Multiple‐Lens Paradigm: Evaluating African American Girls and Their Development

Although the counseling literature has seen a proliferation of writings and research on multicultural counseling, there is limited discussion of normative development and resiliency strategies used by African American people and specifically taught to African American girls (Robinson & Ward, 1991; Winters, 2000). Historically, developmental research on women underscored gender as a key component for obtaining information about and understanding their development (L. M. Brown & Gilligan, 1992). Later, data provided from an emic perspective suggested that for a deeper understanding of normative developmental issues for children of color, race and ethnicity should be included in the analysis (Harris, Blue, & Griffith, 1995; Spencer, Brookins, & Allen, 1985). Current researchers have expanded these ideas with research positing that development for children of color is best understood using a multi-dimensional focus inclusive of gender, race, ethnicity, and social class (Constantine, 2002; Hanson & Johnson, 2000; Hill-Collins, 1990; Iglesias & Cormier, 2002). The purpose of this article is to provide a conceptual context useful for focusing on the missing information on development and resiliency of African American girls. It is a clarion call for additional research in the area of development investigating a relationship between gender, race, ethnicity, social class, and racial socialization practices specifically for female African American adolescents who tend to be disproportionately identified as "at risk" (Hill-Collins, 1990). In the article, we seek to apply multidimensional thinking to the appropriate assessment of African American girls that acknowledges the interaction between gender, race, ethnicity, and social class. Finally, in this article, we suggest that helping professionals, educators, and parents become advocates for African American girls by understanding the ways in which their evaluation of African American girls' behaviors, based on a comparison model, may in fact inhibit their ability to notice the girls' resiliency strategies and/or the girls' genuine cries for assistance. Specific recommendations useful to conceptualize developmental issues using a multiple-lens paradigm is discussed. Setting the Stage Historically, across academic disciplines, most of the empirical studies on African American adolescent girls reflected an emphasis on at-risk themes such as teen pregnancy, low academic achievement, self-esteem, violence, and substance use (J. F. Brown, 1993; Davis, 2002; Dixon, Schoonmaker, & Philliber, 2000; Jewell, 1993). However, the literature frequently neglected normative developmental concerns voiced by African American adolescent girls such as dating, friendships, identity development, sexual orientation, and physical appearance. Although counselors should be trained to address risky behaviors in African American girls, they should also be trained to recognize and assist these girls as they transition through various life stages. Because legal, educational, political, and social systems are informed by such social constructs as gender, race/ethnicity, and social class, counselor training must consider how African American girls' development is also affected by multiple variables. In addition, although studies of African American adolescent female development have included discussions and investigations on race and culture, the studies have focused almost exclusively on the attributes of economically and socially disadvantaged African American youth who are a subgroup of the African American adolescent female population (Stevens, 1997; Taylor, Gilligan, & Sullivan, 1995). The not-so-hidden message is that the behaviors and cognitions demonstrated in at-risk African American young women are descriptive of the developmental experiences of all African American adolescent girls. This theme mirrors the monolithic and pejorative perception of African American family life (e. …