The bicultural life experience of career-oriented black women

Abstract

This study explores the bicultural life experience of black career-oriented women. Seventy-one women participated in a larger study on the life experiences of black women. Of this sample, 21 (29 per cent) of the women were identified as being career-oriented. Findings reveal that the women perceive themselves as living in two distinct cultural contexts, one black the other one white. The women compartmentalize the various components of their lives in order to manage the bicultural dimensions. In addition, they tend to have highly complex life structures to embrace both cultural contexts.