African American Fathers’ Perspectives on Culturally Based Discipline

Date of Conferral

11-2-2023

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Human Services

Advisor

Kelly Chermack

Abstract

Exposure to any type of violence increases the likelihood that the victimized will become violent offenders. Many African American cultural characteristics and traditions originated from a history of abuse and violence. As a result, exposure to that violence created traumas that have manifested across generations. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to explore African American fathers’ perspectives on physical discipline and its influence on their African American sons who have committed Black on Black homicide. King’s conceptual framework model of culturecology was used. Data were collected through interviews with seven African American fathers who have sons between the ages of 15 and 30 years old who have been convicted of Black-on-Black homicide. Open coding of emergent codes was used to track reoccurring ideas and concepts in the interview transcripts. Then, codes and categories were used to determine themes to answer my research question. Data analysis produced six themes: (a) Disciplining with the strap is a method most related to the older generations and grandparents, (b) A beating or “whoopin” is a part of Black culture, (c) Some fathers believe “whoopin” beating is needed for control, (d) Some fathers believe that not disciplining sons is a sin against God, (e) Children should be disciplined at home or they will end up in jail, (f) The reason their sons commit violence is because of a lack of proper discipline. The evidence revealed in this study expands on the literature to assist human service researchers, psychologists, and social science researchers’ evidence to use towards making a social impact in areas of Black psychology and social behavior incidences related to trauma and violence.

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