When academia imitates life: The mother of three of Nick Cannon’s children does her dissertation
- Staff
- 9 minutes ago
- 4 min read
Our takeaways from Brittany Bell’s “Black fathering and the experiences of the adult child with multiple siblings from different women”
Just in time for Father’s Day: Mother of three (out of 12, at last count) of Nick Cannon’s children, Brittany Bell, just completed her Ph.D. in psychology. Her very self-aware subject? Experiences of children who have siblings from multiple mothers. We got our hands on a copy of her dissertation. Here are a few of our teams’ hot takes on Bell’s work.
Number of pages: 243
References to “God”: 4 References to her children “Golden, Powerful and Rise”: 2 References to “Nick”: 0
It’s well researched!
Lighthouse public scholar Dr. Charity Clay says, “The literature review covers so many important factors that frame the decision of Black men to have children with multiple women, so for folks wanting to go into that literature, she does include some great sources.” Clay continues, “I know she may get some backlash on socials, but I do believe that it is important work she’s offering.”
The work should serve as a tool for professionals
The "phenomenon," of men fathering children with multiple women is clearly nothing new to most of us. However, Bell describes her audience as policy makers and clinicians and hopes her work will inform their work.
For example, Bell cites research that shows:
“Fathers of multiples, defined in this study as fathers with children from three or more different women (Guzzo & Furstenberg, 2007), disproportionately experience higher incarceration rates (67.4%) and lower income levels.”
She explores "non-traditional" family structures
Bell cites studies that show children who grow up in non-traditional family structures are likely to have more psychological issues than those from "two-parent households.”
Most work on this topic focuses on parents. Bell interviews adult sons
In this research, Bell studies 12–15 adult males with siblings of different mothers who reflect on their childhood experiences.
Approximately 25 years ago, researchers and scholars started paying attention to the growing number of men (and women) with what they call "multiple partner fertility." At the time, they interviewed the parents about their decisions. Since children of that wave of scholarship are now adults, they can also give interviews and reflect on how they experienced childhood of multiple partner fertility parents. Clay says, “As a scholar, I appreciate this follow up because research is difficult with participants under 18. But now there is a new generation that can offer insight into their experiences that adds to our understanding.”
The work is also distinct in that it focuses on fathers, not mothers
Bell studies siblings with the same father, which allows them to speak about how they experienced different fathering from the same man. Many studies in this area focus on siblings with the same mother.
Key findings reveal a lot of downside to fathering this way
Findings revealed key themes including:
inconsistent presence
emotional detachment
(perceived) favoritism among siblings
Many adult sons described intentionally attempting to father their own children identities in contrast to their fathers.
She acknowledges her personal ties to the topic and her potential for bias
Bell writes, “I acknowledged that my identity and experiences could have had potential to introduce biases or assumptions into the research. I mitigated this risk through engaged, ongoing discussions with my dissertation chair to remain self-aware and reduce potential bias. My dual role as an insider, with empathy and personal connections to the topic, and as an outsider, with curiosity from a different familial experience, necessitated careful monitoring of my neutrality.”
However, she doesn’t explore women who chose men who have fathered children with multiple women. ... Surprise?
Dr. Clay says, “I understand that this is a dissertation is on Black men's fatherhood, but I wish there were a bit more included about women's decisions to have children with Black men who already have children with. Missing from the research is an area for someone else to provide. I also understand from a positionality standpoint why she may not have included that information. I applaud her from taking her own experience and framing it as research.”
Read the abstract: If you don’t want to wade through the entire thing, here is the abstract that summarizes what the work is about:
The problem addressed in this study was the increase in men fathering multiple children with different women, resulting in a shift from traditional family structures that may impact adult children through intergenerational patterns of fatherhood. This phenomenological study aimed to investigate the lived experiences of adult males fathered by Black men who did not reside in the home and who fathered multiple children with different women. A qualitative research method with a phenomenological design was used to guide data collection and analysis. Data were collected using virtual interviews via Zoom with a sample of 12–15 adult males who share the same father but have different mothers. The target population was restricted to individuals who identify as Black. Findings revealed key themes including inconsistent paternal presence, emotional detachment, perceived favoritism among siblings, and the development of oppositional fathering, in which participants described intentionally constructing their own fathering identities in contrast to their fathers. These findings offer valuable implications for clinicians, policymakers, and researchers working with families across diverse and nontraditional family structures. Increased awareness may serve as a foundation for developing informed, people-centered social policies and interventions that address critical issues such as paternal involvement, child welfare services, and family counseling.