| Being seen and heard in the society and being recognized as equal to men as individual persons was one of the major goals of women. However, there does not appear to be equity, even among the women, in who was being seen and heard (Reinharz & Chase, 2002). One group that has seemingly remained on the margins, being neither visible nor audible, is African American women who are married to a pastor. This group of women is the group that is the focus of this study. In an effort to gain further insights into the lives of these specific women, the researcher discovered that there was a lack of presence of this particular group of women in the scholarly literature. Therefore, a phenomenological study of this group was undertaken to help lessen the gap.;A purposive sample of 20 African American women who were married to a Protestant pastor was interviewed over a period of nine months. These women were from across the United States, from rural, urban, and suburban neighborhoods; from large and small congregations. The age of the women ranged from 35 to 70. The findings revealed that these women viewed their role in terms of a "calling" or life purpose determined and guided by God. Although stress was generated by the unrealistic expectations placed upon them from both internal and external sources, the women remained strong in their religious faith, and confident in their function as a mother and a wife. Most of all, they expressed a desire to be considered as a distinct, individual person. The one lament that was common among the women in this study was a noticeable lack of a close female friend or confidante with whom to share life experiences and receive support and affirmation. The women gave this aspect greater significance than was evidenced in similar previous studies. |
