Chapter 5: Kinship & Family
What impacts family structure?
-One's culture; how large your family is, who lives in the same house -Minority individuals live with much more extended family kinships -Western/white cultures have nuclear families, but hispanic, native americans, indian, the family dynamics grow within the home, -Immigration/Opportunities -Parent presence; whether your parents are available to be there & play the custodial role
What are the outcomes of parental discipline?
-Physical discpiline is not correlated with externalizing problem behaviors in AA, but it is for white kids -Verbal abuse is correlated with more problem behaviors for AA kids.
What are the consequences of transracial adoption?
-Racism is a central in their lives, but in lives of white adoptive parents. -white parents may not socialize their kids to have a strong ethnic identity necessary to counteract racism. -White is good and right rather than that white does not have to be the norm. -AA tend to adjust well for the most part; other studies show that they have problems with racial & ethnic identity. -acting white associated with suburban culture and acting black with urban poverty -those with two black parents developed a broader image of blackness than youth in biracial & transracial homes.
What are the five strengths of African American families?
-Strong achievement orientation -Strong work orientation -Flexible family roles -Strong kinship bonds -Strong religious orientation -social networks, high level of religoisty & spirtuality, extended family & fictive kin. -the family is the most important system. Primary source of social support & care of AA elderly.
What is the extended family vs. immediate family?
-*Extended family*:a network of functionally related individuals who reside in different households -anybody who resides outside of your household -*Immediate family*: individuals who reside in the same household, regardless of the number of generations within that household -Does not matter if it is your cousin
What is informal kinship care? What is formal?
-*Informal*: most children, caregiver takes on primary care for the child outside of the child welfare system. Your grandparent taking care of you. -*Formal*: under the supervision of child welfare agency. Legal guardianship (a relative is appointed by the court to take on legal rights. More contact with biological parents. -Foster Care & adoption
What are the three methods used for racial socialization?
-1) they must participate in American Society -parents teach their kids important life skills, including personal qualities (confidence, respect, achievement, etc). 2) Teach their kid about being an ethnic minority & to prepare them from an oppressive environment -parents prepare kids for what may be an unsupportive world by building their self-confidence & helping them learn to cope with prejudice & discrimination. -the value of education & injustice that may occur because of their skin color.
What is the AA gay, lesbian parenting facts?
-19% of same-sex couple households include children under the age of 18 -27% female couples and close to 11% male couples. -parenting rates are higher for ethnic minorities: 34% of AA same-sex couples -Research shows children of same-sex couples are well-adjusted. Similar to heterosexual parents -APA was critized for not being diverse and being small. -Sparse research on AA same-sex families -potentailly because there is less acceptance of gay & lesbian relationships among AA.
What was the great migration?
-1916-1970, AA families left the south for the north -they were able to find some employment; developed businesses & were able to take care of families -they no longer had the same cultural practices they used to surivie in the South -New phenomens survived: children reared by mothers, welfare dependency, juvenile deliquency & drug addicition. -many programs did not consider factors that affected african americans. -Welfare enabled individuals to stay in lower class bc they had low wages & high level of unemployment for men. encourage fathers to be absent bc programs prohibited a male presence in the home.
What did lesbian vs. heterosexual couples say about transracial adoption?
-87% of lesbian couples vs. 55% of hetero both agreed -6% of lesbian vs. 19% of hetero both disagreed
What are aa moms more likely to endorse?
-AA moms value and stress autonomy more than white parents. -make more decisions for kids. -function independently, less likely to attend to minor distress signals from their kids -respond to kids negative emotions w/less explanation & encourgament and more control and admonishment -minimize emotional distress and punish them for outward displas -had poorer academic performance/less positive social skills if expressed negative emotions
How does parenting differ among whites and blacks?
-AA more likely to use authoritarian parenting & punitive methods, such as physical punishment and assertion of authority. -spanking is at least used sometimes by the majority of AA parents. -the use of more physical and authoritative discipline among AA parents has its orgin in slavery. Use it as a survival strategy. -Had to make kids subservient & compliant -Punishment during enslavment was swift harsh, violent, regardless of infraction -harsh discpline as a surivial strategy- to teach kids to avoid punihsment of slave holders.
What are the facts about the foster core & adoption type of Kinship care?
-African American children are overrepresented at every stage of the child welfare & protective service systems -abuse or neglect is twice for AA is more likely than white even tho research show comprable rates. -more likely to be removed & not returned. -parental rights terminated. more likely to be older & have behavioral problems. -therefore they are less attractive to potential adoptive parents. Whites more likely to be adopted. -Black kids are 3x more likely than whites to be placed. Stay longer.
What is Kinship care?
-African American kids are more likely than any other racial or ethnic group to live in kinship care -involves a relative caring for children who cannot remain in the home of their biological parent
What are the different types of parenting styles?
-Authoritarian: strict rules, little rationale, obedience & status orientation -Authoritative: rules & guidelines, provide more rationale, assertive but not intrusive & restrictive -Permissive: very few demands, rarely discipline, nurturing & communicative, but encourage self- regulation/avoid conflict (friend zone...) -Uninvolved: few demands, low responsiveness, little communication. -61% of AA moms endorsed physical discpline, but 2 out of 5 said it wasnt the best -Authoritarin in expectations(rules to be followed) -Authoriative in freedom(not restrictive, but still expect children to follow rules)
What was the AA family structure like?
-Increase all across ethnic groups in single-parent households: -for white women there has been a decrease in getting remarried -for blacks it is due to an increase in never getting married=less economic stability(less education + younger) -decline in two-parent households due to single or cohabitating (unmarried) parents.
What was the family structure for black families post-enslavement?
-Increased two-parent homes & married couples -most AA in the rural south lived in poverty & econmoic conditions, so many had to become sharecroppers. -gave a portion of their crop to landowners for rent -kids could not attend school bc they had to work -developed own businesses & farms to develop churches & banking systems
What are some reasons why AA are overrepresented in foster care?
-More SES needs -Racial bias may play a role -different services given to AA and other families of color by caseworkers that affect placement & resources given. -Incarcertation of parents majority are fathers.
How has the births to teen moms changed?
-Teen births across all ethnic groups have declined -the largest decline was with African American females -could be for birth control options, sex education -the birth rates was reduced for hispanic and african americans remain higher than for whites
How did the plantation crop affect family structure?
-Tobacco-planting regions=fewer slaves were needed, which led to families having different owners & living apart -husbands would visit their wives once or twice a week -Cotton plantation= many slaves, it was more common for families to live on the same plantation -mother-child relationship was primary to family life. Members helped raise kids of single moms. (fathers were separated) -other adult slaves would take care of kids left behind.
What are the nuclear or single-parent families
-Two biological parents or step-parent and then the children
What is a functional family?
-What purpose the family serves -Small kinships groups/structured group w/the key function of providing nurturance & socialization of the young
What is Transracial adoption & the effects it has?
-When someone of a different race(white couple) adopts a children of a different race (black) -it is a form of "cultural genocide" -socialization of black kids is best met within the AA home environment & the absence of this environment is likely to lead to detrimental social & psychological well-being. -experience racial identity & adjustment problems. -white parents may not be able to help African Americans develop the identity they need to live in a racist society. -social workers least likely to approve same sex and more likely to do single-parent.
What is augmented family?
-as a family group where extended families and or non-relatives live with and provide significant care to one or more children -the presence of additional adult care providers distinguishes the augmented family from nuclear and single-parent families -""taking a village to raise a kid" -different adults that are in the family & provide care for the kids
How did African americans family structure differ from one's in the United States?
-blacks family structure differed from the normative family structure within the United States -Normative family was based on middle-class european american family structure -the deterioration of the black family is responsible for the deteriroation of black society -the breakdown in family structure was associated with black poverty
What is the man-in-the-house-rule?
-denied payments to a child who qualified for welfare benefits if the child's mother was living with or having relations with an able-bodied man. -this rule was struck down in 1968
How has technology affected African american families?
-due to technology the family has become saturated and it has contributed to family turmoil and a sense of discontiunity & fragmentation -the home is no longer a refuge of harmony, understanding & peace -now it is violence and disputes between indivudals of different ages & both genders
What were some of the effects of enslavement?
-earlier ages of intercourse, childbearing, establishment of a household -there was an emphasis on increased econmoic production and placed an emphasis on human reproduction -enslaved women began parenting at earlier ages & had greater numbers of kids than their foremothers in Africa -lack of autonomy in child bearing & rearing -became illegal to import people from Africa, so would breed between slaves -marriages were santioned by the owners
How has slavery affected how aa discpline their kids?
-enslaved parents socalize their kids to behave in ways that were sometimes age incosistent in order to keep them alive -children accepted to assume adult responsiblites (no crying) -pattern of harsh & physical discipline contiuned as a mechanism for maintaing docility & compliance so that the child could surivie -use of physical punihsment can be purposeful, controlled, approrpriate and useful in protecting kids.
How did social welfare affect black families?
-families became dependent on welfare and handouts and did not achieve self-sufficency//they were deterimental to the well-being of African's -many of the traditions were functional in the urban north -africans needed to change their way of living or else they would not be able to progress
What are the poverty rates for those in single parent households//who has the lowest two-parent household?
-households with only one adult are more likely to be poor & to have fewer resources than household where there is more than one adult -black families have the lowest number of two parent households & the highest for single parent households. -Small portion of aa children live in single-father households/more econmoically advantaged than single-moms. & more support -aa more likely to live with a grandparent.
How do black dads father their children?
-important to assist their children in learning how to regulate and express emotions; sons verablize their emotions -challenging situations were only temporary; maintain a positive outlook -develop interest in sports and hobbies -Discipline; spanking, removing privileges, providing rewards for desired behavior -Monitoring activites.
What is fictive Kin?
-included as members of African American families -those members of the family who are not biologically related nor related through marriage but who feel as if they are family & function like family -Friends are incorporated into extended family network & are seen socially, emotionally as kin. -"play mother, father, cousin, aunt" -very prevalent in African culture whereby all members of a tribe or community is family
How did Slavery effect the black family?
-it created an unstable family unit that result in lasting damage to the african american family -biological family unit was not sacred, children were sold from their biological parents, & male & female partners were kept from legal unions -the economic structure of slavery forced separtion of male & female partners from each other & their children -lack of family stability continued after slavery as blacks began to migrate from south to north
What were black families like during enslavement?
-many families during the 1700s/1800s were two-parent households. -presence of nuclear families that resembled those of slave masters -Majority of blacks of all social classes were in nuclear families/they were stronger than we had thought -some slaves were able to make arrangements for their families (contracts to release children after so many years) -owners became aware of the economic benefits of having slaves marriage; more stable unions, reliable reproduction cycles
What is essential to blacks?
-marriage is essential to the development of kinship ties, and every adult man & woman is expected to marry & procreate. -it is a marriage between the families of each -marriage is only contracted after each family is satisifed regarding the worthiness of each of the marriage partners. -it is a union of families -a man marriage symbolizes respect & social status -unmarried are almost anomalies/more and more people are deciding not to get married -Marriage is obligatory
What are the marriage facts?
-marriage rates have declined for everyone. -Marriage rates among AA have declined significantly -in 1950: 64% of men, 62% of women were married(AA) -in 2016: 37.5% of AA men, 31.7% of AA women. -AA are more likely to be separated or divorced. They tend to take longer to divorce. -may be because separation among AA are not as likely to occur, so less motivation to divorce.
What is Cultural Socialization?
-messages & practices that teach kids about racial and ethnic heritage and provide them with a sense of ethnic pride -certain demographic factors influence it: -Gender: moms socialize their kids more than dads -Education: Parents with higher levels of education are more likely to socialize their kids than those with lower education
How does being in a rural area effect an indivudal?
-minority status & rural community associated with increased risk among kids and families -fewer employment opportunities, minimum wage jobs, poverty rates are higher, lower levels of education -racial segregation, less access to health care, social services, rec activites lead to stress & mental problems. -higher teen birth rates -use alc and cigs and drive after drinking
What is the effect of spanking on AA kids?
-more likely to internalize (withdrawal, depression, anxiety) and externalize (aggression, rule-breaking) behaviors among AA kids. -a negative impact of parental spanking on childs problem behaviors -
How does poverty correlate with single-mom?
-poverty among kids is highest among those in single-mother headed families. Much more likely to be poor -AA, whites, hispanic kids who live in married couples experience less poverty than those who live in single-parent households. -higher dropout rates, more risk of teen pregancy, junvenile deliquency, fewer resources, econmoic instability, poverty -poor conditions leads to parental stress, decreased well-being among kids. -moderated by support, employment, resources -invovlement in father
What is the multiethnic placement act?
-prohibits denial or delay of child's adoptive placement on the basis of race, color, or national orgin. -race matching policies considered discriminatory toward whites
How is Racial socialization benefical?
-serve as a protective role for African American children because it provides support & affirmation for being black in a racist world -linked to positive youth development & well-being, including higher competence, connection & confidence -more confidence in academic achievement, higher racial identity, higher self-esteem -provides coping mechanisms
What is the last method?
-socialize their kids within the black cultural experience -these parents socialize their kids to value and identify with what is African centered. -example/discussing important black history or family history
How does Hill define family?
-the black household related by blood or marriage or function that provides basic instrumental and expressive functions to its members -*Instrumental*: physical and material needs of the family such as clothing, shelter, & food -*Expressive*: take into account the emotional support & nurturance needs met by the family -family network can include biological as well as non-biologically related members
What is Racial Socialization?
-the process by which parents and families socialize African American children in how to function in this society -making children aware of their race and of themselves as black or african american as opposed to simply being American. -specific messages & behaviors that families provide children about being African Americans, including group and personal identity, intergroup interactions, their positions within social hierarchy.
What is a structural family definition?
-who the family consists of & what the family looks like -Adults of both sexes, at least two of whom have a sexual relationship, and 1+children (biological or adopted) of the sexually, cohabiting adults
