Desistance, persistence, resilience and resistance: A qualitative exploration of how Black fathers with criminal records navigate employer discrimination
| Published date | 01 April 2022 |
| DOI | 10.1177/1462474520976964 |
| Date | 01 April 2022 |
| Author | Abigail Henson |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
Article
Desistance, persistence,
resilience and resistance:
A qualitative exploration
of how Black fathers with
criminal records navigate
employer discrimination
Abigail Henson
Arizona State University, USA
Abstract
While research suggests a growing proclivity amongst contemporary fathers towards
emotional involvement and child caregiving, studies indicate that most men still expe-
rience unrelenting pressure to provide financially for their family. For some fathers, the
ability to spend time with their children is contingent on financial provision. Fathering,
therefore, can be dependent on employment. The intersection of Blackness, maleness,
and a criminal record, however, often results in employer discrimination, which hinders
reentering Black men’s ability to secure legitimate revenue streams and achieve father-
ing expectations. In response to these barriers, many men agentically create oppor tu-
nities for themselves in order to provide for their families. Framed using Sites of
Resilience and Posttraumatic Growth, the current study draws from qualitative data
and adds to the literature by focusing on the act of hurdling rather than the hurdles
faced upon reentry. Findings demonstrate how hustling upon reentry is not a display of
persistent criminal character but, rather, reflects a resilient response to systemic racism
and blocked opportunities. The discussion on policy implications is led by participant
suggestions on how to deter criminal activity while providing opportunities for men
with criminal records to support their families.
Corresponding author:
Abigail Henson, School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Arizona State University, 411 N. Central Ave Ste.
600, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA.
Email: Abigail.henson@asu.edu
Punishment & Society
!The Author(s) 2020
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DOI: 10.1177/1462474520976964
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2022, Vol. 24(2) 262–283
Keywords
collateral consequences, desistance, posttraumatic growth, reentry, sites of resilience
As a result of societal change, such as the women’s empowerment movement,
deindustrialization, and the War on Drugs, there has been a recognizable shift
over the last several decades in the ways many men define fatherhood (LaRossa,
1995; Townsend, 2010). A breadth of literature on “contemporary fathering” has
highlighted how men of all races and ethnicities are moving away from conceptu-
alizing fathering as solely providing and are increasingly valuing expressive identity
roles such as nurturer and caregiver (Cabrera et al., 2000; Coltrane, 2004; Gerson,
2010; LaRossa, 1988; Livingston and McAdoo, 2007; McGill, 2014; Taylor et al.,
1990; Townsend, 2010). The same literature, however, has also highlighted that,
despite this shift, men still experience social and familial pressure to provide finan-
cially and fulfill the expected paternal identity role of “breadwinner” (Hammond
et al., 2011; McGill, 2014; Townsend, 2010).
Scholars note that role strain occurs when fathers must choose between going to
work in order to provide their children with financial security and spending time at
home in order to provide their children with quality time (Hammond et al., 2011;
Townsend, 2010). For some men, and particularly nonresidential fathers, the ability
to spend time with their children is contingent on provision of financial support to
the mother and child (Hammond et al., 2011). Not all fathers, however, have equal
opportunity to gain an income substantial enough to meet their family’s needs.
The long history of slavery and existence of white supremacy in America has
shaped contemporary societal perceptions of threat and criminality particularly at
the intersection of maleness and Blackness (Alexander, 2011; Muhammad, 2019;
Williams, 2019). As a result, research finds that Black men with criminal records
face persistent and disproportionate employer discrimination when compared to
their non-Black counterparts (Agan and Starr, 2016; Decker et al., 2015; Leasure
and Andersen, 2019; Pager, 2003; Uggen et al., 2014; Vuolo et al., 2017). Without
the ability to find legitimate revenue streams, it can be incredibly difficult for
returning Black men to achieve fathering expectations and ultimately gain access
to their children.
These findings exist within a growing body of research examining the impact of
a criminal record on various aspects of community life. As incarceration rates
begin to plateau, we have entered what scholars have coined the “era of mass
re-entry” (Chamberlain and Wallace, 2015). With 95% of the prison population
returning home, researchers have become increasingly interested in studying the
reintegration process. However, most of the research examining the collateral
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Henson
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