Defining the word family can encompass many origins, perspectives, and purposes. In the last few decades, the American family has changed significantly. New combinations of family households are more common than ever: the increase in divorce and remarriage, adoption, foster parenting, single parenthood, kinship care, and same-sex relationships. However, the African American family seems to have not only maintained its stagnated structure, but its function as a unit is vanishing from society. According to Ghanaian scholar Gyekye, the role of the African American family refers to one that is centered upon communal values and includes not only the biological relatives, but those in the extended family and fictive kin. “Communal values are those
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One of the most critical of these influences is the era of slavery, which contained the original values of the African family, and introduced the seemingly permanent strain that was inflicted upon families during this time. “The West African family, viewed as a clan, is an essential model for the extended family structures and traditions found in contemporary African-American communities… families in Africa were tightly organized in extended family units, which by most historical accounts were social units that functioned effectively” (Barbarin, 2003). Marriages involved vows, not only between the man and woman, but also between the families. Mothers' brothers were given the same respect as a father and maternal cousins were regarded as siblings, which strongly correlates to today’s fictive kin and augmented families. Before and throughout slavery, the family was the principal foundation for social interaction, finances, and political organization, which explains how some qualities were retained during the slave …show more content…
“These differences are specifically marked by the timing of family formation and stability of marriages, the flexibility of its gender roles, patterns of paternal involvement in child care, the fluidity of household composition, and the cultural resources the family has available to cope with adversity” (Barbarin, 2003). A portion of modern African American families continue to combat the repercussions of the societal institutions created by the Caucasian majority. However, there have been numerous observations of complacency in Black communities due to the inadequate access to a quality lifestyle, the hypocrisy behind American meritocracy, and the absence of firm family foundations. “In 1960, before the liberalization of social policy, 74 percent of all African American families were maintained by a husband and wife, 22 percent we headed by women, and the remaining 4 percent were families maintained by African American males” (Jewell,
One of the most critical of these influences is the era of slavery, which contained the original values of the African family, and introduced the seemingly permanent strain that was inflicted upon families during this time. “The West African family, viewed as a clan, is an essential model for the extended family structures and traditions found in contemporary African-American communities… families in Africa were tightly organized in extended family units, which by most historical accounts were social units that functioned effectively” (Barbarin, 2003). Marriages involved vows, not only between the man and woman, but also between the families. Mothers' brothers were given the same respect as a father and maternal cousins were regarded as siblings, which strongly correlates to today’s fictive kin and augmented families. Before and throughout slavery, the family was the principal foundation for social interaction, finances, and political organization, which explains how some qualities were retained during the slave …show more content…
“These differences are specifically marked by the timing of family formation and stability of marriages, the flexibility of its gender roles, patterns of paternal involvement in child care, the fluidity of household composition, and the cultural resources the family has available to cope with adversity” (Barbarin, 2003). A portion of modern African American families continue to combat the repercussions of the societal institutions created by the Caucasian majority. However, there have been numerous observations of complacency in Black communities due to the inadequate access to a quality lifestyle, the hypocrisy behind American meritocracy, and the absence of firm family foundations. “In 1960, before the liberalization of social policy, 74 percent of all African American families were maintained by a husband and wife, 22 percent we headed by women, and the remaining 4 percent were families maintained by African American males” (Jewell,