knowledge and wisdom of each tribe to the younger members of the family. This means
the elders are the keepers of oral tradition and tribal stories that are used to pass on
important values and beliefs from one generation to the next.African American
African Americans represent another co-culture in the United States that has a view
toward the elderly that differs slightly from the one held by the dominant culture, a
view that has been influenced by the history of this co-culture. That is,“The historical
past of many African-American families is uniquely different from all the other immi-
grant groups that have come to the United States. The American experience has
resulted in many of the strengths that havehelped families to cope with adversities.”^143
One of those historical strengths is mentioned by McCoy when she writes,“African
American elders became indispensible resources for their wisdom and guidance, and
were, in turn, recognized and given strength, empowered, and authenticated.”^144 Part
of this strength comes from the role of the grandmother, who is one of the most essential
figures in the African American family. It is estimated that at one time or another, about
seventeenpercentofAfricanAmericanchildren have lived in their grandmother’s
home.^145 In this role as caregiver for the young, the African American grandmother
often becomes both guardian and keeper of the family values.
During the course of this chapter, we have alluded to both obvious and subtle
changes to families throughout the world. It is not surprising that many of the
changes will influence how the elderly are perceived and treated. There are, of course,
numerous reasons for these changes. First, the population is getting older. Across the
globe, medical advances have produced a period in history where people are living longer.
Second, one of the end products of globalization is that more and more people are moving
away from their established communi-
ties. For example, Bryant and Lim offer
an example as it applies to China:
“Chinese culture is undergoing change
due to children living away from home
for employment.”^146 This reduces family
size and changes the family structure.
This change can be seen today, as
“nearly half of the country’s seniors live
apart from their children, a phenome-
non unheard of a generation ago.”^147
Japan represents another clear exam-
ple of the changes taking place within
many Asian countries as it applies to
traditional family dynamics. Although
the Japanese still embrace the view
that senior members of family should
be respected and honored, certain events
have altered that notion. Izuhara sum-
marizes the causes for those alterations:
“There are a number of common pres-
sures and processes confronting family
structures and resources. Social change,CONSIDER THIS
Recall as much as you can about your personal family history.
Record your answers to the following questions as they apply to
the conscious and unconscious learning that took place. It might
be interesting to compare your answers to those of someone of a
different culture.
a. In general, would your family be classified as formal or
informal?
b. What or who were the subjects of jokes?
c. What was the attitude toward the elderly?
d. Was conflict dealt with in a direct or indirect manner?
e. Who made the major decisions in your family? Mother?
Father? Both? Other family members?
f. If you had siblings of the opposite sex, did you notice differ-
ent child-rearing practices being followed? What were some
of those differences?
g. Was competition or cooperation stressed?
h. How did you learn about religious matters?
i. How were you rewarded?
j. How were you punished?96 CHAPTER 3•The Deep Structure of Culture: Lessons from the Family
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