGSEC compared to their counterparts in the MGSEC. Notable differences in classroom participation were not observed between the two groups of African American female students.
MaloneBeach, E. E., Skeel, R. L., & Inungu, J. N. (2004). African American women: A life course of care.
Home Health Care Services Quarterly, 23(2), 1-18.
Twenty-five years of research on family care to dependent elders has produced a theoretically sophisticated understanding of the process of family caregiving. Although caregiving models initially were developed and tested on predominantly White samples, more recent work has applied these models to African American caregivers. This investigation builds on the comparative perspective by describing elder care in African American families through the eyes of the culture in which it occurs. Thirty-two African American caregivers were interviewed and asked to discuss their caregiving careers from a life course perspective. Qualitative narratives described three pathways to care: elder care only, limited life course of care, and live course of care. Recognition of the various pathways to care will enlighten tailored interventions.
McClain, C. V. (2002, September-October). The triple oppression: Disability, race & gender.
Disability World, Issue No. 15. Retrieved
http://www.disabilityworld.org/09-10_02/women/southafrica.shtml.
“Discrimination on the basis of disability is often linked to racial, class and gender dissonance. Research has indicated that the consequences of disablement are particularly serious for women. Traditionally, women with disabilities are discriminated against on more than one ground: race, gender and disability, and often they have less access to essential services such as health care, education and vocational rehabilitation.”
Miltiades, H. B., & Pruchno, R. (2002, February). The effect of religious coping on caregiving appraisals of mothers of adults with developmental disabilities.
The Gerontologist, 42(1), 82-92.
Researchers explored the association between race and religious coping on caregiving appraisals for mothers who co-reside with an adult child with mental retardation.
Magubane, Z. (2001). Which bodies matter? Feminism, poststructuralism, race, and the curious theoretical odyssey of the "Hottentot Venus.”
Gender & Society, 15(6), 816-834.
This article critiques dominant feminist analyses of the "Hottentot Venus." It argues that these analyses of the construction of Black women as "other," which borrow heavily from poststructuralism, make race and gender transhistorical and metaphysical constructs. The article critiques what has become the theoretical orthodoxy on the "Hottentot Venus." It takes issue with two presumptions in particular: first, that there was a core image of the Black woman in the nineteenth century, and second, that the fear of the anatomy of the "other" is the source of negative representations of Black sexuality. The article proposes an alternative way of understanding the construction of Black women in colonial discourse. It argues that social relations, rather than psychological dispositions, determine how bodies are seen and perceived.
Mowbray, C. T., Bybee D., Hollingsworth L., Goodkind, S., & Oyserman, D. (2005, March). Living arrangements and social support: Effects on the well-being of mothers with mental illness.
Social Work Research, 29(1), 41-55.
This article examines the effects of living arrangements on the well-being of mothers with a serious mental illness. Analyses of data from a National Institute of Mental Health-funded study of an urban, primarily African American sample of 379 mothers with mental illness revealed few differences in parenting or social functioning between mothers living with their children and a spouse or partner and those living with their children only. However, mothers living with their children and extended family had significantly better outcomes than women in the other two living arrangements. Structural equation modeling analyses indicated that living with relatives significantly related to mothers' well-being (social functioning and parenting) above and beyond relatives' provision of social support. Multilevel modeling revealed racial differences in the effects of living with relatives on functioning and parenting stress: Effects were positive for African American mothers but mixed for white American mothers.
National Aboriginal Network on Disability. (1992).
Voices in the wilderness: Aboriginal women and disabilities. Cornwall, ON: Author. Retrieved March 30, 2005 from
http://www.schoolnet.ca/aboriginal/disable6/index-e.html.
This paper identifies issues affecting Aboriginal women with disabilities and Aboriginal women who are primary caregivers of disabled relatives. It is the result of a literature review, discussions with Aboriginal women and a two-day "Aboriginal Women's Circle on Disability" held in Ottawa in March 1992. The paper also contains recommendations based on the Women's Circle discussions.
National Women’s Law Center. (2003, January).
Women of color and Social Security. Washington, DC: Author. Retrieved April 6, 2005 from
http://www.nwlc.org/pdf/WomenofColorandSocialSecurityFact
Sheet2003.pdf.
Women of color have a special stake in Social Security reform. The debate over the future of Social Security reform has not fully addressed the unique circumstances of women of color. With their low lifetime earnings and long life spans on average, African American and Hispanic women benefit greatly from Social Security’s progressive benefit formula and lifelong, inflation-adjusted benefits. They also draw disproportionately on Social Security’s benefits for disabled workers and for the families of workers who become disabled or die prematurely.
O'Hara, J.., & Martin, H. (2003, March). Parents with learning disabilities: A study of gender and cultural perspectives in East London.
British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 31(1), 18-24.
The rights of people with learning disabilities to marry and have a family is at the heart of the Government's new strategy (Valuing People), yet there are few integrated and co-ordinated services to meet their needs. All too often, learning disability is the sole reason why children are removed from their biological parents. Whilst there is a small but growing literature on the quality and extent of the social supports available, little attention has been paid to culture and gender. This study analyses data on parents who came into contact with the specialist community learning disability health team in East London over a 5-year period in respect of culture, gender and outcomes.
Palmer, C. J. (2003). Body mass index, self-esteem, and suicide risk in clinically depressed African American and White American females.
Journal of Black Psychology, 29(4), 408-428.
Self-esteem and depression, as well as depression and body mass index (BMI), have consistently been found to be significantly associated for African American and White American females. The results are dissimilar when BMI and self-esteem are studied. Historically, the relationship between BMI and self-esteem is weak or nonexistent for African American females; however, for White American females, the relationship is usually significant. The goal of this study was to determine whether clinically depressed, healthy-weight, overweight, and obese females would differ significantly on self-esteem and suicide risk measures. In a voluntary hospital-based inpatient psychiatric unit, 165 clinically depressed females completed the self-esteem rating scale and the suicide risk scale. Healthy-weight, overweight, and obese African American females did not differ significantly on measures of self-esteem and suicide risk. However, depressed, obese White American females had significantly lower self-esteem and increased suicide risk than depressed healthy-weight and overweight White American females. Implications of the current results are discussed.
Porter, E. J., Ganong, L. H., & Armer, J. M. (2000). The church family and kin: An older rural Black woman's support network and preferences for care providers.
Qualitative Health Research, 10(4), 452-470.
Although kin and church are considered premier support sources for rural elders, few scholars have undertaken descriptive studies to explore the nature of rural Black elders' support networks and their preferences for in-home service providers. In the case study described in this article, methods of support network analysis and descriptive phenomenology were used to analyze data from five lengthy, open-ended interviews with a 94-year-old rural Black woman. The various groups and individuals of her network are labeled in her words, the network's supportive functions are described, and preferences for providers are noted. In addition, the varying structures of her home care experience with the support network members are described. Her attempts to voice and exercise her preferences for in-home service providers are explained in terms of two contrasting processes: preference uptake and preference suppression. Based on these findings, implications for appraising the appropriateness of rural elders' in-home services are discussed.
Pruchno, R., Patrick, J. H., & Burant, C. J. (1997, October). African American and White mothers of adults with chronic disabilities: Caregiving burden and satisfaction.
Family Relations, 46(4), 335-346.
A model is developed and tested that explains the effects of race on the caregiving experience by patterning relationships between race and several causal agents.
Rimmer, J. H., Rubin, S. S., & Braddock, D. (2000, February). Barriers to exercise in African American women with physical disabilities.
Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 81(2) 182-188.
Objective: To examine what factors African American women with one or more physical disabilities perceive as barriers to exercise and how they rank them.
Study Design: Data were collected through telephone interview using a newly developed instrument (Barriers to Physical Exercise and Disability [B-PED]) that addressed issues related to physical activity and the subjects' disability.
Subjects: Fifty subjects were asked questions about their participation and interest in structured exercise.
Results: The four major barriers were cost of the exercise program (84.2%), lack of energy (65.8%), transportation (60.5%), and not knowing where to exercise (57.9%). Barriers commonly reported in nondisabled persons (e.g., lack of time, boredom, too lazy) were not observed in our sample. Only 11% of the subjects reported that they were not interested in starting an exercise program. The majority of subjects (81.5%) wanted to join an exercise program but were restricted by the barriers reported.
Conclusion: African American women with a physical disability are interested in becoming more active but are limited in doing so because of their inability to overcome several barriers to increased physical activity participation.
Rimmer, J. H., Rubin, S. S., Braddock, D., & Hedman, G. (1999, April). Physical activity patterns of African-American women with a severe physical disability.
Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 31(4), 613-618.
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to survey the exercise and activity patterns of African-American women with severe physical disabilities (N = 50).
Methods: The Physical Activity and Disability Survey (PADS) was created for subjects who have a severe limitation in movement and function (e.g., limited ability to stand or walk, needs an assistive aid to ambulate, needs assistance with activities of daily living). Reliability data were obtained on the PADS for interrater, test-retest, and internal consistency on the two subscales (Exercise and Activity). The Exercise subscale had an interrater reliability of 0.83 and test/retest reliability of 0.85. The Activity subscale had an interrater reliability of 0.68 and test/retest reliability of 0.66. Cronbach's alpha for internal consistency was 0.78 for the Exercise subscale and 0.68 for the Activity subscale.
Results: Results showed very low levels of exercise and general activity patterns in African-American women with physical disabilities. Only 8.2% of the sample participated in leisure-time physical activity, and only 10% engaged in aerobic exercise three or more days per week for at least 15 min. Unstructured physical activity (e.g., work-related activity, housework, gardening, shopping) was nearly absent.
Conclusion: Our data suggest that the extremely low levels of self-reported physical activity in African-American women with severe physical disabilities expose them to a higher risk of secondary health conditions.
Sands, T. (2005, November). A voice of our own: Advocacy by women with disability in Australia and the Pacific.
Gender and Development, 13(3), 51-62.
Women with disability do not generally benefit from international human-rights laws and agreements, or from development discourse and practice. The interconnection between disability and gender identity is largely invisible within women's rights, disability rights, and development agendas. For women with disability in the Asia and Pacific region, this is particularly evident for Pacific women; within Australia, for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women. This article discusses these issues in the context of PWDA's advocacy approach to disability, gender, and development. It also describes PWDA's engagement with women's human-rights projects, which has formed part of its advocacy strategy to develop a voice for Australian and Pacific women with disability.
Scott, K. M. (2003, September).
The Initiative on Triple Jeopardy: African American women with disabilities. Columbus, OH: Ohio Legal Rights Services. Retrieved March 30, 2005 from
http://olrs.ohio.gov/asp/pub_TripleJPart1.asp.
The "Triple Jeopardy" initiative was designed to give voice to African-American women with developmental disabilities, between the ages of 18 and 60, who are unserved or underserved. Through a series of focus groups, the initiative sought to (1) stimulate public awareness of the issues surrounding women in "triple jeopardy", (2) identify gaps and barriers that exist for these women, and (3) provide the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council with recommendations on how best to meet the formal and informal community support needs of the women. The information gathered through the focus groups was also compiled as a basis for ideas on possible research needed on the effectiveness of existing formal/informal community supports.
The report provides a backdrop for understanding what is a developmental disability, and then chronicles the stories of the women participating in the focus groups. Finally, the report presents the proposed recommendations.
This report is also available as a PDF file at:
http://olrs.ohio.gov/Other/TripleJ.pdf.
Solomon, S. E. (1993, March-April). Women and physical distinction: A review of the literature and suggestions for intervention. In M. Fine (Ed.), Women with disabilities: Found voices [Feature issue].
Women and Therapy, 14(3/4), 91-103.
With few exceptions, the special concerns and status of women with physical distinctions (physical disability and facial disfigurement) have been largely ignored in the disability literature. Women with physical distinctions are perceived negatively and are devalued and marginalized in our culture. They face a double discrimination due to their gender and their disability. The situation is even more acute for ethnic minority women with physical distinctions. This study reviews the literature on women with physical distinctions and explores some of the issues for ethnic minority women with physical distinctions. Recommendations are offered for feminist therapists who work with this population.
Stephenson, W. (1983).
Roxene. Calgary, Alberta: Detselig Enterprises.
This is a story about Roxene, a Canadian girl with mental retardation of native Indian origin. It is a true story of Roxene's life which describes her childhood and her teenage years. Most of the book focuses on Roxene's relationship with Margaret vanBiert, who "adopts" Roxene and becomes her friend, advocate, and legal guardian. Roxene is not very good with spoken words and her story is mostly told in vanBiert's words with additions based on the author's observations. We learn about Roxene's childhood with her family and how she, at the age of eight, ended up as a ward of the courts and was moved to a group home far away from her family who lived on an Indian reservation. The description of the friendship between Roxene and Margaret is the best part of this story.
Tang, T. N., & Tang, C. S. (2001, September). Gender role internalization, multiple roles, and Chinese women's mental health.
Psychology of Women, 25(3), 181-196.
The influence of gender role internalization as a moderator in the relationship between women's multiple roles and psychological distress was investigated. Study 1 identified three components of gender role internalization, which were labeled "Traditional Ideal Person," "Self-sacrifice," and "Competence without Complaint," and found that it did not overlap with existing gender-typed measures among 128 female Chinese university students. The multidimensionality of gender role internalization was confirmed in Study 2 among a sample of 225 women in the paid Hong Kong workforce. As expected, role quality was a better predictor of psychological distress than role quantity. Gender role internalization accounted for significant portions of explained variance even after taking role quality into account. Internalization of Traditional Ideal Person and Competence without Complaint messages exacerbated distress in certain areas when role quality was low. However, internalization of Self-Sacrifice messages mitigated distress for Chinese women with low work quality.
Tanjasiri, S. P., Kagawa-Singer, M. & Nguyen, T. (2002). Collaborative research as an essential component for addressing cancer disparities among Southeast Asian and Pacific Islander Women.
Health Promotion Practice, 3(2), 144-154.
A fundamental component of community-based health promotion efforts to eliminate disparities is the mobilization of community involvement to address not only individual but also systemic and political causes of inequalities in health. The participatory action research (PAR) paradigm is well suited to address these multilevel inequalities in research and evaluation experienced by many ethnic and racial communities. In this article, a case study of a project to reduce health disparities in breast and cervical cancer among seven Southeast Asian and Pacific Islander communities in Southern California is presented. The authors applied a PAR framework to the process of needs assessment and program planning to understand and address the complex and multilevel factors that contribute to the problem of disparate breast and cervical cancer screening rates in these communities. Finally, the authors describe the lessons that were learned about how to promote collaborative research as an essential element in the design of projects and studies to address ethnic disparities in health outcomes for breast and cervical cancer.
Thomson, R. G. (1995). Integrating disability studies into the existing curriculum: The example of 'Women and Literature' at Howard University.
Radical Teacher, 47, 15-21.
Part of a special section on Disability Studies. The writer discusses how she attempts to introduce Disability Studies in the context of a sustained focus on racial difference. She notes that her aim in teaching Disability Studies is to confound definitions of "we" and "they," which imply a victim/perpetrator and a normal/abnormal relationship between the disabled and the nondisabled. She proposes that Disability Studies should be taught as an integrated part of all courses and indicates that she integrates disability issues into all of the courses she teaches as an English professor. Her "Women in Literature" course at Howard University focuses on the valuing of bodies on the basis of their appearance; uses material from various disciplines that are not explicitly Disability Studies to elucidate the way that disability, along with other stigmatized identities, operates in Western cultures; and offers literary and cultural analyses to reveal the ways that social relations produce the cultural distinctions of disability, race, gender, and class.
Turmusani, M. (2001). Disabled women in Islam: Middle Eastern perspective.
Journal of Religion, Disability & Health, 5(2/3), 73-85.
Western debates have increasingly included women issues in their analysis. These debates however, proved to have little relevance to women with impairments and are in fact being held under scrutiny by feminist writers. The position of disabled women in other cultures remains especially one of the most under-researched areas within current discourses on women and disability issues. This presentation fills the gap and presents an account based on textual analysis of disabled women in Islam and Muslim culture. It argues that disabled women in Islam have a lowly position in society due to historical perception related to both the inferior position of women in Islam as well as the lowly position of disabled people in society in general. Understanding the position of disabled women thus requires close investigation into these two positions within their particular socio-economic and historical contexts. Despite the presence of various feminists' movements in Muslim countries these days, these have not included much debate on disability and disabled women within their mainstream analysis. The paper concludes by calling for existing theoretical perspectives to include the analysis of disabled women within their remit and also to take note of wider contextual issues including cultures, religions, and economy when studying women in society.
Wilson, M. (2001, Summer). Black women and mental health: Working towards inclusive mental health services.
Feminist Review, 68(1), 34-51.
The position concerning the mental health of black and minority ethnic women in Britain is closely linked to that of their respective communities in general. Issues concerning inappropriate care and treatment; lack of access to services; and service delivery based on assumptions and stereotypes govern the way in which black women and men experience mental health care and treatment. This article discusses the specific nature of black women's position, within the wider context of black communities' experience as a whole. While the term 'black and minority ethnic communities' covers a range of differing communities, the focus here is on the experiences of women from African, African-Caribbean and Asian communities. In relation to women in these communities, reference is made to issues concerning: (1) older women; (2) women of mixed heritage; (3) women's roles as care-givers; and (4) the position of refugees and asylum seekers. The article also explores and outlines the importance of self-help strategies including, e.g. befriending and counseling and the role of religion and spirituality in enabling many black people to manage their mental distress.
Wing, A. K. (2005, Winter). Examining the correlation between disability and poverty: A comment from a critical race feminist perspective--Helping the Jones keep up!
Journal of Gender, Race, and Justice, 8(3).
This commentary uses narrative story-telling to illustrate the plight of the extended family of an African-American woman with disabilities. This commentary was part of the symposium “Justice for All? Exploring Gender, Race, and Sexual Orientation within Disability Law” at the University of Iowa, College of Law in 2003.
Wright, M. H. (1999).
Sounds like home: Growing up black and deaf in the south. Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press.
Mary Herring Wright’s story adds an important dimension to the current literature in that it is a story by and about an African American deaf child. Her story is unique and historically significant because it provides valuable descriptive information about the faculty and staff of the North Carolina school for Black deaf and blind students at that time from the perspective of a student as well as a student teacher. In addition, this engrossing narrative contains details about the curriculum, which included a week-long Black History celebration where students learned about important Blacks such as Madame Walker, Paul Laurence Dunbar, and George Washington Carver. It also describes the physical facilities as well as the changes in those facilities over the years. In addition, the story occurs over a period of time that covers two major events in American history, the Depression and World War II.
Wright’s account is one of enduring faith, perseverance, and optimism. Her keen observations will serve as a source of inspiration for others who are challenged in their own ways by life’s obstacles.
Wright, M. H. (2005, March).
Far from home: Memories of World War II and afterward. Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press.
“She’s got no more business there than a pig has with a Bible.” That’s what her father said when Mary Herring announced that she would be moving to Washington, DC, in late 1942. Recently graduated from the North Carolina School for Black Deaf and Blind Students, Mary had been invited to the nation’s capital by a cousin to see a specialist about her hearing loss. Though nothing could be done about her deafness, Mary quickly proved her father wrong by passing the civil service examination with high marks.
Far From Home: Memories of World War II and Afterward, the second installment of her autobiography, describes her life from her move to Washington to the present.
Mary soon became a valued employee for the Navy, maintaining rosters for the many servicemen in war theaters worldwide. Her remarkable gift for detail depicts Washington in meticulous layers, a sleepy Southern town force-grown into a dynamic geopolitical hub. Life as a young woman amid the capital’s Black middle class could be warm and fun, filled with visits from family and friends, and trips home to Iron Mine for tearful, joyous reunions. But the reality of the times never far off. On many an idyllic afternoon, she and her friends found somber peace in Arlington Cemetery, next to the grave of the sole Unknown Soldier at that time. During an evening spent at the U.S.O., one hearing woman asked how people like her could dance, and Mary answered, “With our feet.” She became a pen pal to several young servicemen, but did not want to know why some of them suddenly stopped writing.
Despite the close friends and good job that she had in Washington, the emotional toll caused Mary to return to her family home in Iron Mine, NC. There, she rejoined her family and resumed her country life. She married and raised four daughters, and recounts the joys and sorrows she experienced through the years, particularly the loss of her parents. Her blend of the gradual transformation of Southern rural life with momentous events such as Hurricane Hazel creates an extraordinary narrative history. The constant in
Far from Home remains the steady confidence that Mary Herring Wright has in herself, making her new memoir a perfect companion to her first.
Yoshida, K. K., Li, A., & Odette, F. (1999). Cross-cultural views of disability and sexuality: Experiences of a group of ethno-racial women with physical disabilities.
Sexuality and Disability, 17(4), 321-337.
The field of sexuality research as it pertains to women with physical disabilities from different ethno-cultural communities is limited. This may be due to the lack of understanding among health care providers and researchers regarding the issues related to sexuality for women with disabilities. The impact of cultural beliefs and values related to sex and sexuality can further hinder women with disabilities from expressing themselves as "sexual beings." The purpose of this paper is: 1) identify issues and barriers experienced by women with disabilities from different ethno-cultural communities within an urban setting and 2) identify commonalities in experience of women with disabilities along the lines of cultural values about disability and gender.