Exploring the career development of African American women with a history of intimate partner violence: A phenomenological study

The purpose of this study was to advance theory, practice and research on the career development process for survivors of IPV, particularly as it pertains to the work and career development experiences for African American women. A qualitative perspective was critical because collecting and understanding participant\u27s perceptions, values, attitudes, and cultural and social reality were paramount. Therefore, this study described and analyzed the lived career development experiences of African American women survivors of IPV. This was accomplished by integrating both Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT), a well-accepted model from the career literature, and Africana Womanism Theory; a paradigm grounded in the cultural essence of Black life. Consequently, this study employed a qualitative design, specifically, a phenomenological approach. This design was selected in order to capture the essence of how African American women survivors of IPV perceive, process, and experience career development