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202379 https://hdl.handle.net/2286/R.2.N.202379 http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ All Rights Reserved 2025 2027-08-01T17:25:59 202 pages Doctoral Dissertation Academic theses en Burgess, Tanya LaShea Lightfoot, Elizabeth Wachter, Karin Guest, Aaron Arizona State University Partial requirement for: Ph.D., Arizona State University, 2025 Field of study: Social Work The goal of this study was to explore perceptions of social embeddedness throughout the formation, practice, and evaluation of care values and norms for twelve Black women caregivers living in Maricopa County, Arizona. The purpose of this study was to obtain information about the lived experiences of Black women caregivers’ social networks, relationships, and engagement with their communities, also known as social embeddedness since the lessons inherited by past and current struggles toward equality and inclusion within the dominant society has fostered a strong sense of resilience and solidarity, which is often reflected in the way Black women build communal care systems out of their social networks. This study utilized an exploratory qualitative method to explore the following research questions: (1) How do older Black women’s experiences of care and caregiving shape perceptions of their social embeddedness? (2) How do older Black women’s lived experiences of building trust in their community shape perceptions of social embeddedness? (3) How do older Black women’s experiences of intergenerational transmission of care and caregiving values shape perceptions of social embeddedness? The research measures utilized were observational memos, a demographic questionnaire, and a semi-structured interview guide. Significant meanings and themes were highlighted using Braun and Clarke’s Thematic Analysis. The findings from this study show evidence that Black women caregivers live with a cultural expectation to take on the role of a Community Caregiver Role, with Black women assuming care responsibilities for strangers, friends, extended family, and other Black women and children from childhood. The findings also suggest that the accumulated stress and mental fatigue from this role, sustained throughout their life course, create barriers to motivation for sustaining community engagement. Additionally, the findings suggest that understanding how stress accumulates and mental fatigue can hinder the formation of social networks, personal relationships, and community engagement is an integral part of how care values are passed down to future generations of Black women caregivers. The findings from this study may clarify the experiences of Black American women caregivers and provide a better understanding of the impact of care values on perceptions of social embeddedness. Social Work Gerontology African American Studies African American Women Black Women care values Community engagement Qualitative social embeddedness A Study in Generativity: Exploring Care Values in Aging Black Women