User:Nlhounshell/sandbox

User:Nlhounshell/sandbox

Mamie Phipps Clark
Mamie Phipps came from a wealthy family in Arkansas. Her father was a doctor and her mother helped him with the practice as well as raised the family. Her siblings left home to become successful in their respective fields. Mamie was often privy to things because of her family’s stature in the community. The wealth of the Phipps’ family also aided in Mamie’s admission to Howard University; while at Howard she majored in mathematics with a minor in physics. However, during her time there she learned that her interest were more aligned with that of Kenneth Clark and eventually decided to switch to psychology. Mamie left Howard with a B.A. in psychology graduating magna cum laude. This switch would forever impact her life. Mamie left Howard University with a degree, a husband, and a new career path. She soon headed off to graduate school at Columbia University with her husband. Her dissertation was focused around African-American children. This would forever shape her research interests and contribution to the field of psychology. “Mamie was one of the first African-America women to earn a PhD. In psychology from Columbia University,”. While working on her PhD. Mamie expanded her research on self-esteem within the African-American community. After graduation, Mamie had trouble finding a steady job. Women were not taken seriously in the workforce at the time, especially African-American women. Despite her hardships she was determined to succeed in the field of psychology. Mamie along with her husband began to notice the lack of resources available to African-Americans. As they worked towards a solution they soon realized that if they wanted something done they would have to do it themselves. “The Clarks opened their own agency in 1946 called the Northside Center for Child Development,”. This center was opened in Harlem, Kenneth’s hometown. “The small clinic became a valuable resource as it provided psychological care for emotionally disturbed children, as well as educational support for the community,”. Although they both established it, Mamie was the executive director for many years.

Role Models
Mamie had few interactions within the field but the ones she did have greatly impacted her field of study. The first of these interactions was with her husband Kenneth Clark. Kenneth often heard Mamie talk about her frustrations with the math department and her worries about finding a job post-graduation in a very dominant White field. “Kenneth suggested that Mamie pursue psychology because it was a fascinating area that offered her employment possibilities and the chance to explore her interests in children,”. If Kenneth had not guided Mamie it is hard telling where she would have ended up. Another source of influence for Mamie was discovered with her work in an all-black nursery. While at this nursery she began to focus on self-esteem. This line of research was greatly encouraged by her collaboration with Ruth and Gene Harley. The Harleys were doing students about self-identification in young children at the time. Mamie took a lot of their concepts and began testing children in the nursery using a coloring and doll test. This work was used as Mamie’s master’s thesis “The Development of Consciousness of Self in Negro Pre-School Children,”. This research would later be used in court cases as a defense against segregation.

Contributions & Publications
Mamie had several publications and worked in a handful of settings throughout her career. Despite her vast array of experiences she was most known for her work with race and self-concept, particularly with children. You can find a summary of her work in nearly every psychology textbook or movie based around the Civil Rights era. Her most well known work is commonly referred to as “The Doll Experiment” however she published several studies prior to that particular study. One of the precursors to the doll experiment was “The Development of Consciousness of Self and the Emergence of Racial Identification in the Negro Preschool Children”. This publication was written in partnership with Kenneth B. Clark in 1939. The study itself was inspired but Mamie’s thesis work but the implications went far beyond a graduation requirement. The experiment was simple in design. The Clark’s tested 150 Negro children in segregated Washington, D.C., nursery schools with half of those being male. The age of the children ranged from three to five years of age. Each child was presented with one of three sets of drawings. Each set presented both white and colored children; the characteristics of the pictures were identical except the skin color. The children were then asked to identify which picture best represented them, their siblings, and so on. The results indicated that “it is clear cut from the results that a definite delimitation of the self on the party of these children occurs between the three- and four year age levels,”. This study demonstrated a level of self-awareness that was later used by the Clark’s in other studies as well as many others. Mamie’s early research led her to become ever more curious about the implications of societal trends in the lives of children. Just like many other studies Mamie teamed up with husband Kenneth to perform the infamous doll experiment. This experiment was to study the effects of school segregation on children therefore the Clarks’ looked at segregated schools in Washington, DC and integrated schools in New York. For this experiment, children were presented with two similar dolls, one white with yellow hair and a brown doll with black hair; each child was asked a series of questions asking their preference and thoughts. “The experiment showed a clear preference for the white doll among all children in the study. These findings exposed internalized racism in African-American children, self-hatred that was more acute among children attending segregated schools,”. This knowledge was used in many court cases, riots, speeches, etc. To this day this study is often quoted and replicated in some form.

Historical Context
Today Mamie’s work may not seem as monumental, but it is important to consider the time period in which she lived and worked. Mamie’s biggest contributions to the field of psychology were made in the early 1940s, a time in which much of the United States was in a deep depression with little tolerance for racial diversity. Many places in society were segregated or even off limits to colored people. Identifying as African-American presented Mamie with a big challenge as she attended school and began making a name for herself in the field of psychology. Along with her racial identity, another hurdle for Mamie was her gender. Women at the time were not very common in the work place, particularly in male dominated fields. Many women at the time were secretaries, nurses, etc. Throughout her educational career Mamie had to come to terms with the fact that she was one of few women in her classes. Although times were trying for her at the time, the success she had in the field lead to the breaking down of many barriers for women all of the United States.

Impact
As a psychology student I love reading about women in the field. I am fortunate today to be surrounded by several women in my classes, much unlike Mamie. Despite her struggles she was a great success and a huge inspiration to me. She refused to be bullied out of the field of psychology and strived every day for success. She did not take on topics that were mainstream nor did she change her interests due to outside interests. Many of my career goals and areas of interests are much like Mamie’s. If I were able to talk to Mamie I would ask about her source of dedication. It is clear that Mamie was very successful not only as a woman but as a woman of color. She set the standard for many of those to follow. While she made great strides it is clear that she also had many struggles. Due to this I would really like to know where she found her drive, what kept her going day in and day out. The drive that keeps people going is often an interest of mine. I think that you can tell a lot about a person based on what inspires them to succeed therefore knowing Mamie’s inspiration for success would allow me to connect with her on a deeper level. Based on what I have read, I am not sure what her response would be but I am sure it would involve her husband. Kenneth was a big part of Mamie’s career and personal life. He stood by her side through her ups and downs and often worked hand in hand with her. Kenneth also inspired Mamie to join the field of psychology to begin with. I truly think that without Kenneth, Mamie would not have been so prominent.