University of Kentucky UKnowledge University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School 2011 AN EXPLORATORY STUDY OF INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP SOCIALIZATION AMONG BLACK COLLEGIATE WOMEN Ahlishia J'Nae Shipley University of Kentucky, [email protected] Right click to open a feedback form in a new tab to let us know how this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Shipley, Ahlishia J'Nae, "AN EXPLORATORY STUDY OF INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP SOCIALIZATION AMONG BLACK COLLEGIATE WOMEN" (2011). University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations. 171. https://uknowledge.uky.edu/gradschool_diss/171 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at UKnowledge. It has been accepted for inclusion in University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized administrator of UKnowledge. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ABSTRACT OF DISSERTATION Ahlishia J’Nae Shipley The Graduate School University of Kentucky 2011 AN EXPLORATORY STUDY OF INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP SOCIALIZATION AMONG BLACK COLLEGIATE WOMEN __________________________________ ABSTRACT OF DISSERTATION __________________________________ A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the College of Agriculture at the University of Kentucky By Ahlishia J’Nae Shipley Lexington, Kentucky Director: Ronald Werner-Wilson, Professor of Family Studies Lexington, Kentucky 2011 Copyright © Ahlishia J’Nae Shipley 2011 ABSTRACT OF DISSERTATION AN EXPLORATORY STUDY OF INTIMATERELATIONSHIPSOCIALIZATION AMONG BLACK COLLEGIATE WOMEN The pathways through which individuals learn to appraise and behave in intimate relationships greatly influence the quality and stability of their relationships. Research on intimate relationships among college students guided by a socialization framework focusing on learning and ways of viewing relationships is limited. The purpose of the present exploratory study was to examine the experiences and processes wherein young Black collegiate women learn to approach, maintain, and reflect on their intimate relationships. This topic is particularly salient to Black collegiate women who find themselves navigating unbalanced dating scenes and negotiating love relationships while balancing academic achievement and career aspirations. Ten Black, heterosexual women attending a four-year institution of higher education participated in three in-depth interviews where they shared life experiences which contributed to their understanding of intimate relationships. Using symbolic interactionism as a guiding framework allowed me to discover the multiple descriptions and meanings the participants assign to the interactions in their families, with their peers, and in their symbolic environments. The narratives shared by the women in this study revealed a number of experiences which prompted them to engage in self-reflection, critique, and learning with respect to self-identity and intimate relationships. Hearing messages, observing others, and experiencing relationships for themselves provided these women with a foundation for knowing the importance of preserving self-worth and self-identity, establishing expectations, and communicating thoughts and feelings. Implications for practice include the importance of developing specialized relationship education culturally and socially relevant to Black collegiate women, training campus professionals on the unique needs and concerns of this population, and educating parents on communicating with daughters about intimate relationship development. Future research should devote specific attention to social context, paternal-daughter relationship communication, and parental relationship modeling. KEYWORDS: Black Women Intimate Relationships Qualitative Methodology Socialization Relationship Education Ahlishia J’Nae Shipley__________________ Student Signature May 6th 2011__________________________ Date AN EXPLORATORY STUDY OF INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP SOCIALIZATION AMONG BLACK COLLEGIATE WOMEN By Ahlishia J’Nae Shipley Dr. Ronald Werner-Wilson______________ Director of Dissertation Dr. Ronald Werner-Wilson______________ Director of Graduate Studies _____________May 6th, 2011 __________ RULES FOR THE USE OF DISSERTATIONS Unpublished dissertations submitted for the Doctor's degree and deposited in the University of Kentucky Library are as a rule open for inspection, but are to be used only with due regard to the rights of the authors. Bibliographical references may be noted, but quotations or summaries of parts may be published only with the permission of the author, and with the usual scholarly acknowledgments. Extensive copying or publication of the dissertation in whole or in part also requires the consent of the Dean of the Graduate School of the University of Kentucky. A library that borrows this dissertation for use by its patrons is expected to secure the signature of each user. Name Date ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ DISSERTATION Ahlishia J’Nae Shipley The Graduate School University of Kentucky 2011 AN EXPLORATORY STUDY OF INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP SOCIALIZATION AMONG BLACK COLLEGIATE WOMEN __________________________________ DISSERTATION __________________________________ A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the College of Agriculture at the University of Kentucky By Ahlishia J’Nae Shipley Lexington, Kentucky Director: Ronald Werner-Wilson, Professor of Family Studies Lexington, Kentucky 2011 Copyright © Ahlishia J’Nae Shipley 2011 DEDICATION somebody/anybody sing a black girl’s song bring her out to know herself to know you but sing her rhythms carin/ struggle/ hard times sing her song of life Excerpt – For Colored Girls who have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf By Ntozake Shange This dissertation is dedicated to my participants who have allowed me to sing their songs to audiences that rarely have the opportunity to hear their voices. Acknowledgments Completing my dissertation was certainly a journey for me. However, I was not on this journey alone. The sense of accomplishment and success that I enjoy from completing my dissertation and my doctoral program I share with many significant individuals in my professional and personal life. I continually feel humbled by all the support I was blessed to have while I was finishing my program. God’s blessings in my life forever amaze me and I only hope I can give back all I have received. I have to thank my parents, Mrs. And Mr. Cecelia and Cornelius Shipley, for their unconditional love, support, and faith they have given me all my life. I am thankful for such loving, special parents who have guided me and provided with their infinite encouragement and faith in me. I hope I will be a great parent like you both to my own children in the future. I am also grateful for my sisters, Lynetta Shipley and LaTia Crawford, who have always declared their confidence in me to take this road traveled. I also have a host of family members who have offered their warm words of support that have stayed with me throughout this process. A debt of appreciation is owed and given to my dissertation advisor and committee members. My dissertation advisor, Dr. Ronald Werner-Wilson, who serves as the chair of the Family Studies Department, has consistently offered his support to me in pursuing my dissertation topic. He also provided me with invaluable feedback to make my dissertation the best product it could be. Dr. Ron always listened to my ideas and questions with a thoughtful, attentive ear. I have to give a special thanks to Dr. Ann Vail, who is also the Director of the School of Human Environmental Sciences. Dr. Vail has been such a special mentor to me during my doctoral program. She has provided her iii support and encouragement to me so many ways. I have to thank her for getting me professionally involved in relationship education and enrichment. Our school is definitely blessed to have her leadership and advocacy for family and consumer sciences. I would like to thank Dr. Gregory Brock for always pushing me and all his other students beyond their intellectual limits. I can always count on Dr. Brock to force me to think about ideas I had not considered. Dr. Tamara Brown was gracious enough to serve on my committee when I was need in great need of an outside committee member. I appreciate Dr. Brown for her willingness to offer constructive, useful advice on my dissertation. I would like to thank Dr. Brown for being a listening ear when I needed one. My outside examiner, Dr. Larry Figgs, was a delightful addition to my dissertation defense meeting. I appreciate his thoughtful