Abstract
Abstract
Black women in emerging adulthood (ages 18–29) navigate the intersection of racial and gender socialization processes that are largely absent from mainstream developmental and psychological research. Existing scholarship often examines race and gender separately, thereby overlooking the compounded psychological effects experienced by Black emerging adult women (BEAW) as they negotiate cultural scripts such as the Strong Black Woman and Angry Black Woman. This conceptual paper outlines a research framework for an empirical study examining the relationship between gendered-racial socialization and psychological well-being among BEAW, and the extent to which cultural scripts moderate this relationship. Grounded in an integrated theoretical framework that combines intersectionality and Margaret Spencer’s Phenomenological Variant of Ecological Systems Theory (PVEST), the proposed study conceptualizes gendered-racial socialization as a composite construct that influences identity development and mental health outcomes during the “in-between” stage of emerging adulthood. The research questions and hypotheses address both the direct predictive relationship between gendered-racial socialization and psychological well-being, and the moderating role of cultural scripts related to beauty and sexual objectification, silence and marginalization, and stereotype experiences. By centering the lived experiences of Black women, this research addresses a critical gap in developmental and clinical literature. It informs more culturally responsive, intersectional mental health frameworks, interventions, and policy approaches.
Recommended Citation
Hickman, Danielle C.
(2026)
"Living Between Lines: A Conceptual Paper for an Empirical Study Exploring the Impact of Gendered Racial Socialization on Black Women in Emerging Adulthood,"
Journal of Research Initiatives: Vol. 9:
Iss.
3, Article 13.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.uncfsu.edu/jri/vol9/iss3/13