Behind the Mask of the Strong Black Woman: Voice and the Embodiment of a Costly Performance

Index

Angry Black woman, 91–92, 166–167n3. See also Controlling images Bordo, Susan, 48 Breakdowns, 67; as Black women’s term for depression, 45, 65, 125–127, 143. See also Depression Brown, Lyn Mikel, 9–10 Chernin, Kim, 47, 152 Clark Hine, Darlene, 39–40 Compulsive overeating, 49, 51–57, 68, 109–119, 140, 165n3; gender ambivalence and, 48, 52; as muted protest, 132; sexual abuse and, 119–121. See also Eating problems; Internalization Compulsory heterosexuality, 84 Controlling images: definition of, 22; “good” womanhood and, 46; matrix of domination and, 21–22; racialized gender and, 24, 152; strength as, 18, 25–35, 105. See also Angry Black woman; Hegemonic femininity; Jezebel; Mammy; Strength; Strong Black woman Crowley Jack, Dana, 57–60, 162n5, 164n1 Depression: anger and, 164n1; biomedical approach to, 165–166n5; denial of among Black women, 64–66, 128–131; divided consciousness and, 59–60, 131–132; gender ambivalence and, 46–48; healing from, 60; as muted protest, 132; prevalence of, 62, 165n4; as racialized and gendered phenomenon, 61–66; self-silencing and, 19; strength discourse and, 38, 61–66, 68, 121–131. See also Breakdowns; Silencing paradigm of women’s depression Discourse: definition of, 7; subjectivity and, 7–11. See also Strength Dissemblance, 39–42, 56, 95–104, 126, 167–168n1; depression and, 62, 126; Index 182 / Index Dissemblance (continued) as shifting, 40–42. See also Internalization Distress. See Compulsive overeating; Depression; Eating problems; Silencing paradigm of women’s depression Eating problems, 49–51; anger and, 111–116, 164n1; defined, 50; self-surveillance and, 47; as transference process, 52. See also Compulsive overeating Embodiment, 45–46; distress and 66–69; gender ambivalence and, 46–49. See also Depression; Eating problems; Internalization Emotion work, 30, 163n4 Family. See Relationships Friedan, Betty, 3 Gender. See Racialized gender Gender ambivalence, 46–49 Gillespie, Marcia Ann, 33–34 Gilligan, Carol, 10–11, 161–162n4 Harris, Trudier, 45, 163n5 Hegemonic femininity: beauty and, 164n2; depression and, 57–61; eating problems and, 45–49. See also Racialized gender; White women Hill Collins, Patricia, 21–23 hooks, bell, 1, 30, 65–66, 132, 167n4 Internalization, 108–109, 131–132, 164n1. See also Compulsive overeating; Depression; Eating problems; Silencing paradigm of women’s depression Intersectionality, 23–25, 163n2. See also Racialized gender Irvin Painter, Nell, 21, 161n1 Jezebel, 28–29. See also Controlling images Jordan, June, 45 Listening Guide: published uses of 162n5; as a qualitative method, 10–11; rationale in study, 11–16. See also Voice-centered scholarship Mammification, 29–30, 90–95 Mammy, 28–30. See also Controlling images Matrix of domination, 21–25. See also Controlling images; Intersectionality Morgan, Joan, 26, 42, 138 Neale Huston, Zora, 2 Obesity. See Overweight Overweight, prevalence of, 165n3. See also Compulsive overeating; Eating problems Racialized gender, 16, 24, 72, 152–154, 162n8; dual construction of womanhood and, 72–73, 90, 166n1; intersectionality and, 23–25, 163n2 Relationships: lesbian, 89–90; male-centered, 83–87; motherdaughter , 25–26, 75–82, 143–146; strength-driven, 167n4 Schreiber, Rita, 57 Scott, Kesho, 41, 150, 167–168n1 Silencing paradigm of women’s depression, 57–61; strength discourse and, 61–66 Sojourner Truth, 1, 27, 161n1 Strength: compulsive overeating and, 109–119; as contrasted to white womanhood, 24, 29; controlling image of, 25–27, Index / 183 42–44; denial of vulnerability and, 19, 99–106; depression and, 61–66, 121–131; as discourse of Black feminine goodness, 4–7, 25–26, 68, 71–75, 166n2; divided consciousness and, 135–136; eating problems and, 51–57, 109–119; “everyday activism” against, 153–154; as a half-told tale of Black womanhood, 1–3; internalization and, 108–109, 131–132; mothers and daughters and, 25–26, 75–82, 143–146; patriarchal investment in, 31–35, 83–90, 143–144; as performance, 70–75; relational inequities and, 104–106, 167n4; religion and, 87–88, 112–113; strategy of, 5–7, 75–82; subjectivity and, 14–16, 36–42; tensions with voice; voice-centered definition of, 135–138; “weakness” and, 72, 85, 166n2; workplaces and, 90–95. See also Controlling images; Racialized gender; Strong Black woman Strong Black woman, 4–5; as a “feminine mystique,” 3, 42; as superwoman, 24–25; workplace and, 90–95. See also Controlling images; Strength Subjectivity, 8–11; strength and, 36–42. See also Discourse; Voice Taylor, Susan, 61–63 Thompson, Becky, 49–51 Ventriloquation, 9, 76. See also Voice Virtuous exceptionality, 17–18...