Date
5-16-2024
Department
School of Behavioral Sciences
Degree
Doctor of Education in Community Care and Counseling (EdD)
Chair
Tracy N. Baker
Keywords
mutual submission, submission in marriage, Black women, divorced Black women
Disciplines
Counseling
Recommended Citation
Ravenel, Montreal D., "An Exploration of Divorced Professional Black Women (PBW) Perspectives of Mutual Submission in Marriage" (2024). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 5542.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/5542
Abstract
The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to examine the viewpoints of divorced Professional Black Women (PBW) on reciprocal submission in marriage. The theories that guided this study were social exchange theory, womanist theory, and equity theory. The central research question for this study was, what is the lived experience of mutual submission in the marriage of divorced professional women? In certain instances, traditional submission behaviors have been perceived as reticence, servitude, inferiority, debasement, and a show of weakness. In addition, biblical submission is recognized as subjective to the reader or practitioner. Because submission has a long history and is profoundly ingrained in our patriarchal culture, there have been few conversations and studies on reciprocal submission. The sample size for this study was 10 divorced Professional Black Women. Data was collected using open-ended semi-structured interview questions and analyzed using Moustakas (1994) transcendental phenomenology. The findings of this study described the common experience of mutual submission experiences in marriage of divorced professional Black women. Four themes emerged from the analysis of the data: (a) disparity in embracing the idea of equality in marriage, (b) negative experiences due to spiritual incompatibility, (c) cultural expectations and family of origin influences, and (d) gender roles and the divergence from marital expectations. The study is significant to marriage and family therapists and counselors, mental health professionals, and spiritual leaders as it informs and educate individuals who seek marriage or married couples on the benefits and advantages of mutual submission in marriage. Also, this study contributes to the gap in the literature on the practices of mutual submission in marriage.
