“WE DON’T LOVE THESE HOES”
EXPLORING MISOGYNOIR AND BLACK MALE PATRIARCHY THROUGH
SEXUAL DOUBLE STANDARDS
By
Mariah Elizabeth Webber
A thesis submitted to the faculty of
The University of North Carolina at Charlotte
in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of Master of Arts in
Sociology
Charlotte
2017
Approved by:
______________________________
Dr. Elizabeth Stearns
______________________________
Dr. Janaka Lewis
______________________________
Dr. Sarah Pollock
ii
2017
Mariah Elizabeth Webber
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
iii
ABSTRACT
MARIAH ELIZABETH WEBBER. We Don’t Love These Hoes: Exploring Misogynoir
and Black Male Patriarchy Through Sexual Double Standards. (Under the direction of
DR. ELIZABETH STEARNS)
While much research has been dedicated to exploring how Black people as a
collective respond to racism, or how White women as collective respond to sexism, little
empirical research has been found regarding the experiences of combatting both racism
and sexism while being both Black and woman. The theoretical perspectives of Black
feminist thought, intersectionality, and grounded theory are used as aides to the study of
Black women’s lived experiences and therefore central to this project. Using qualitative,
open ended interviews, this thesis observes the ways in which misogynoir, Black male
patriarchy, and controlling images reinforce sexual double standards and obstruct the
sexual agency of collegiate Black women.
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DEDICATION
I would like to dedicate this work to my mother, Malaika Webber, for giving me
life and being my biggest supporter and encourager. A Black single mother chastised for
her sexuality at 21. This work was created with your freedom in mind. I love you.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank my committee chair, Dr. Elizabeth Stearns, for all of her
hard work and guidance during this process. From start to finish you supported my ideas
and helped me bring them to life. To the members of my committee, Dr. Janaka Lewis
and Dr. Sarah Pollock, thank you for your guidance and extensive knowledge on issues
surrounding women’s studies, and specifically knowledge and literature surrounding
Black women’s experiences. I couldn’t have done this without you two. Lastly, to my
mentor and friend Dr. Brandy Wilson, thank you for your endless support and
professional knowledge.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1
CHAPTER 2: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND 4
2.1. BLACK FEMINIST THOUGHT 4
CHAPTER 3: LITERATURE REVIEW 6
3.1. INTERSECTIONALITY: A MAJOR KEY 6
3.2. MISOGYNOIR: BRANDED FOR BLACK WOMEN 8
3.3. CONTROLLING IMAGES OF BLACK WOMANHOOD 11
3.4. BLACK MALE PATRIARCHY AND TOXIC MASCULINITY 15
3.5. THE SEXUAL DOUBLE STANDARD 16
CHAPTER 4: METHODS 19
CHAPTER 5: RESULTS 24
5.1 THEMES 24
5.1.1. SEXUAL DOUBLE STANDARDS 25
5.1.1.1. POLARIZED HETEROSEXUALITIES 26
5.1.1.2. ACTIVE MALE/PASSIVE FEMALE ROLES 28
5.1.1.3. POWER STRUGGLE NARRATIVE: INTERARCIAL
GENDER TENSION AND INTERRACIAL DATING 30
5.1.2. CONTROLLING IMAGES OF BLACK WOMANHOOD 34
5.1.2.1. THE STRONG BLACK WOMAN 35
5.1.2.2. THE MAMMY/CULTURAL PROTECTOR 37
5.1.2.3. THE JEZEBEL V. THE BLACK LADY 39
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CHAPTER 6: DISCUSSION 43
CHAPTER 7: LIMITATIONS 45
CHATER 8: CONCLUSION 47
REFERENCES 49
APPENDIX I: INTERVIEW SCHEDULE 53
APPENDIX II: MEMES 55
1
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
Black women often go overlooked and understudied in many facets of research.
The unique experience of being both Black and woman presents a variety of issues that
Black women are subjected to on a daily basis both outside of and within the Black
community. These issues stem from ideologies such as misogynoir
1
, controlling images
of Black womanhood, and the intersections of identities that Black women hold. While
much research has been dedicated to exploring how Black people as a collective respond
to racism, or how white women respond to sexism, little empirical research has been
found regarding the experiences of being both Black and woman. In addition, studies
concerning the state of inequality that Black women face within the Black community as
a result of internalized misogynoir, Black male patriarchy, and toxic masculinity have
been researched in a mostly theoretical lens (Blair, 2014, Collins, 2000, Collins, 2005,
Collins, 2015, hooks, 2004 Macias, 2015, Simms , 2001). Theoretical perspectives of
Black feminist thought, intersectionality, and grounded theory are critical to the study of
Black women’s lived experiences.
The intersections of Black women’s race and gender create social implications
regarding how others interact with them and how they perceive themselves. Within this
thesis, I will discuss the ways in which racism and sexism combine to form specific
sexual criteria, known as controlling images, that Black women are held to both
1
Misogynoir: anti-black misogyny. This term will be defined more extensively in
subsequent sections of the paper.
2
implicitly and explicitly. These controlling images are manifested in every facet of Black
women’s lives, however, I specifically address how they are used to regulate Black
women’s sexual agency (i.e. the ability to decide one’s sexual lifestyle for themselves
without condemnation or interference) (Collins, 2005). Black women’s sexual agency is
important because everyone reserves the right to control their own bodies and act on their
personal desires. In contrast, controlling images of Black womanhood and Black male
patriarchy reinforce the ideology that Black women are to be controlled, which can lead
to interpersonal and domestic violence, erasure of Black women’s experiences and
voices, and mental and emotional abuse (McGuffey, 2013).
Previous research concerning the effects of misogynoir on Black women’s sexual
experiences has been largely theoretical, although groundbreaking (Blair, 2014, Collins,
2000, Collins, 2005, Collins, 2015, hooks, 2004 Macias, 2015, Simms , 2001). Research
concerning sexual double standards has been widely published, however, much of the
literature neglects to consider the effects that intersecting identities can have on the body
of literature, as they mostly focus on majority white samples (Crawford & Popp ,
2003)(Gonzales & Rolison, 2005). This study intends to bridge together the theoretical
work of Black feminist scholars with empirical, qualitative, sociological methodology.
Although theoretical knowledge is important, being able to create research that assess the
theoretical premises can strengthen the knowledge base, and confirm the existence of
theorized trends within research based observation.
Using a three dimensional model of sexual double standards by Fasula, Carry, &
Miller (2014), I intend to qualitatively examine the effects that misogynoir and Black
male patriarchy can have on sexual double standards in the perspective and experiences
3
of Black, heterosexual millennials via and analysis of in-depth interviews. This study is
important, as it gives voice to the direct experiences of Black women for Black women,
by a Black woman researcher using sociological methodology. In the sections that follow,
I examine the theoretical background of Black feminist thought, followed by the
literature on intersectionality, misogynoir, controlling images of Black womanhood,
Black male patriarchy and toxic masculinity, and the sexual double standard (SDS).
I use the theoretical background discussed as a premise to study whether or not
Black collegiate freshman are subscribing to tenets of misogynoir, Black male patriarchy,
and controlling images in terms of how they define their identity, sexual decisions, and
potential partner criteria. In addition, the larger purpose of this study is to intertwine the
methodological practice of sociology with the theoretical approaches of Black feminist
theory in order to produce knowledge that promotes an inclusive and safe Black
community. I conclude the paper by discussing my research design and findings, and
their implications for the existing body of literature.
4
CHAPTER 2: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND
2.1 BLACK FEMINIST THOUGHT
Black feminist thought is an ideology that specifically caters to the plight of Black
women with a primary focus on collective liberation and justice. As described by
prominent Black feminist theorist, Patricia Hill Collins, Black feminist thought serves as
a theory that centers the experiences and knowledge of Black women combining both
their racial and gender identity (Collins, 2000). Black feminist thought can be used to
critically examine social institutions that impact Black women. The Combahee River
Collective (CRC), an organization founded by Black feminists of varying sexual
orientations in 1974, described Black feminism as necessary because, they believed that
patriarchy and sexism were just as prevalent in Black women’s live as racism was. In
addition, members of the CRC could not separate race and class from their oppression as
White feminists had the privilege of doing, because they often experienced race, class,
and gender oppression simultaneously (The Combahee River Collective,1978).
Using Black Feminist thought as a theoretical lens ensures that the marginalized
voices of Black women are fully heard, and the intersections of their identities are
recognized and taken into consideration. This is critical because mainstream feminist
thought primarily serves the voices of white women, while Black social and political
thought primarily serves the interest of Black men. Within both schools of thought, the
experiences and realities of Black women are negated and erased (Collins, 2000). In
terms of observing the SDS, most scholarship has focused primarily on majority white
participants, and therefore contained no acknowledgement of the ways differing cultural
5
ideologies can play a role in observing sexual double standards (Crawford and Popp,
2003).
In terms of sociological relevancy, in her article, “Learning from the Outsider
Within: The Sociological Significance of Black Feminist Thought,” Black feminist
theorist and sociologist Patricia Hill Collins postulates that “sociologists might benefit
greatly from serious consideration of the emerging, cross-disciplinary literature that is
labeled Black feminist thought, precisely because, for many Afro-American female
intellectuals, ‘marginality’ has been an excitement to creativity. As outsiders within,
