“All Our Kin” is an ethnography written by Carol Stack discussing her experiences in The Flats, which allowed her to develop three theoretical perspectives to help her organize data based of that particular location. These perspectives are: how people are recruited to kin networks, the relationships between household composition and residence patterns, and the relation between reciprocity and poverty. Within these eight chapters, Stack compares and contrast cultural stereotypes amongst black culture and explains survival tactics that residents of, The Flats, must go through in order to make it through poverty. The purpose of kinship is defined by the community’s beliefs and principles that are analyzed by Stack incorporating herself and her
…show more content…
Stacks starts describing the setting of “ The Flats”, which is located in Chicago’s midwestern city of Jackson. For many years, people from the Southern states migrated to The Flats. This was a way for relatives and friends to stay in contact and also develop Kinship. Stack describes The Flats as an urbanized area due to the deteriorated streets containing broken glass that are scattered on multiple unpaved streets and lawns. The poor environment is a small factor that displays poverty. Health Care is another insufficient factor in The Flats that displays a sense of poverty. At this time racism was still effective, which caused white doctors to stray away from treating black patients to avoid offending white patients. A few people utilized the free clinic that were available due to the lack of communication that was disbursed within the community. Statistics shows that due to The Flat’s poor environment and lifestyle 9.1 percent of non-whites died from diseases of early infancy. Regardless of this distraught lifestyle and statistics, the residents of The Flats still prefer to live there compared to the south. Throughout the chapter, Stack discusses her observations of specific members of the community and certain rituals and practices they do within the community to overcome …show more content…
Insufficient wages and welfare checks are both incapable of providing necessities for a large family. Child keeping is an important aspect in The Flats. Teenage pregnancy is very common within the community. Young girls are not mentally nor emotionally capable of raising their child, therefore their kin must offer help and support when raising that child. Most young mothers don 't raise nor nurture their first born child. Throughout the development of the child, the child has to establish a relationship with his “mother” and “mama”. The “mama” is usually the woman who raises and nurture the child, while the woman who birth the child is usually the mother. Therefore all parental rights and duties belong to women and her kin. Fathers usually have a choice on whether they want to claim the child or not. If they decide not to , then the father’s kin has an obligation to raise the child. Mothers value the fathers being apart of the child’s life, but they do not rely on their help. Many women don’t claim their significant others to be apart of the household legally, due to the fact that it may affect the amount of welfare aid they receive. The common stereotype of a black fatherless home usually has to do with this
Stacks starts describing the setting of “ The Flats”, which is located in Chicago’s midwestern city of Jackson. For many years, people from the Southern states migrated to The Flats. This was a way for relatives and friends to stay in contact and also develop Kinship. Stack describes The Flats as an urbanized area due to the deteriorated streets containing broken glass that are scattered on multiple unpaved streets and lawns. The poor environment is a small factor that displays poverty. Health Care is another insufficient factor in The Flats that displays a sense of poverty. At this time racism was still effective, which caused white doctors to stray away from treating black patients to avoid offending white patients. A few people utilized the free clinic that were available due to the lack of communication that was disbursed within the community. Statistics shows that due to The Flat’s poor environment and lifestyle 9.1 percent of non-whites died from diseases of early infancy. Regardless of this distraught lifestyle and statistics, the residents of The Flats still prefer to live there compared to the south. Throughout the chapter, Stack discusses her observations of specific members of the community and certain rituals and practices they do within the community to overcome …show more content…
Insufficient wages and welfare checks are both incapable of providing necessities for a large family. Child keeping is an important aspect in The Flats. Teenage pregnancy is very common within the community. Young girls are not mentally nor emotionally capable of raising their child, therefore their kin must offer help and support when raising that child. Most young mothers don 't raise nor nurture their first born child. Throughout the development of the child, the child has to establish a relationship with his “mother” and “mama”. The “mama” is usually the woman who raises and nurture the child, while the woman who birth the child is usually the mother. Therefore all parental rights and duties belong to women and her kin. Fathers usually have a choice on whether they want to claim the child or not. If they decide not to , then the father’s kin has an obligation to raise the child. Mothers value the fathers being apart of the child’s life, but they do not rely on their help. Many women don’t claim their significant others to be apart of the household legally, due to the fact that it may affect the amount of welfare aid they receive. The common stereotype of a black fatherless home usually has to do with this