Several theories of stress exposure, including the stress process and the family stress model for economically disadvantaged families, suggest that family processes work similarly across race/ethnic groups. Much of this research, however, treats African-Americans as a monolithic group and ignores potential differences in family stress processes within race that may emerge across ethnic groups. This study examines whether family stress processes differ intraracially in African-American and Black Caribbean families.
Data from the National Survey of American Life are used to investigate relationship satisfaction and their relation to extended family relations (i.e., emotional support and negative interaction) among nationally representative samples of African American and Black Caribbean adults. The study contributes to the literature by focusing on two groups of unmarried persons -- those who are cohabiting and persons who are unmarried/non-cohabiting -- in addition to married persons.
Uses data from the National Survey of American Life to investigate explore ethnic heterogeneity among black Americans, with a sample of 2,953 African Americans and 1,140 Caribbean Blacks. For African Americans black group evaluation, self-esteem, and mastery reduce depressive symptomatology. For Caribbean Blacks racial identity and psychosocial resources were all directly and inversely related to depressive symptoms.
Author discusses the complexities of identity representation in terms of her Afro Caribbean/"third" world background and her historically African-American university (HBCU) affiliation. Notes how her academic identity marked by her first and third world educational experiences as a Caribbean person of color in the U.S. positions her between the borders of insider/outsider.
