Classism and Gendered Racism as Stressors for African American Women

Abstract

Social class is frequently used as a tool to disregard the effects of racism, attributing racial inequalities to social class differences. These attributions are embedded in color-blind and meritocratic beliefs that dismiss the pervasiveness of racism. Our study addresses this issue by investigating the intersection between classism and gendered racism, and how these two co-constructed systems have an effect on the mental health of African American women (N = 206). A multivariate multiple regression (MVMR) was performed to examine the effects of classism, gendered racism, and their interaction on psychological outcomes. The interaction of classism and gendered racism was significantly associated to all outcome variables, beyond classism or gendered racism individually. Our findings underscore the importance of adopting a strong intersectional approach to research and measurement, and future research should address African American women’s unique experiences of classist gendered racism.