An intersectional life-course perspective on Black women’s smoking trajectories
Attempting to address health disparities via a single analytical category (e.g., gender or race) overlooks the complex ways multiple social categories and institutions intersect to create health disparities. Grounded in the intersectional life-course perspective, this study examines how the lived ex...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2022-12-01
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| Series: | SSM: Qualitative Research in Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667321522001585 |
| _version_ | 1811178083466608640 |
|---|---|
| author | Juhee Woo |
| author_facet | Juhee Woo |
| author_sort | Juhee Woo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Attempting to address health disparities via a single analytical category (e.g., gender or race) overlooks the complex ways multiple social categories and institutions intersect to create health disparities. Grounded in the intersectional life-course perspective, this study examines how the lived experiences of gender, race, and class, and interlocking systems of oppression shape Black women's smoking trajectories. Black women exhibit a unique smoking trajectory compared to others: the onset of smoking occurs later but they have an increased likelihood of smoking over their life course. Nevertheless, despite this distinctive smoking trajectory and disproportionately higher smoking-related health issues among Black smokers, few qualitative studies investigate their smoking patterns. This qualitative research fills that gap by applying an intersectional life-course perspective and grounded theory. Drawing on 40 in-depth interviews with socioeconomically disadvantaged Black women who were current and former smokers, this study identifies the following smoking trajectories among the study participants: early onset of experimental smoking, intermittent smoking in adolescence, and daily smoking in young adulthood. Additionally, data indicates three life-course pathways through which the transition from intermittent to daily smoking occurs: (a) social norms surrounding smoking; (b) financial (in)dependence; and, (c) gendered, raced, and classed stressors. These pathways intertwine and can co-occur. Findings suggest considering diverse life-course patterns of smoking across the intersections of gender, race, class, and socio-geographical contexts in future research and policies. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T06:13:29Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d901ace05c73472bb6bc798ff69ab201 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2667-3215 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T06:13:29Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | SSM: Qualitative Research in Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-d901ace05c73472bb6bc798ff69ab2012022-12-22T04:41:09ZengElsevierSSM: Qualitative Research in Health2667-32152022-12-012100196An intersectional life-course perspective on Black women’s smoking trajectoriesJuhee Woo0Department of Sociology, Appalachian State University, ASU Box 32115, 209 Chapell Wilson Hall, 480 Howard Street, Boone, NC, 28608, USAAttempting to address health disparities via a single analytical category (e.g., gender or race) overlooks the complex ways multiple social categories and institutions intersect to create health disparities. Grounded in the intersectional life-course perspective, this study examines how the lived experiences of gender, race, and class, and interlocking systems of oppression shape Black women's smoking trajectories. Black women exhibit a unique smoking trajectory compared to others: the onset of smoking occurs later but they have an increased likelihood of smoking over their life course. Nevertheless, despite this distinctive smoking trajectory and disproportionately higher smoking-related health issues among Black smokers, few qualitative studies investigate their smoking patterns. This qualitative research fills that gap by applying an intersectional life-course perspective and grounded theory. Drawing on 40 in-depth interviews with socioeconomically disadvantaged Black women who were current and former smokers, this study identifies the following smoking trajectories among the study participants: early onset of experimental smoking, intermittent smoking in adolescence, and daily smoking in young adulthood. Additionally, data indicates three life-course pathways through which the transition from intermittent to daily smoking occurs: (a) social norms surrounding smoking; (b) financial (in)dependence; and, (c) gendered, raced, and classed stressors. These pathways intertwine and can co-occur. Findings suggest considering diverse life-course patterns of smoking across the intersections of gender, race, class, and socio-geographical contexts in future research and policies.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667321522001585Cigarette smokingSmoking trajectorySmoking transitionBlack womenLife-courseIntersectionality |
| spellingShingle | Juhee Woo An intersectional life-course perspective on Black women’s smoking trajectories SSM: Qualitative Research in Health Cigarette smoking Smoking trajectory Smoking transition Black women Life-course Intersectionality |
| title | An intersectional life-course perspective on Black women’s smoking trajectories |
| title_full | An intersectional life-course perspective on Black women’s smoking trajectories |
| title_fullStr | An intersectional life-course perspective on Black women’s smoking trajectories |
| title_full_unstemmed | An intersectional life-course perspective on Black women’s smoking trajectories |
| title_short | An intersectional life-course perspective on Black women’s smoking trajectories |
| title_sort | intersectional life course perspective on black women s smoking trajectories |
| topic | Cigarette smoking Smoking trajectory Smoking transition Black women Life-course Intersectionality |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667321522001585 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT juheewoo anintersectionallifecourseperspectiveonblackwomenssmokingtrajectories AT juheewoo intersectionallifecourseperspectiveonblackwomenssmokingtrajectories |