Spirituality and Hope as Influences on Family Cohesion Among African American Men

• Main Author: DeSouza, Jennifer Joan
• Format: Others
• Language: en
• Published: ScholarWorks 2014
• Subjects: African American Men; Black Men; Family; Family Cohesion; Hope; Spirituality; African American Studies; Psychology; Religion
• Online Access: https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/22; https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1021&context=dissertations

Researchers have found that African American men have a history of difficulty in maintaining family cohesion. Researchers have also found that, in comparison to European American men, African American men are more likely to populate the penal systems, are more abusive to their partners, are less supportive of their children, and are less likely to have stable cohesive relationships. Evidence suggests that African American men draw strength from spirituality and hope, which are the core values of their culture. Drawing from these previous findings, as well as the stages of faith theory, hope theory, and the circumflex model of marital and family systems, this quantitative, non-experimental study examined the roles of spirituality and hope on family cohesion among African American men. The INSPIRIT, the hope scale, and the family cohesion scale were administered to 110 African American men. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that hope mediated a significant relationship between spirituality and family cohesion (p < .05). These findings may inform family-centered programs that facilitate cohesion.