Communication Strategies Across Cultural Borders: Dispelling Stereotypes, Performing Competence, and Redefining Black Womanhood

Abstract

For Black women born in the decades following the civil rights movement and second-wave women's movement, opportunities to move into educational and professional worlds have become reality. Such “opportunities,” however, often require that these young women live and move in environments where their racial and gendered identities remained marginalized. This study explores their communicative strategies as they cross cultural borders to predominantly White environments and furthers understanding of how and why they enact specific strategies in those environments. Focus group interviews are used to gather descriptions of communicative strategies in a phenomenological approach that encourages meaningful reflections on lived experiences. Analysis of responses reveals specific strategies are used to dispel historical stereotypes of Black women and perform competence in environments where they are the minority. Findings suggest future research with Black women across demographic groups and in additional communication contexts can further understanding of specific communicative strategies.

Keywords:

• Black women's communication
• co-cultural theory
• cultural border crossings

Acknowledgments

I am deeply grateful to anonymous reviewers and to Valeria Fabj for the time taken to read earlier drafts of this essay and to provide valuable feedback that guided the process—thank you for your commitment. And to Dr. Mark P. Orbe, thank you for insight, ongoing encouragement, and incredible generosity.

Notes

A university institutional review board approved the research protocol for this study mandating that issues of confidentiality be addressed. Though the nature and structure of focus groups prohibits anonymity, it was possible to address confidentiality with the following strategies: Audiotapes and transcripts of the responses and written critical incidents were accessible only to the researcher and stored in a secured desk in locked office. All participants were asked to submit a pseudonym to protect identity in transcripts and publications.