Date

6-17-2026

Department

School of Behavioral Sciences

Degree

Doctor of Education in Community Care and Counseling (EdD)

Chair

Sarah Walsh

Keywords

miscarriage, African American fathers, socioecological, Edmund Husserl, Schlossberg, transition theory

Disciplines

Counseling | Education

Abstract

The purpose of this descriptive phenomenological study was to describe the lived experience of African American men who have endured the loss of a child through miscarriage. Schlossberg’s transition theory, developed in 1981, was used to identify how men work through their grief by focusing on how they enter into, move through, and move out of the transition. By centering the descriptions on lived experiences, semi-structured interviews were utilized with African American men from a North Texas church, which boasts a predominantly African American population, and by word of mouth. After completion of the interviews, the data were analyzed according to the descriptive phenomenological research and represented through the participants’ personal experiences. The findings identified that these men maintained a guarded demeanor by suppressing their grief to protect their partners through topic avoidance and external distractions. This study added to the education and awareness gained by families, communities, and medical professionals who assist those in need of support during a major, psychologically stressful life change. It is recommended that future research be conducted on how support from family, friends, and spiritual and religious affiliations contributes to the African American men’s healing processes after losing a child to miscarriage.

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