mark on America’s ideology, including as
it relates to marriage and family.
As we examine the strengths of the
American family, as well as the challenges,
we will focus on the four most prevalent
minority groups in America: African-
Americans, Hispanic-Americans,
Asian-Americans, and Native-Americans.African-American FamiliesAfrican-American families constitute a
distinct cultural group; however, there is
tremendous diversity within and between
African-American families. The great
diversity in values, characteristics, and
lifestyles can be attributed to geographical
origins (the country of ancestry),
educational achievement, socioeconomic
status, religious background, and the level
of acculturation (Boyd-Franklin, 2003).There are many challenges of racism
and prejudice facing African-American
families. Some of the stereotypes
associated with African-Americans
continue to haunt them: low income, high
crime, low intelligence, promiscuous
behavior. These false stereotypes are so
deeply ingrained and so damaging they
can become self-fulfilling prophecies—if
the family does not overrule this tendency
(Olson & DeFrain, 2006). In truth,
African-American families are very strong.
Extended family members especially
become involved in children’s lives and
push them to achieve.
Strengths.Cultural resiliency theorists
focus on the positive aspects of black family
organization and have identified the
following strengths of African-American
families (Boyd-Franklin, 2003; Collins,
2000; Medora, 2005; Musick, Wilson, &
Bynum, 2000; Sarkisian & Gerstel, 2004):African-American families tend to have
strong religious roots, which sustained them
during their years of slavery (see chapter 2).
This has also enabled them to overcome
other challenges because they are able toCultural Variations in Marriage and FamilyAfrican-Americans often have strong
extended kin networks.© Getty Images
- Strong kinship bonds
- Extensive exchange of support
between kin and non-kin - Communal patterns of childcare
- Strong mother-child relationships
- Flexibility in family roles
- Strong religious orientation