Decoding Metacommunication Patterns from African American Single Mothers to Sons Michael-Kamau Henderson Walden University
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Walden University ScholarWorks Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection 2016 Decoding Metacommunication Patterns From African American Single Mothers to Sons Michael-Kamau Henderson Walden University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations Part of the Communication Commons, and the Family, Life Course, and Society Commons This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection at ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Walden University College of Social and Behavioral Sciences This is to certify that the doctoral dissertation by Michael-Kamau Henderson has been found to be complete and satisfactory in all respects, and that any and all revisions required by the review committee have been made. Review Committee Dr. Barbara Benoliel, Committee Chairperson, Human Services Faculty Dr. Tracey Phillips, Committee Member, Human Services Faculty Dr. Kimberly Farris, University Reviewer, Human Services Faculty Chief Academic Officer Eric Riedel, Ph.D. Walden University 2016 Abstract Decoding Metacommunication Patterns From African American Single Mothers to Sons by Michael-Kamau Henderson MPA, Metropolitan College of New York, 2010 BPS, Audrey Cohen College of New York, 1997 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Human Services: Criminal Justice Walden University March 2016 Abstract With a significant number of African American single-parent families responsible for raising a generation of male children, the focus of this qualitative case study was on exploring the African American single mother-son dyad to identify metacommunicative signals delivered from mothers to sons. This study was grounded in a theoretical framework combining attachment theory and social learning theory. The research questions focused on identifying metacommunication messages passed from mothers to sons and how metacommunication patterns influence the youth’s social identity. Four single mothers with adolescent sons and 4 unrelated adult sons of single mothers participated in semistructured interviews. Data were collected and analyzed using content analysis and coding supported with NVivo software. Key findings revealed that the metacommunication was a dominant form of communication in the African-American family construct, and affected the parenting styles. From the mother’s retrospective reports, African-American mother’s adapted an authoritarian or helicopter parenting styles to control and protect their sons from racism, becoming victims of crime and violence, being arrested, or incarcerated. The key finding from the sons’ retrospective reports was that negative metacommunication from single mothers to sons was associated with insecure attachment, avoidance, and risky behaviors. The implications for social change are that positive metacommunication can strengthen the African American single mother-son dyad. This information may lead to intervention strategies for targeting negative metacommunication patterns from African American single mothers to sons and teaching new communication rules that foster a secure relationship. Decoding Metacommunication Patterns From African American Single Mothers to Sons by Michael-Kamau Henderson MPA, Metropolitan College of New York, 2010 BPS, Audrey Cohen College of New York, 1997 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Human Services: Criminal Justice Walden University March 2016 Dedication As the first member of my family to receive a doctorate, I dedicate this research to the Henderson and Houser family. I hope my trail-blazing experience will inspire the younger generation as well as those family members who desire to pursue academic excellence. Acknowledgments This study is a tribute to the African American single mothers who invited into their lives to listen to their stories and challenges of raising sons in the inner city. I also thank the unrelated sons for contributing their time and insights on the experience of being an African American male raised in a single-parent household and its impact on their prosocial development. Thanks to the mothers and the unrelated sons, I know more about the dynamic of the mother-son dyad and how it shapes the son’s social, emotional, and cognitive development over their lifespan. I would like to acknowledge and thank Dr. Barbara Benoliel, Dr. Tracey Phillips, and Dr. Kimberly Farris for their dedication and for helping me shape and frame this study. I thank my spouse, Linda, and my sister-in-law, brothers, friends, and colleagues who have supported me through the years with unwavering encouragement and advice. Finally, I thank Sonia Castleberry for her editing service, advice, and timely response. Table of Contents List of Tables ..................................................................................................................... vi Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study ................................................................................... 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 1 Background of the Study .............................................................................................. 3 Problem Statement ........................................................................................................ 6 Purpose of the Study ..................................................................................................... 8 Research Questions ....................................................................................................... 9 Theoretical Bases of This Study ................................................................................... 9 The Nature of This Study ............................................................................................ 10 Definition of Terms..................................................................................................... 12 Assumptions ................................................................................................................ 14 Scope and Delimitations ............................................................................................. 14 Limitations .................................................................................................................. 15 The Significance of This Study for Social Change ..................................................... 15 Summary ..................................................................................................................... 16 Chapter 2: The Literature Review ..................................................................................... 18 Introduction ................................................................................................................. 18 Research Strategy........................................................................................................ 19 Theoretical Framework ............................................................................................... 20 The Dynamics of Communication .............................................................................. 23 A Repertoire of Metacommunication ......................................................................... 28 i Metacommunication: A Cultural Construct ................................................................ 34 African American Single-Parent Households ............................................................. 36 Metacommunication and Attachment Insecurity ........................................................ 41 Summary ..................................................................................................................... 45 Chapter 3: Methodology ................................................................................................... 47 Introduction ................................................................................................................. 47 Design and Rationale of the Study.............................................................................. 47 Paradigm ..................................................................................................................... 48 The Role of the Researcher ......................................................................................... 49 The Research Questions .............................................................................................. 50 Methodology ............................................................................................................... 50 Sampling Procedure .................................................................................................... 51 Data Collection ........................................................................................................... 53 Interview Implementation ..................................................................................... 54 Observation Technique ......................................................................................... 56 Data Analysis Plan .....................................................................................................