PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2023, Arts and Sciences: Sociology

Visualizations of Black males have transfixed the minds of laypersons and scholars for hundreds of years. Yet, while diverse Black boys and men are hyper-visible in contemporary U.S. films, scholars still utilize a deficit perspective when analyzing their representations and argue that they are overwhelmingly depicted in deleterious, disparaging, and stereotypical ways. Scholarship on the impacts of such representations assumes a link between negative portrayals and negative outcomes. Much less attention has been given to the potential benefits of more nuanced and positive portrayals of Black characters on the lives of everyday Black men. Moreover, such limitations means that we know surprisingly little about how audiences of Black males interpret their on-screen equivalents as related to their own understandings of who they are. Drawing on qualitative data from in-depth individual and focus group interviews with 51 Black men from across the United States with varied social locations, I examine how they (re)negotiate race, masculinity, and personhood with respect to the Black cinematic characters they consume. Relying on foundations in Black Male Studies, conceptualizations of Black males and masculinity, and Collins Black feminist thought, I develop the theory of Black Masculine Thought to understand how Black men decode Black male characters in film. More specifically, the findings reveal three main strategies that the men use to decode their on-screen counterparts. First, while they acknowledge the existence stereotypical portrayals, they either deflect them as unimportant, or they actively resist them by reconsidering the characters in complex, humanizing ways. Second, they approach Black men in film as sources of social representation or identification. They see themselves in a range of characters and use them as inspiration for their own lives—especially instances where characters persevere through struggle. Finally, they are especially attuned to, and inspire (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Annulla Linders Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Earl Wright II Ph.D. (Committee Member); Ronald Jackson II Ph.D. (Committee Member); Omotayo Banjo Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Sociology

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2018, Educational Studies

This study used structural equation modeling (SEM) to explore the relationship between manhood, mindset and academic achievement among a sample of Black undergraduate men across nine higher education institutions. Two primary research questions guided the investigation: (a) What is the factor structure and model fit of the Conformity to Masculine Norms Inventory-46 (CMNI-46) and mindset scale for a sample of Black college men; and (b) What is the relationship between manhood, mindset, and college grade point average (GPA), controlling for high school GPA, parents' education level, and family income level? Confirmatory factor analysis of data from 145 Black college men supported the 3-item mindset measurement and the elimination of four of the nine CMNI-46 (Parent & Moradi, 2009) subscales (risk-taking, violence, playboy, primacy of work). This resulted in an abbreviated five-scale, 27-item, CMNI with improved model fit. A series of regression analyses between manhood, mindset and participants' college GPA offered several findings. High school GPA and mindset both significantly predicted Black males' conformity to traditional manhood. Specifically, higher levels of high school achievement and growth mindset were negatively associated with Black males' conformity to masculine norms. The relationships between manhood and college GPA and mindset and college GPA were not statistically significant; however, Black men with higher high school GPAs reported significantly higher college cumulative GPAs. In addition to findings, implications for theory, research, practice, and policy are considered.

Committee: Susan Jones Ph.D. (Advisor); Natasha Bowen Ph.D. (Committee Member); Marc Johnston-Guerrero Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Education