Date of Conferral

10-17-2025

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

Mario Tovar

Abstract

This study revealed the complex interplay between personal identities and social constructs, focusing on Black-identifying women and their lived experiences with sex, sexuality, and sexual expression. Over centuries, societal influences depicted Black women as hypersexual, simultaneously exposing them to criticism, shame, and judgment for their sexual expression and meaning-making related to sex and sexuality. Consequently, Black women remain a high-risk demographic for unsafe sexual practices and sexually transmitted infections. Using intersectionality theory and Black feminist theory, this study explored how Black-identifying women give meaning to sex, sexuality, and sexual expression as they shape the Black feminine experience. I sought to explore how Black-identifying women construct and interpret the meaning of sex, sexuality, and sexual expression within their lives, emphasizing the impact of sociocultural and socioeconomic factors on their understanding of these concepts. Employing a hermeneutical phenomenological approach, this study recruited 10 Black-identifying women, aged between 20 and 45, via social media channels. The research design included semi-structured interviews conducted via the Zoom platform. Data were analyzed using thematic coding and hermeneutic interpretation, which illuminated four central themes: sexuality as self-authored liberation, the disruption of generational silence, embodiment as resistance, and the integration of spiritual dimensions of sexual identity. Challenging the psychologically harmful narratives through expanded research and open dialogue may contribute to fostering a society that fully recognizes and respects the complexity and dignity of the Black woman experience, thus contributing to positive social change.

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