Organizational Social Support and Parenting Challenges Among Mothers of Color: The Case of Mocha Moms

This study illustrates the parenting experiences of a random sample of members of Mocha Moms, Inc., a national organization dedicated to supporting women of color who predominantly have elected not to work full-time outside of the home (www.mochamoms.org). Using modified grounded theory methods on 25 telephone interviews, we summarized the benefits members reported receiving from participating in Mocha Moms, such as adult friendships and child-related information/activities. We also reported the parenting challenges they faced. We conclude that the Mocha Moms organization plays a pivotal role for mothers of color who negotiate numerous obstacles as they build lives for themselves and their children. Key Words: African American parenting, Mocha Moms, racial socialization, social support. I think the societal perspective of African American mothers [is] that we are all single mothers [and] unwed teenage mothers. . . . [But] a majority of the women that I met through Mocha Moms are all professionals. They had college degrees and so forth. And they chose to stay at home and they chose to have their children. . . . [W]ith that mix of women, you feel as if you have a sisterhood there. - Maria, age 38, mother of two There is little research on the benefits of formal mothers' organizations as they relate to offering maternal social support and the provision of parenting education resources, and this is especially true for those mothers' organizations designed to cater to the needs of ethnic minority women. Because of this dearth of research, questions remain as to what rewards mothers receive from participating in such groups and how these groups help them navigate their parenting challenges. In this qualitative study, we explored the issues of social support and parental socialization among a group of 25 college-educated African American mothers participating in an organized parenting group called Mocha Moms, Inc. Given that the population of this set of African Americans is growing (Atwelle, Lavin, Domina, & Levy, 2004), the need for research such as this becomes even more compelling because it can provide insight into parenting issues among educated African Americans living in affluent, predominately White communities. SOCIAL SUPPORT FROM MOTHERS' ORGANIZATIONS Within the United States, there is a range of mother-oriented groups designed for various purposes. Some groups focus on providing mothers in crisis - through either incarceration, domestic violence victimization, or homelessness - with additional skills to handle stresses, improve their parenting skills, and enhance their self-esteem (Gibson & Gutierrez, 1991; Kissman & Torres, 2004; Memmott & Young, 1 993). Other mothers' groups help parents better manage their children's disabilities or aid them in coping with a pregnancy loss or their children's death. In these difficult cases of disability and loss, researchers have found that maternal peer groups can decrease feelings of burden and foster the development of new interpersonal coping skills (Cote-Arsenault & Freije, 2004). Most relevant for the analysis presented here, still other groups help mothers adapt to roles in particular types of family units, such as those who become stepmothers or single mothers by choice (Bock, 2000; Christian, 2005). In 1997, Mocha Moms, an organization of local chapters and currently with 3,000 members, formed to provide education, support, and advocacy on behalf of mothers of color who have elected not to work full-time outside of the home. Historically, however, the majority of African American women - including mothers - have worked for pay in some capacity, and, until recently, at much higher levels than White women (England, Garcia-Beaulieu, & Ross, 2004; Giele, 2008). This higher level of labor force participation, of course, has its roots in early American political development, when African American women were forced to work as slaves in the South. …