The World Health Organization defines gender as:
The socially constructed characteristics of women and men – such as norms, roles, and relationships of and between groups of women and men. It varies from society to society and can be changed. While most people are born either male or female, they are taught appropriate norms and behaviors – including how they should interact with others of the same or opposite sex within households, communities and workplaces. Gender, equity, and human rights (World Health Organization (WHO), n.d.).
For the purpose of this study, gender is defined as a social construct which impacts the behaviorally, social, and cultural aspects of being female.
This study looks specifically at Black women. Traditionally speaking, Black women would include any woman who is from Africa or whose ancestors came from Africa. For this study, participants self-identified as a Black woman. The term Black was adopted following the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s and is used to describe African Americans and is tied to the consciousness in the United States (Ellis, 2001). This term was chosen because it is more inclusive than African American. African American would have limited who could have participated in this study, by excluding women born outside of the United States of America who do not identify as African American. Black women include not only American born women with roots in the African diaspora, but also women from various Caribbean Islands and South America.
Sampling Approach and Description
This section will provide an outline of the inclusion criteria for eligible participants, provide a detailed account of the steps taken during the recruitment process, and will close with a description of the sample obtained for this study.
Inclusion Criteria. For the purpose of this study, participants had to meet the criteria to participate in this study:
Self-identifying as a Black woman- Giving women the opportunity to choose how they identify is a means of acknowledging their right to identify themselves instead of having someone else do it for them. Interested participants were asked on the recruitment flyer (Appendix A) if they identified as Black and it was assumed that if they responded that they met the requirement.
Be 18 years of age or older- In order for one to obtain a Ph.D. in social work, the majority of programs require that one has obtained a bachelor and a master’s degree. Although it is highly unlikely, it is possible that one could be 18 years or younger at this level of education. This criterion was included for IRB purposes, to show that this study would not include children.
Speak English- It was important that participants spoke English as the researcher does not speak any other languages. It would have been expensive to pay for a translator and meanings can be lost or misinterpreted through translation. Participant’s ability to speak English was determined by how well they communicated with me.
Live in the United States of America- The majority of Social Work Ph.D. programs are located within the United States of America. Interviewing participants in the United States reduced the chances of encountering a language barrier and also provided more ac
