Hair combing interactions: a new paradigm for research with African-American mothers.
The hair combing interaction is proposed as a naturalistic observational research paradigm, within the conceptual framework of attachment theory, for understanding the socioemotional domains of African-American mother-child relationships. A pilot study of 11 mother-daughter dyads explores the validity of the hair combing context for assessing strategies of racial and gender socialization of children, evolving mother-child relationships, and the formation of internal working models of attachment relationships. The model is discussed as a method for research into enduring qualities of the mother-child relationship.
Lewis
M L
ML
School of Social Work, Tulane University, New Orleans, USA. mlewis@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology*; D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006197:Hair; D006801:Humans; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D009769:Object Attachment; D012951:Socialization; D014741:Video Recording