Sex and Stereotypes: The Black Superwoman’s Burden

As a young Black woman, it is common for me to be hypervigilant about the ways I am perceived by others, especially in my interpersonal romantic relationships. One stereotype that weighs heavily on my mind has been identified as a defining characteristic of Black womanhood, the Superwoman Schema (SWS). 

The Superwoman Schema (SWS) is a controlling stereotype that lauds Black women as invulnerable superhumans who must use their physical and emotional labor to support their community and the broader U.S. society. Resultingly, the SWS encourages Black women to support others at the expense of their own emotional needs and induces unreasonable pressures to succeed despite inadequate support and resources.

Over time, Black women may internalize this stereotype of superhuman strength as they cope with everyday experiences of racism and sexism that repeatedly devalue Black women's health and well-being. However, endorsement of the SWS has a painful price where Black women may avoid expressions of weakness and "bite their tongues" to hide their discomfort, pain, or need for help. Resultingly, the SWS is accompanied by a slew of stress-related behaviors such as disordered eating and sleep patterns, migraines, hair loss, and panic attacks.

When Roles Collide

As you might have noticed, though the SWS describes strength and resilience, this contrasts with typical gender roles of femininity. Specifically, mainstream U.S. culture has an insidious history of proliferating messages that a woman's worth is defined by her ability to please others sexually, and that women should monitor and/or silence their own sexual desires (see Character & Context, February 24, 2023). Though these ideals are becoming less common in the mainstream, these gender norms remain relevant to modern U.S. society and perpetuate a sexual double standard that women should be sexually available but not appear too sexually assertive.

Because Black women exist at the intersections of race and gender identity, our experiences are shaped by both racialized SWS stereotypes and traditional gendered stereotypes of femininity and deference. The consequences of these competing internalized stereotypes are especially salient in romantic relationships, where Black women may walk a delicate line of maintaining their SWS ideology and their femininity.

This begs the question: How do Black women navigate these opposing expectations in their romantic relationships?

SWS in Romantic Relationships

We queried 402 Black women from across the U.S. to understand the extent to which endorsement of the SWS contributes to Black women's reported sexual assertiveness and satisfaction. Sexual assertiveness is a key point of intervention in understanding women's sexual experiences and describes their ability to discuss their own sexual needs with their partners, which includes, but is not limited to, discussion of previous sexual history and safe sexual practices for STD prevention. Women with low sexual assertiveness can experience difficulties in communicating their sexual needs to increase their sexual satisfaction.

We found that greater endorsement of four SWS tenets—obligation to promote an image of strength, obligation to suppress emotions, obligation to help others, and obligation to hide expressions of vulnerability—shaped the impact of sexual assertiveness on sexual satisfaction. In a nutshell, greater SWS endorsement hindered the positive impacts of sexual assertiveness on sexual satisfaction.

Thus, Black women may navigate sexual interactions through the unique lens of the Superwoman Schema. It is possible that sexually assertive behaviors, such as open communication in times of discomfort, are in direct contrast to the tenets of SWS endorsement, where Black women are discouraged from expressions of vulnerability and weakness. It is possible that Black women with high SWS endorsement may be dissatisfied with their sexual experiences due to their perceived obligations to prioritize their partner's needs. Overall, it appears that the Superwoman Schema may hinder Black women from advocating for their sexual needs, and it is crucial to address how pressures to bear hardships without complaint may contribute to Black women's sexual experiences.

The SWS is just one stereotype that co-exists with the hypersexual Jezebel, the nurturing Mammy, and the aggressive Sapphire—all of which contribute to the dehumanization of Black women's behaviors, bodies, and emotions. These stereotypes are pervasive, and their harm overreaching. It is my hope that with this research, Black women and those who love them can uncover ways to lessen the burden of such ideologies.  

For Further Reading

Abrams, J. A., Hill, A., & Maxwell, M. (2019). Underneath the mask of the strong Black woman schema: Disentangling influences of strength and self-silencing on depressive symptoms among U.S. Black women. Sex Roles, 80(9), 517-526. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-018-0956-y

Manago, A. M., Ward, L. M., Lemm, K. M., Reed, L., & Seabrook, R. (2015). Facebook involvement, objectified body consciousness, body shame, and sexual assertiveness in college women and men. Sex Roles, 72(1), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-014-0441-1

Perkins, T. R., Aleibar, D., Leath, S., & Pittman, J. C. (2022). Black women's sexual assertiveness and satisfaction: The role of the Superwoman Schema. Journal of Black Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1177/00957984221147796

Woods-Giscombé, C. L., Allen, A. M., Black, A. R., Steed, T. C., Li, Y., & Lackey, C. (2019). The Giscombé Superwoman Schema questionnaire: Psychometric properties and associations with mental health and health behaviors in African American women. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 40(8), 672-681. https://doi.org/10.1080/01612840.2019.1584654

Tiani Perkins is a PhD candidate in Personality and Social Psychology at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. She studies how stereotypes and discrimination influence individuals' well-being.