EXPLORING DIMENSIONS OF GENDERED RACIAL IDENTITY DEVELOPMENT AMONG YOUNG BLACK WOMEN

Abstract

Gendered racial identity (GRI) plays a vital role in shaping the mental health and well-being of Black women and girls (Lewis, 2023; Williams & Lewis, 2021). However, limited research captures how young Black women make meaning of their intersectional identity during adolescence and emerging adulthood—critical periods for identity, self-concept, and belonging. Drawing upon the established Conceptual Framework of Black Women's GRI Development (Williams & Lewis, 2021), this study sought to explore the dynamic and iterative process of young Black women’s GRI development. Young Black women (N = 19), ages 21-24, living in the U.S., participated in semi-structured interviews via Zoom regarding their GRI development across adolescence and emerging adulthood. Data were analyzed using constructivist grounded theory (Charmaz & Thornberg, 2020) guided by Black feminist and intersectional paradigms (Collins, 2000; Crenshaw, 1989). Findings align closely with previous literature on Black women’s identity development and demonstrate unique findings by emphasizing the developmental trajectory of GRI and the interconnections between gendered racial encounters, developmental processes, and ideologies. The findings illustrate how participants’ navigation of gendered racial encounters, including gendered racism, socialization, resistance, and community, serve as pivotal catalysts, prompting shifts in GRI development. These shifts unfold across developmental phases characterized by hyperawareness, reflection, rejection, acceptance, and ongoing navigation. Across these phases, participants’ ideologies—such as assimilation, pride, defiance, and empowerment—emerged as dynamic responses to their evolving understanding of self and their environments. This study advances our understanding of Black women’s GRI by elucidating the iterative nature of identity development during adolescence and emerging adulthood.