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John Henry and the Paradox of Manhood, Fatherhood and Health for African American Fathers

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Boys and Men in African American Families

Part of the book series: National Symposium on Family Issues ((NSFI,volume 7))

Abstract

In this chapter, we use the fable of John Henry to illustrate the complex relation between manhood, fatherhood, and health for African American fathers. We begin by summarizing the story of John Henry, the version in which he was a husband and a father. Next, we review literature that describes how men conceptualize and define health and how these notions are intertwined with notions of fatherhood. Then we explore other literature that highlights how socialization processes are shaped by the intersections of being African American, middle-aged, and male. We return to the fable and use the literature to conjecture why John Henry made the choice to sacrifice his health for his professional success. In sum, we highlight the inherent tensions and contradictions in promoting manhood and health for African American fathers and the challenges they face in trying to leave a legacy of health to their sons.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Research on Men’s Health and Center for Medicine, Health, and Society, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA

    Derek M. Griffith

  2. Center for Research on Men’s Health, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA

    Emily K. Cornish & Sydika A. McKissic

  3. Department of Public Health, Brown School of Social Work, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA

    Donnatesa A. L. Dean

Authors
  1. Derek M. Griffith
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  2. Emily K. Cornish
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  3. Sydika A. McKissic
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  4. Donnatesa A. L. Dean
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Correspondence to Derek M. Griffith .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Trinity College of Arts and Science, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA

    Linda M. Burton

  2. Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA

    Dorian Burton

  3. Social Science Research Institute, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA

    Susan M. McHale

  4. Department of Sociology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA

    Valarie King

  5. Department of Sociology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA

    Jennifer Van Hook

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Griffith, D.M., Cornish, E.K., McKissic, S.A., Dean, D.A.L. (2016). John Henry and the Paradox of Manhood, Fatherhood and Health for African American Fathers. In: M. Burton, L., Burton, D., M. McHale, S., King, V., Van Hook, J. (eds) Boys and Men in African American Families. National Symposium on Family Issues, vol 7. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-43847-4_13

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