Racial and Sexual Minority Scholar Positionality: Advancing Health Status and Life Opportunity Among Sexual Minority Men of Color (original) (raw)
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2020
To the eleven Black gay, bisexual, and queer men in my dissertation, this story would not be possible without your vulnerability, authenticity, and presence. It is my intention that I hold your stories and experiences with the highest regard of integrity and respect. Thank you for making me a better researcher, scholar, and practitioner. To my mother, Lisa, brother, Quince, uncle, PJ, grandmother, Gail, and grandfather, Gerald Sr., you all have always said I've had a purpose in life. This purpose has been made possible by your unwavering love, support, and guidance. The fortitude of your presence has always encouraged me to do anything with passion. You all are my inspiration and foundation. I take this moment by dedicating this work to my family, whether physical or in the afterlife. I feel your love. To the love of my life and partner, Travis, your presence has changed my life forever. Your kindness, patience, and encouragement are things that I love so much about you. Every single day I am reminded that I love you deeper. Thank you for truly loving me unconditionally. I am genuinely grateful to you. I would like to give thanks and appreciation to scholars that pushed me to think more indepth and critical of my dissertation work. Dr.
Research recruitment, eligibility, and who chooses to participate shape the resulting data and knowledge, which together inform interventions, treatment, and programming. Patterns of research participation are particularly salient at this moment given emerging biomedical prevention paradigms. This paper explores the perspectives of Black and Latino young men who have sex with men (BL-YMSM) regarding research recruitment and eligibility criteria, how their experiences influence willingness to enroll in a given study, and implications for the veracity and representativeness of resulting data. We examine inclusion and recruitment as a complex assemblage, which should not be reduced to its parts. From April to July 2018, we conducted in-depth interviews with 30 BL-YMSM, ages 18-29, in New York City. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using the constant comparative method. Black and Latino YMSM's responses unveiled tensions between researchers', recruiters', and participants' expectations, particularly regarding eligibility criteria (e.g. age, sex frequency), assumptions about 'risky behaviors,' and the 'target' community. Men preferred peer-to-peer recruitment, noting that most approaches miss key population segments. Findings highlight the need to critically examine the selected 'target' community, who sees themselves as participants, and implications for data comprehensiveness and veracity. Study eligibility criteria and recruitment approaches are methodological issues that shape knowledge production and the policies and programs deployed into communities. These findings can inform how future research studies frame recruitment and eligibility in order to better meet the needs of participants and ensure future research engagement.
Positionality and Unpacking Current Perspectives on Black Male Health Toward Transformative Action
Black Men's Health, 2022
Analyzing the current health status of Black men in the United States reveals the need for transformative action. By most measures in comparison to men and women of every racial group, the health profile of Black men is characterized by a significantly higher rate of disease and premature death. Black males have higher mortality rates from medical conditions and higher preventable morbidity (Jones-Eversley et al., 2020). Watkins et al. (2017) note that Black men are 31% more likely to die from all types of cancer with lower five-year survival rates at each stage of cancer diagnosis. Further, Black men are more likely to be diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, are 14 times more likely to experience kidney failure due to hypertension, have a 30% higher mortality rate due to cardiovascular disease, and have a 60% higher mortality rate from stroke compared to non-Hispanic white men (Watkins et al., 2017, p. 6). Despite this data on the overall health outcomes of Black men, there is still a dearth of literature and perspectives that specifically focuses on mental health challenges of this population. This is unsurprising as research studies have traditionally viewed physical health as separate from mental health. Mental health as defined by the World Health Organization (2001) is a state of well-being where one realizes that his or her own abilities can cope with normal life stressors and he or she can engage in work productively and fruitfully and can contribute to his or her community (Ward & Mengesha, 2013). Mental disorders are "health conditions that are characterized by alterations in thinking, mood, and/or behavior that are associated with distress and/or impaired functioning" (CDC, 2021).
2021
Men of color (MoC) and Black male initiative (BMI) mentorship programs create a complicated experience for men who identify as gay, bisexual, and queer. The purpose of this phenomenology and arts-based research study unearths the experiences of Black gay, bisexual, and queer men (BGBQM) within these programmatic contexts. This study sought to explore the essence of gender identity, gender expression, and sexuality utilizing interviews, podcast-style focus groups, and individual art projects. Findings unearthed a complex reality, Blackness preferred, queerness deferred, to exist in the intersections of their myriad identities. Consequently, these men experience a Masc-ing Phenomenon that limits how they express their gender and sexuality within MoC and BMI programs. This study offers critical insights for practitioners, educators, and researchers to center queerness and femininity within these programmatic interventions
Health, Well-being and Women of Color Academics
2011
This article discusses the multiple factors that contribute positively and/or negatively to the health and wellbeing of women of color academics. Framed by feminist and structuration theories as well as concepts of intersectionality and risk/protective factors, this grounded theory research included 33 women of color academics who completed a questionnaire relating to risk and protective factors that influence biological health and psycho-social well-being. The study found that many factors contribute to the biological health and psycho-social well-being of women of color academics. For instance, work related stress and anxiety; internalized unresolved experiences with racism in the workplace; isolation and withdrawal from social network due to overwhelming workload; weight problems; and financial strain were identified as negative contributors to one’s health and well-being. On the contrary, supportive family, friends, and mentors; spirituality; self-care such as exercise and healt...
Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 2006
Given the current focus of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) on eliminating health disparities among minority populations, a substantive body of culturally competent scholarship about marginalized men's health disparities is needed to add knowledge about the complex features, processes, and relationships underlying health disparities, marginality, men's health, interventions, and clinical outcomes. Marginalized men in the United States suffer disproportionately from mental and chronic health problems. Historically disadvantaged, their voices have not been privileged in health care and clinical discourses. Utilizing the concepts of marginalization and culturally competent scholarship, an integrative framework has been created to facilitate clinicians and scholars in envisioning and advancing critical scholarship related to marginalized men's health disparities. A recent focus at the national level in health services, mental health, and nursing research is on eliminating health disparities. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has defined health disparities as "differences The authors thank Joanne M. Hall, PhD, FAAN, for her comments and insight during preparation of the manuscript.
Starting Where You Are: How Race Can Constrain Researchers within the Research Setting
The Qualitative Report, 2015
What challenges can race and gender present for researchers of color? As Black women, we draw on personal reflections to look back at our graduate training and its influence on how we conducted ourselves in the field as graduate students and now as researchers in the academy. We particularly consider how mainstream pedagogical approaches to teaching qualitative methods might work to marginalize researchers of color throughout the qualitative research process. We lay out these complexities, not necessarily to offer solutions but rather to allow others in similar situations to think about their own journey as we collectively move qualitative research and teaching to new heights. We conclude this article with a short discussion of the direct implications for teaching and doing qualitative research.
Teachers College Record, 2021
Background/Context: In recent years, there has been a proliferation of student engagement programs intended to increase college access, retention, and graduation for Black and Latino males. Although supporting Black and Latino male students' educational opportunities and success efforts is an urgent need, few studies examine their collective leadership experiences-either on campus or in the community. These experiences are important in understanding how engagement and leadership are vital components for Black and Latino males' sense of self, community ties, and collective consciousness. Focus of Study: We investigate the collegiate experiences and engagement of 12 Black and Latino male students in the Brothers Empowering Collective Achievement (BECA; pseudonym), a male-centered program at a Hispanic-serving institution. We explored their leadership and mentoring experiences through the following research questions: (1) How do Black and Latino college men make sense of their engagement in a male-centered success program? (2) What factors influence Black and Latino males' decisions to serve in a leadership capacity as youth mentors? (3) What is the focus of Black and Latino males' leadership work as youth mentors? (4) What do Black and Latino males take away from their experiences as youth mentors?
Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, 2009
This study examined how African American men who have sex with men (AAMSM) manage their multiple-minority identities, including being both racial and sexual minorities at predominately White educational institutions (PWI). Using a phenomenological paradigm, AAMSM college students participated in semistructured interviews. Results suggest that AAMSM at PWIs view race, gender, and religious beliefs as of primary importance, and sexual orientation and social class as less salient aspects of their identities. Further, AAMSM attending PWIs reported experiencing both discrimination and stereotyping based on their race and sexual orientation, and their appraised risk of rejection and acceptance influenced their perception of identity options. AAMSM's construction of their identity influenced their interpersonal associations with the African American, gay, African American and gay, and campus communities at large. Implications for future research and higher education administrators and mental health professionals are discussed.