Black Women Discuss How They Cope with Racism and Sexism in the Workplace

Background and Purpose: It's no secret that paid working women experience a double day of work, discrimination and harassment. Discrimination against African American women is fairly widespread in the workplace even though it is an understudied area. Statistics reveal the occupational disadvantages Black women experience based on gender and race. They are more likely to experience higher rates of unemployment, work in support positions where there are fewer rewards, less opportunity for advancement or skill utilization and work in jobs that are less secure than those held by men (Hughes & Dodge, 1997). Brown & Keith (2003) report that racism and sexism also play a part in the occupations selected the income and benefits that African American women receive. This paper discusses the findings of an exploratory study that utilized grounded theory methods to examine the work-related stressors that impact the lives of Black women and their coping responses

Methods: This qualitative multi-site study used six focus group discussions, for two-hour periods to collect data from Black women (18-55 years old) about workplace stress and coping. Methods that were consistent with grounded theory were employed to analyze narrative data obtained from focus group discussions. A semi-structured interview guide containing 10 questions was used during these sessions.

Results: The analysis revealed five basic themes that identify when racism and sexism are experienced as stressors for African American women in the workplace; including: (1) being hired or promoted in the workplace, (2) developing relationships with co-workers and mentors, (3) dealing with racism and discrimination, (4) being isolated and/or excluded, and (5) shifting or code switching to overcome barriers to employment. The types of stressors described by these women are not simply episodic, but are fairly consistent. Although these stressors disrupt the status quo, they appear to be an ongoing aspect of the internal and external environment in which they live. The findings from this study underscore the continuing significance of racism and sexism in the daily work lives of Black women.

Conclusions and Implications: For individuals working with Black female clients the pervasive subtleties of racism in the workplace and their effects on the psychological well-being, self-concept and interpersonal relationships of Black women should be addressed. The aim is to deconstruct the stereotypes held by whites and other Blacks and their effects on the Black woman's view of self and others. Frequently unable to express their emotions Black women should be encouraged to talk about their emotional reactions to workplace stress, especially their feelings of anger and shame toward the treatment of Blacks and the stereotypes held about them. While offering support social workers should also explore the help-seeking behaviors of each Black woman, identify and support the various forms of resilience these women bring to the counseling session. Human service workers should also model coping strategies that allow Black women to relieve stress, while also acknowledging the positive effects of spirituality and religion in their lives.