Resilience in Low-Income, Employed, African American Women

This study focuses on resilience in poor women and asks the question: In the face of a lifetime of adversity, stress, and poverty, what are the factors that enable some poor women to lead positive and productive lives? Fifty low-income, urban, African American women were interviewed, and factors that contribute to their resilience were explored. Specifically, we examined the influence of supportive and problematic social ties, downward social comparison, and self-efficacy on resilience, as measured by scales designed to assess well-being. In addition, the participants' perceptions of factors that contribute to their resilience were elicited. The women in the sample were between the ages of 19 and 54, were employed at least 20 hours per week, and had at least one child below the age of 13 at home. Multiple regression analyses revealed that problematic social ties and downward social comparison together predicted over 48% of the variance in resilience.