Resilience Among African American Adolescent Girls Navigating Fatherlessness: A Qualitative Inquiry

Abstract

In recent years the construct of fatherlessness has been a well-researched topic. The topic has been heavily researched from the lens of the fathers themselves, the adults their children grow to be, and the sons that they have abandoned. Boyd (2018), noted that although there are several studies on the effects of absent fathers and their sons, the studies for the father daughter relationships are limited and more so for the African American father daughter relationship. In addition to examining the father daughter relationship, Dorsey & Buckley (2024) note that the role of the Black father or his absence, may inform the daughters social and emotional well-being as well as her life choices regarding mental health and well-being. Schafer (2020) also notes that a gap in research exists exploring the experiences of young African American females who have absent fathers throughout their formative years of life. In addition, it is relevant to note that the construct of resilience has not yet been studied in relation to fatherless African American adolescent girls. This study is needed because of the gap in literature combining the constructs of fatherlessness, resilience, and Black adolescent girls. There is also a need based on the underwhelming literature on Black adolescent girls. Objective: This study investigates the resilience experiences of African American adolescent girls who have or are currently navigating the construct of fatherlessness. This study focuses on how the participants perceive their resilience was built and the protective factors that contributed to the development. Method: For this study, an inductive, ground up approach was utilized. Consensual Qualitative Research (CQR) methodology was employed. CQR was selected as the design for this study due to the consensual process as well as the rigorous and consistent data collection and analysis used in the design (Hill, 2012). Following a thorough CQR training with the research team, participant reflections of their lived experiences were analyzed and then sorted into domains including Understanding of Absence, Finding Strength Despite Challenges, and Looking to the Future. Limitations of the study, as well as implications for practice and research are discussed.

Keywords

African American adolescent fatherlessness resilience girls

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