Dissertation Overview

An Exploration of the Lived Experiences of African American Women Facing Loneliness

Loneliness is a common experience in the general population, especially in adolescence and later in life (Qualter et al., 2015; Dell, Pelham, & Murphy, 2019). According to the Harvard Law Bill of Health, loneliness in the United States has been deemed an epidemic affecting many Americans (Harvard.edu, 2016). The health risks posed by loneliness are several and can be severe. Loneliness and social isolation have been identified as significant public health concerns, however, improving relationships and increasing social participation may improve health outcomes and quality of life (Band et al., 2019). According to the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), loneliness and social isolation can be as damaging to health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, researchers warned in a recent webcast, and the problem is particularly acute among seniors, especially during holidays (HRSA, 2020). After exhaustive research of the phenomenon of loneliness, it was revealed that there was limited research that documented the lived experiences of African American women facing loneliness. 

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The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study is to explore the lived experiences of African American women who self-report as experiencing loneliness. To address the gap in the research, for this study, the approach I will use is Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). 

The aim of interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) is to explore in

detail how participants are making sense of their personal and social world, and the main currency for an IPA study is the meanings particular experiences, events, states hold for participants (Smith and Osborn, 2006).

Thus, I will conduct 60-minute semi-structured interviews to develop an understanding of the participants ’ lived experiences concerning the phenomenon of loneliness. In accordance with the Center for Disease Control (CDC) COVID-19 Guidelines, all interviews will be conducted via Zoom and or telephone.

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I will use Black Feminist Thought as a theoretical framework to discuss the data gathered from this study. Black Feminist Thought originally pinned by Patricia Hill Collins, is a collective body of evidence-based knowledge that serves a singular purpose in fostering Black Women's empowerment. Further, it addresses the importance of incorporating culture in understanding Black women.