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Abstract
Violence in intimate relationships is a continuing problem in the United States, and has been found to be heightened in the African American couples. Considering this, it is important to explore what cultural differences exists that can be influential in understanding these differences and in promoting healing for specific populations, particularly when combined with the influence of historical legacies, including the legacy of slavery in the African American experience. This dissertation examines the historical context of Blacks in the United States, discussing how the legacies of slavery and of patriarchy are impactful in Black intimate couples. The method used to explore this phenomenon is autoethnography, allowing the researcher to also act as subject, using a critical race, Africana womanist-informed testimonial narrative to explore the experience of intimate partner violence (IPV) of an African American woman. The narrative explores the relationship from inception until recovery.
Findings suggest that while the researcher's narrative reflected the stages of recovery that Wuest & Merritt-Gray (1999; 2001) term "reclaiming self", there were particular differences that related to the narrative in context. First, as a teen recovering from IPV, some of the challenges that are present for adult women survivors were not for the researcher. Secondly, although there are similarities for women of all races who recover from abusive relationships, the researcher's context as an African American suggests a need for specific treatment implications for the population, including a resilience-focused approach. Finally, future research should focus on gaining a better understanding of the process of recovery as it directly relates to the context of African American adolescents.
