an essay on the creations of trauma bodies in the Black community written by dahms 4 Dr. Svetlana Komissarouk on May 7th, 2022
The pervasive nature of race-based trauma in Black families and communities is an ongoing issue that has significant psychological and physical implications. The article, "Vicious Trauma: Race, Bodies and the Confounding of Virtue Ethics," explores the various ways in which Black trauma affects individuals and the development of virtues. “Vicious Trauma” defines virtues in accordance with virtue ethics theory, which states that personality traits exist on a scale of excess and deficiency. Sought after “virtues” are defined as the middle ground between two extremes (i.e. rashness and cowardice, which exist as the extremes of a scale measuring fear and confidence). Notably, according to this theory of virtue ethics, a person’s position on this scale is not fixed. In “Vicious Trauma,” the authors argue that trauma cycles in the Black community disrupt the cultivation of these traits and that the effects of race-based trauma are not only limited to an individual, but can have long-lasting effects on families and their communities (Lysaught et al., 2022). In this paper, I will explore the psychological mechanisms inhibiting the development of these virtues. I will also demonstrate how these inhibitions create a lasting “trauma body” that exists throughout the Black community and is perpetuated through individual personality. To provide a comprehensive understanding of these phenomena, I will draw upon the following theories of human personality: The first is Bandura’s “Social cognitive theory,” the second is Horney's theorization of distrust between sexes, and the final is Maslow's work on human motivation. Using these theories as frameworks to better understand the effects of systemic Black trauma, I will provide insights into how these experiences can impact personality development, and the implications of these impacts for individuals, families and society at large.
Throughout this paper, I will discuss several important concepts related to personality traits and trauma; as such, I will begin my analysis by defining relevant terminology. “Trauma body” is the first of these terms, and was coined by contemporary philosopher Eckhart Tolle in reference to the effect of trauma on personality development and behavior. Tolle initially defined trauma bodies as the physical and emotional residue left behind by past traumatic experiences (Tolle 2005). These trauma bodies can manifest within the individual, who may experience physical pain, maladaptive behavior, and difficulties with emotional regulation. They can also expand beyond the individual to leave lasting impacts on cultural norms.
This paper primarily focuses on the effect of racial trauma on the development of personality traits among Black Americans. “Vicious Trauma” characterizes racial trauma as the ongoing experience of racism and discrimination, which can result in psychological harm (Lysaught et al., 2022). My paper connects the Black experience of systemic racism to the development of these trauma bodies, which affects personality development. An understanding of these concepts provides us with the opportunity to recognize the impact of systemic trauma on individuals and communities, which promotes the development of effective interventions to mitigate psychological issues rooted in this trauma.
I will begin my comparative analysis by studying Albert Bandura's social cognitive theory to analyze the impact of cyclical trauma on personality development in the Black community. According to Bandura, behavior is shaped by a continuous interplay between three factors: the person, the environment, and the behavior itself. The person's internal beliefs and attitudes can influence their behavior, which in turn can affect the environment they find themselves in. The environment can also have an impact on behavior and can reinforce or discourage certain beliefs and attitudes. As a result, these external factors can affect a person's internal beliefs and attitudes, completing the cycle of reciprocal determinism (Bandura 1978). In the context of Black trauma, Bandura's theory mirrors the inhibitions discussed in “Viscous Trauma” through the role of the environment and expression of behavior. Black Americans are often subjected to a hostile and oppressive environment, which can lead to the development of maladaptive behaviors. Perpetuations of this behavior can further reinforce the negative environment and beliefs of the self. These distorted beliefs about the self and negative experiences in the environment, pose significant challenges in the pursuit of desired traits (Lysaught et al. 2022). One example of how this cycle plays out in the Black community is the experience of police brutality. Black Americans are disproportionately targeted by police violence, which can lead to feelings of fear, anger, and mistrust towards law enforcement. (Iheme 2020). These feelings can then lead to an altered output of behavior that causes more negative interactions, ultimately making the environment between police and the Black community more hostile, continuing the cycle. This narrowed form of behavior and its repetitive reciprocal nature can be seen as evidence of a trauma body.
However, Bandura's theory also offers hope for breaking the cycle of reciprocal determinism. By recognizing the power of personal agency, Bandura suggests that disenfranchised people can work to change their attitudes and take action to improve their environment (Bandura 1978). This can include seeking therapy, building supportive communities, and engaging in activism to promote change. By engaging in these behaviors, Black Americans can positively influence each of the modulators of Bandura’s framework: the person, their behavior, and their environment. Lysaught’s article echoes Bandura’s sentiment and suggests that individuals within the Black community should take steps in order to shape their own behavior and (and, as a result, their environment) in a positive way. For example, by modeling virtuous behavior such as compassion, kindness, and generosity, members of the Black community can create a more supportive and nurturing environment for themselves and for others (Lysaught et al., 2022). As such, Bandura’s social cognitive theory provides a valuable framework for understanding the interplay between personality, environment, and behavior, an understanding that can be applied, through Lysaught’s work, to the context of Black trauma. Thus, according to “Vicious Trauma,” by augmenting the role of personal agency as a vehicle to positively disrupt cyclical Black trauma, Black communities can work towards the achievement of virtue.
I will now turn to an analysis of how racial trauma influences interpersonal relationship development within the Black community, the theory that I will rely on for this part of my analysis is Karen Horney's distrust between sexes theory. Horney's theory highlights the importance of feeling safe and secure in one's relationships and the impact that distrust can have on the development of personality, such as anxiety, defensiveness, and isolation (Horney 1967). The ongoing cycles of oppression and trauma experienced by Black families can erode trust and undermine the sense of safety and security necessary for healthy relationships. A prominent example of this phenomenon in the Black community is the legacy of slavery: As a result of the repeated destruction of Black family structures at the hands of the American slave trade, it became near-impossible for Black families to retain a nuclear structure. This disruption of family structure remains prominent in the Black community today, and explains why the Black family structure remains tenuous (UKRC 2021). Furthermore, according to “Vicious Trauma,” the experience of racism can lead to feelings of anger, frustration, and despair, which can also undermine trust and lead to a lack of communication and emotional distance within families (Lysaught et al. 2022).
Returning to Horney's theory, the intergenerational trauma resulting from the legacy of slavery, and perpetuated by systemic racism, creates distrust within the Black family, resulting in increased anxiety, excessive mistrust of others, and a tendency towards self-sufficiency (Horney 1967). This lack of intra-community trust inhibits the development of reciprocal trust within the Black community as a whole, which further complicates the cultivation of trust-based virtues (Lysaught et al. 2022). By analyzing Horney’s distrust between sexes theory in conjunction with “Vicious Trauma,” it becomes possible to explicate the link between Black trauma bodies and intra-community distrust, which perpetuates the inhibition of virtue development.
The final theory that I will apply to my analysis of Black trauma bodies is Maslow's hierarchy of needs, which binds the unfulfillment of a need to a corresponding negative psychological response; this framework can be applied directly to the Black experience. Maslow’s theory posits that humans have a hierarchy of needs that must be met in order to achieve self-actualization, which is the greatest need. The five basic needs in the hierarchy are physiological, safety, love/belonging, esteem, and self-actualization. Maslow argued that if any of these needs are not met, individuals may experience frustration, difficulty fulfilling other needs, or other forms of psychological distress (Maslow 1943). According to “Vicious Trauma” a common experience of Black trauma is the threat of basic needs. This ultimately leads to a significant impact on their psychological expression and emotional well-being. At the physiological level, trauma can also impact the ability to fill basic needs such as food, water, and shelter (Lysaught et al 2022). Additionally, poverty rates among Black families are often high, making it difficult to afford basic necessities. According to Maslow’s theory, these factors may lead to food insecurity, malnutrition, and other issues that ultimately affect individuals' psychological growth.
The safety need is often directly related to the satiation of physiological needs, but it also relates to a sense of emotional security. The experience of racial trauma can severely impact individuals' sense of safety through lack of resources, distrust in community and violent experiences. In many cases, Black Americans may not feel safe in their own communities, leading to heightened anxiety and fear (Lysaught et al., 2022). This can lead to hypervigilance and a constant state of alertness, which can have long-term psychological effects and produce specific types of response behaviors.
The need for love and belonging can also be impacted by experiences of Black racial trauma. Experiences of discrimination and marginalization can lead to feelings of isolation and disconnection from others. This can ultimately impact relationships and prevent individuals from experiencing the social support and connections necessary for emotional and psychological well-being (Coard 2022). This also relates directly to the need for esteem, which refers to a sense of self-worth and accomplishment. Trauma can negatively impact individuals' self-esteem and self-efficacy. For example, Black individuals may experience microaggressions or discrimination in academic or professional settings, which can lead to feelings of inadequacy or imposter syndrome. This can ultimately impact their ability to achieve their goals and contribute to their overall psychological distress (Burrell et al., 2021).
Finally, the ultimate need for self-actualization is greatly distorted by racial trauma in the Black community. This begins at the individual level and persists to the community level. Black Americans may experience limited opportunities for education or employment due to systemic racism and discrimination, preventing them from reaching their full potential (Burrell et al., 2021). These limited individual opportunities also lead to less opportunities for ownership and resources within the community. In addition to environmental issues, the distorted image of self actualization is another issue that harms the Black community. Extreme value of money and material objects are common in populations that experience poverty (Seider 2019). These distortions also affect the ability for Black Americans to fulfill needs of self actualization to the fullest extent. Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory provides a framework for understanding how trauma can impact individuals' psychological development by threatening or unfulfilling basic needs. In the case of Black families experiencing trauma, these needs are often severely impacted, leading to significant psychological distress. The concept of a trauma body does not seem particularly evident based on Maslow's breakdown. However trauma itself still plays a direct role in each of the basic needs.
By examining the intersection of virtue ethics with Black American trauma, it becomes apparent that this ethical framework is not immune to confounding factors. In fact, Black American trauma can pose significant challenges to the application of virtue ethics, leading to psychological distress and trauma in individuals and communities. One of the key ways in which Black American trauma confounds virtue ethics is through the experience of reciprocal environments. These settings promote a type of behavior or dominant emotion that perpetuates a negative outcome. Over time, the accumulation of these experiences can erode a communities ability to form moral character traits that are essential to virtue ethics.
Additionally, Black American trauma can also impact the concept of personal responsibility that is central to virtue ethics. Individuals who have experienced trauma may struggle with feelings of guilt and shame, leading them to believe that they are responsible for their own suffering. This can create a cycle of self-blame and self-destructive behavior that is antithetical to the notion of personal excellence.
Moreover, trauma bodies can provide a lens through which we can understand the ways in which Black American trauma impacts both the mind and body. By acknowledging the physical impact of trauma, individuals can begin to address the ways in which their bodies may be holding onto past experiences. In conclusion, while virtue ethics has been a foundational framework in philosophical thought, it is important to recognize that Black American trauma can pose significant challenges to development of traits. By understanding the ways in which trauma can impact moral character, personal confidence, and behavior, we can begin to work towards a more holistic and representative measurement of personality traits. By incorporating psychological frameworks and trauma-informed practices into the practice of virtue ethics, we can also recognize the negative longitudinal effects confounding this practice over time.
References:
Bandura, A. (1978). The self-system in reciprocal determinism. American psychologist, 33(4), 344.
Burrell, M., White, A. M., Frerichs, L., Funchess, M., Cerulli, C., DiGiovanni, L., & Hassmiller Lich, K. (2021). Depicting "the system": How structural racism and disenfranchisement in the United States can cause dynamics in community violence among males in urban black communities. Social Science & Medicine, 272, 113469.
Coard, S. I. (2022). Race, discrimination, and racism as "growing points" for consideration: attachment theory and research with African American families. Attachment & Human Development, 24(3), 373.
Horney, K. (1967). The Distrust Between the Sexes. From Feminine Psychology (New York: Norton), 104-116.
Iheme, W. C. (2020). Systemic Racism, Police Brutality of Black People, and the Use of Violence in Quelling Peaceful Protests in America. Age of Human Rights Journal, 15.
Lysaught, M. T., & Mitchell, C. D. (2022). Vicious Trauma: Race, Bodies and the Confounding of Virtue Ethics. Journal of the Society of Christian Ethics, 42(1), 75–100.
Maslow, A. H. (1943). A theory of human motivation. Psychological review, 50(4), 370.
Seider, S. (2019). Black and Latinx adolescents’ developing beliefs about poverty and associations with their awareness of racism. Developmental Psychology, 55(3), 509.
Tolle, E. (2005). A new earth: Awakening to your life's purpose. Penguin.
University of Kentucky research center (2021) Gaines center's clark lectureship to explore impact symbols of slavery still have today. News Bites - Private Companies