Sponsor
Portland State University. Social Work and Social Research Ph. D. Program
First Advisor
Thomas Keller
Term of Graduation
Winter 2024
Date of Publication
2-26-2024
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Social Work and Social Research
Department
Social Work
Language
English
Subjects
African American, Black Girls, Child Welfare, Female adolescents, Foster Care, Racial Isolation
DOI
10.15760/etd.3721
Physical Description
1 online resource (vii, 139 pages)
Abstract
As the author Zora Neale Hurston says, "If you're silent about your pain, they'll kill you and say you enjoyed it." The Mirror Project (MP) aims to break this silence by giving voice to Black women who have experienced foster care in Portland, Oregon during their adolescence. In focus groups and interviews, participants shared their stories. Racial identity development theory, phenomenology and Afrocentric feminist epistemology provided lenses for gaining insight into their experiences in a predominantly white city. The MP revealed six themes: lack of youth engagement in foster care decisions, the need for a cultural lens in social work, foster home abuse, the impact of placement decisions, the youth's locus of control, and healing and resilience. These insights from the participants can inform advocacy efforts and culturally relevant social work practices. The MP experience was cathartic and culturally affirming; also healing by the power of sharing one's truth. Amplifying these voices makes visible the social and emotional needs of African-American girls in foster care and provides recommendations for minimizing harm and maximizing healing and resilience. This research contributes to the field of social work and supports our growth as helpers in our community working towards inclusive and supportive systems of care.
Rights
© 2023 Bahia Anise-Cross DeGruy Overton
In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).
Persistent Identifier
https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/41653
Recommended Citation
Overton, Bahia Anise-Cross DeGruy, "The Mirror Project: Reflections on the Experiences of African-American Female Adolescents Experiencing Foster Care" (2024). Dissertations and Theses. Paper 6589.
https://doi.org/10.15760/etd.3721