The Impact of Family, Community, and Resilience on African-American Young Adults Who Had Parents Incarcerated During Childhood" (2011)
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Andrews University Digital Commons @ Andrews University Dissertations Graduate Research 2011 The Impact of Family, Community, and Resilience on African- American Young Adults Who Had Parents Incarcerated During Childhood Marilyn Diana Ming Andrews University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/dissertations Part of the Child Psychology Commons, and the Developmental Psychology Commons Recommended Citation Ming, Marilyn Diana, "The Impact of Family, Community, and Resilience on African-American Young Adults Who Had Parents Incarcerated During Childhood" (2011). Dissertations. 583. https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/dissertations/583 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Research at Digital Commons @ Andrews University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Andrews University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Thank you for your interest in the Andrews University Digital Library of Dissertations and Theses. Please honor the copyright of this document by not duplicating or distributing additional copies in any form without the author’s express written permission. Thanks for your cooperation. ABSTRACT THE IMPACT OF FAMILY, COMMUNITY, AND RESILIENCE ON AFRICAN-AMERICAN YOUNG ADULTS WHO HAD PARENTS INCARCERATED DURING CHILDHOOD by Marilyn Diana Ming Chair: Sylvia Gonzalez ABSTRACT OF GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH Dissertation Andrews University School of Education Title: THE IMPACT OF FAMILY, COMMUNITY, AND RESILIENCE ON AFRICAN-AMERICAN YOUNG ADULTS WHO HAD PARENTS INCARCERATED DURING CHILDHOOD Name of researcher: Marilyn Diana Ming Name and degree of faculty chair: Sylvia Gonzalez, Ph.D. Date completed: July 2011 Problem Parental incarceration affects millions of children, and their numbers continue to rise. By losing their parents, children can be exposed to unique risks, relative to the separation. Many children face family structure disintegration, and this can be so disruptive that their normal development is impaired. Evidence suggests that children are impacted psychologically, socially, and financially. The result is the display of problematic behavior, being aggressive or withdrawn at home and in their communities. The concentration of the incarceration trends seems to be in poor African-American communities. Incarceration has left higher numbers of children without parents, making the collateral damage greater. Method This research was designed as a qualitative, multiple-case study. It addressed the questions: How do African-American young adults describe the impact of parental incarceration on their lives, and how were they able to overcome the difficult situation and graduate from high school? This qualitative study used data from semi-structured interviews as a means to explore the lives of the African-American young adults who experienced parental incarceration during childhood. Twelve individuals (18 years or older) participated in the interviews. The real-life social context was covered in depth and scope for each case under study. Their rich cases identified the underlying issues that surfaced in their lives. All the cases were addressed through the home, school, and community environments, utilizing the participants‘ voices and perspectives. Participants were selected by referrals from a diverse group of professionals. Each young person volunteered to participate in this project. Results The results of this study indicate that the African-American young adults shared similar experiences regardless of slight variations in the risks and adverse conditions within their homes. The 12 individuals were connected by the common thread of parental incarceration that exposed them to negative consequences. Their responses determined that the following findings were most critical: (a) family system, (b) local community, and (c) their own personal strengths. Family bonds were strong. The participants sought support and received it from aunts, uncles, brothers, and cousins. Not one child entered foster care during the father‘s imprisonment. Mothers and/or grandmothers were the primary caregivers. Grandmothers became surrogate parents when a significant number of mothers worked multiple jobs, attended school or needed time to regain balance in their lives. The church was the place where the children found normalcy, acceptance, purpose, stability, safety, father figures and the absence of judgments because of their fathers. In the majority of cases, it was grandmothers who introduced them to church influences. School gave meaningful support and became a refuge for the 12 children. This is where they felt safe and free from the anxieties of their home environments. These children received inspiration and encouragement from administrators and teachers who pushed and challenged them to achieve academic success. Key supportive relationships and the act of telling their stories with candor reinforced their resiliency, completed their past, and inspired them in their pursuit of a successful adult life. Conclusion African-American young children, who were exposed to parental incarceration during their childhood, were able to become resilient in spite of their adverse circumstances due to a strong family support system, and a caring community in their schools and churches. Their own individual strengths were also crucial in their development as good society members. Andrews University School of Education THE IMPACT OF FAMILY, COMMUNITY, AND RESILIENCE ON AFRICAN-AMERICAN YOUNG ADULTS WHO HAD PARENTS INCARCERATED DURING CHILDHOOD A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy by Marilyn Diana Ming July 2011 © Copyright by Marilyn Diana Ming 2011 All Rights Reserved THE IMPACT OF FAMILY, COMMUNITY, AND RESILIENCE ON AFRICAN-AMERICAN YOUNG ADULTS WHO HAD PARENTS INCARCERATED DURING CHILDHOOD A dissertation presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy by Marilyn Diana Ming APPROVAL BY THE COMMITTEE: ________________________________ _____________________________ Chair: Sylvia Gonzalez, Ph.D. Dean, School of Education James R. Jeffery ________________________________ Member: Shirley A. Freed, Ph.D. ________________________________ Member: Gary Gifford, Ed.D. ________________________________ _____________________________ External: Date approved TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES ...................................................... ix ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .................................................x Chapter I. INTRODUCTION ..................................................1 Background of the Problem .......................................1 Statement of the Problem .........................................7 Purpose of the Study ............................................8 Research Questions .............................................8 Research Design ...............................................9 Rationale for the Study ..........................................9 Theoretical Framework .........................................11 The Attachment Theory ....................................12 The Risk and Resilience Theory .............................13 Importance of the Study .........................................14 Definitions of Terms ...........................................16 Delimitations of the Study .......................................18 Limitations of the Study ........................................18 Assumptions ..................................................18 Organization of the Study .......................................18 II. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ...................................21 Introduction ..................................................21 The Scope of the Problem .......................................21 Theoretical Framework .........................................23 The Attachment Theory ....................................24 Why Is the Attachment Theory Important? ................26 The Attachment Theory Informs This Research ............29 The Risk and Resilience Theory .............................30 Why Is the Risk and Resilience Theory Important? ..........35 The Risk & Resilience Theory Informs This Research .......43 The Impact of Parental Incarceration on Children …………………………44 The Impact of Legally Ambiguous Circumstances ...............45 The Impact of Indifference .............................45 iii The Impact of Termination of Parental Rights ..............46 The Issue Impacting Temporary Guardianship .............48 The Impact of Becoming More Vulnerable .....................50 The Emotional Impact .....................................54 The Mental Impact ........................................56 The Impact of Monetary Deficit .............................57 The Impact of Exposure to Abuse ............................57 The Impact of Increased Risk for Antisocial and Delinquent Problems ...........................................58 The Impacts of Social Stigma and Isolation ....................62 The Impact of Parental Incarceration on African Americans ............64 African American Defined ..................................64 Disproportional Involvement of African American Children .......65 Culture and Structural Impact Within the Children‘s World ........70 Some Available Resources ......................................71 The Impact of Religion and Spirituality........................71 The Impact of Schools .....................................74