Fostering hope among formerly incarcerated Black men

Hayes, Richmond E.

Permalink

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/125560 Copy

Description

Title

Fostering hope among formerly incarcerated Black men

Author(s)

Hayes, Richmond E.

Issue Date

2024-07-09

Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)

Neville, Helen A

Doctoral Committee Chair(s)

Neville, Helen A

Committee Member(s)

• Windsor, Liliane C.
• Lewis, Jarrett T.
• Kilgore, James W.

Department of Study

Educational Psychology

Discipline

Educational Psychology

Degree Granting Institution

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Degree Level

Dissertation

Keyword(s)

• hope
• radical hope
• hope-fostering strategies
• Black men
• reentry

Abstract

The benefits of fostering hope are widely known. Informally in our hearts and formally in research, there is support for higher levels of hope and many positive psychological outcomes. Still, empirical research has lacked breadth and magnitude as it relates to exploring the personal lived experiences of Black folks, including formerly incarcerated Black men and their sense of collective hope. With this dissertation, I sought to address a gap in the literature. I specifically examined the hope-fostering strategies of 12 formerly incarcerated Black men in their returns to the community after release from prison and jail. I identified seven main themes from individual one-on-one interviews, using standard thematic analysis steps. Three main themes were comparable to elements identified in Mosley and colleagues’ (2019) psychological framework of radical hope: Creating Meaning and Purpose, Drawing Strength/ Inspiration from the Past, and Strengthening Faith/ Spirituality. The consistency of the present study’s findings with Mosley and colleagues (2019) and Herth (1990) suggest that there are fundamental hope-fostering strategies, and the differences indicate that there is the potential for hope-fostering strategies specific to formerly incarcerated Black men (Shifting Perspective/ Developing Positive Outlook, Engaging Healing/ Growth Strategies, Building Community/ Sustaining Support Network, and Maximizing Impact through Advocacy and Action). Implications for research, practice, and community interventions with formerly incarcerated Black men are discussed.

Graduation Semester

2024-08

Type of Resource

Thesis

Handle URL

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/125560

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2024 Richmond E. Hayes

Owning Collections