223935 Brotherhood : A describable social phenomenon impacting the wellness behaviors of African American men

Tuesday, November 9, 2010 : 10:30 AM - 10:45 AM

Stuart W. Grande, MPA, PHD (c) , Applied Health, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN
Mary Shaw, PhD , Center for the Study of Health Disparities, Texas A&M University, College Station, IN
Abstract: Why do African American men appear by all measures to have significantly disproportionate poor health experiences and outcomes than any other male ethnic or racial group? While the literature seems to pathologize the African -American male, researchers and practitioners should seek to understand their attitudes and behaviors within a socio-cultural context. Attitudes and behaviors that are often misdiagnosed as abnormal, if properly diagnosed within its cultural context is really a healthy adaptation to an abnormal situation. Understanding begins with meaningful dialogues about help seeking attitudes, experiences with the health care system, and relationship dynamics central to health and well being. The investigation explored sociocultural and behavioral characteristics related to wellness within an understudied social phenomenon called brotherhood. Franklin (2004) asserts that brotherhood has a measurable and describable impact upon the health of black men. Method: Ethnographic research utilizing 20 semi-structured interviews with African-American men, 18-35 years old, from two HBCUs in southeastern Texas. Key findings: Brotherhood may moderate multiple dimensions of wellness ; Brotherhood appears to be both contemporaneously and historically influential on dimensions of wellness such as support systems, relationships, help seeking attitudes and behaviors, and use of health services. Brotherhood may function as a “barometer” to evaluate the socio-cultural and psychological climate in which African-American men must exist to work, play and grow 24/7. Acknowledgments: This work made possible with the generosity of the men interviewed for this project and the generous support of The Center for the Study of Health Disparities at Texas A&M University.

Learning Areas:
Assessment of individual and community needs for health education
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Public health or related education
Social and behavioral sciences
Systems thinking models (conceptual and theoretical models), applications related to public health

Learning Objectives:
1. Explain the concept of brotherhood as operationalized by young African-American males. 2. Demonstrate how ethnographic research methods are both efficacious and valuable for working with African American men. 3. Identify several characteristics of brotherhood that could serve as potential intervention points for future CBPR projects.

Keywords: Health Disparities, African American

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a doctoral candidate in Health Behavior.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.