THE AFRICAN

AMERICAN
CULTURE
by: group II
 OVERVIEW OF
THE CULTURE
HERITAGE OF THE AFRICAN AMERICANS
 Famous African-American Personalities
• Martin Luther King, Jr. was an
American Baptist minister and activities
who became the most visible
spokesperson.
 

• Muhammad Ali was an American

professional boxer, activist, and
philanthropist.
 Famous African-American Personalities

• Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American

professional golfer who is among the most • Barack Obama – this African American
successful golfers of all time, and one of the made history when he was pronounced as
most popular athletes of the 21st century. the first black American president.
 Michael Jordan is an American former
professional basketball player.

 Beyonce Giselle Knowles carter is an

American singer, song writer, performer,
and actress
  Most African American are
of West African and Central
African descent and are
COUNTRY descendants of enslaved blacks
OF ORIGIN within the boundaries of the
present United States. On average,
African Americans are of 78
percent West African, 19 percent
European and 3 percent Native
American heritage, with large
variation between individuals.
  Majority of African Americans Live in 10 States;
New York City and Chicago Are Cities With
Largest Black Populations
CURRENT
RESIDENCE  Of all the people who reported as Black in Census
2000, 54 percent lived in the South, 19 percent lived
in the Midwest, 18 percent lived in the Northeast and
10 percent lived in the West. (REGIONS)

 In each of 10 southern states -- Texas, Florida,

Georgia, North Carolina, Maryland, Louisiana,
Virginia, South Carolina, Alabama and Mississippi --
more than 1 million people reported as Black
 CURRENT RESIDENCE
EFFECTS OF


 Watts (2003) asserts that race is an

TOPOGRAPHY issue for African Americans, and
“the Black experience” in America is
markedly different from that of
other immigrants, specifically in
terms of the extended period of the
institution of slavery and the issue of skin colour
as a means for dehumanization of Black
persons.
COMMUNICATION
 DOMINANT
LANGUAGE
Although, the most
dominant language is

A L ON English. There is a way

R B T I of speaking among some
VE NICA African Americans that

M U sociolinguists refer to as
African American
O M
C English (AAE). These
terms include black
English, Ebonics,
Black Vernacular
English (BEV), and
African American
Vernacular English
(AAVE) ( Bland -
Stewart,2005). THEY TALK OFTEN
LOUD
 BODY *GESTURES
LANGUAGE o A firm

A L N handshake and
U R IO direct eye contact

U LT A T is the standard
C IC
N NS greeting.
U
M ER
M
CO PATT
o Many African-
Americans
become
uncomfortable
with a long
period of silence.

o Direct eye
contact is very
important.
  BODY
LANGUAGE

L
A ION
o African Americans .. It is a gesture of
R
U AT
consider “eye
contact” a challenge
greeting,
T
L IC
agreement or

U
C U N NS o Giving dap typically
solidarity
between two

M E R involves handshaking people that has

OM TT (often, by hooking become popular

C PA
thumbs), pound in Western
hugging, fist Cultures.
pounding, or chest- or
fist bumping.
 R A L
T U I O N  PERSONAL  TOUCHING

C U L C AT
U N I SPACE
 MOST AFRICAN
M R N S
CO M T E o Many African-
AMERICANS

PAT
TOUCH ON
Americans are GREETING BUT
outspoken, and ARE ANNOYED
friendly from the first IF TOUCH ON
moment of the HEAD
meeting.

o Personal touch and

shows of affection are
usually reserved for
close family and
friends
 A L N
U R I O
THEY ARE  THEY TEND TO

LT T MORE BE MORE

CU NICA RELAXED PRESENT THAN

PAST OR

M U RNS ABOUT TIME .

FUTURE

OM T E ORAL ORIENTED.
C PA T  IT IS MORE
IMPORTANT
MP
 TE ATIONS
H
REL IPS  ELDERS PLACE
FOR THEM GREATER
SHOW UP FOR EMPHASIS ON
AN PAST THAN ON
APPOINTMENT PRESENT,
THAN TO BE YOUNGER AND
ON TIME MIDDLE AGED
ARE PRESENT
ORIENTED WITH
EVIDENCE OF
BECOMING
MORE FUTURE
ORIENTED
 FORMAT FOR NAMES

A L N o They prefer to be greeted formally.

R TI O
U
T CA
U L I S o They prefer their surname because the family
C U N N name is highly respected.
M E R
M T T
CO PA
FAMILY ROLES
The Head of the
Household
The formation of African-American
households often originates not in marriage
but in the birth of a child. Fifty-six percent
of African-American children were born in
families in which the mother was not
married to the biological father. Of 8.4
million African-American households,
slightly less than half are presided over by
a married couple.
  About 4 million African-American children (36
percent) reside with both their parents. Not
The H
ea d o surprisingly, women head a majority of the
Hous f the
ehold families formed by unmarried parents.
Unfortunately, mothers living with their children
without ever having been married face
decreasing prospects of marriage. However,
such demographic data taken alone paint a
misleading portrait of African-American families.
  Men continue to play key roles in the African-
American family and contribute significantly to the

FATHERS effectiveness of family functioning. In African-

American families, men adopt more flexible gender
roles and take on a much broader array of household
duties and responsibility for the care of children than is
true in other groups. Even if the biological father is not
involved, other men such as stepfathers, grandparents,
uncles, cousins and non married partners may be
instrumentally and regularly involved with the children.
  African-American families tend to differ from other

PARENTING ethnic groups is in their style of discipline and parenting.

African-American parents tend to be more hierarchical in
AND
relationships with their children. They are more likely to
DISCIPLINE
be strict, to hold demanding standards for behaviour, and
to use physical discipline more frequently in enforcing
these standards. This combination of warmth with
strictness tends to mediate negative impact of physical
punishment delivered in other circumstances.
 African Americans describe their approach to child rearing as being less
permissive. For example, telling a child that he is “in time out” may not seem
as effective as giving a spanking, and culturally spanking is not frowned
upon.. However, among African Americans, studies show a preference for
using “harsh” or “authoritarian” forms of discipline that include physical
punishment. This does not mean to suggest that abuse is considered acceptable
among African Americans. Culture must be taken into account in childrearing.
“Because parenting occurs in a socio-cultural context, recommendations about
what constitutes an effective approach to discipline may not be generalizable
to all populations among or between similar cultures.
SIBLINGS  Older siblings also play an important role in African-
American families particularly households. When partners,
grandmothers, or other adults from the extended kin
network are not available in the household, older siblings,
especially female siblings, are pressed into service to assist
the mother.. The placement of older children in these roles
is both a source of early maturation and strain for older
siblings, who more often than not are the oldest female
siblings in the household.
  Grandparents particularly grandmothers play an especially
GRANDPARENTS
important role in African-American families in providing
support for mothers and care for children. When mothers
are not able to carry out their roles, grandmothers are the
surrogate parents of choice

 Rather than to relying on nursing homes or paid live-in

care, African-American adult family members are more
likely to bring their aging parents into their homes to care
for them.
 FAMILY  African-American families make financial

GOALS & decisions based on what is best for the family-

PRIORITY compared to only two-thirds of the general
population. African-American families are also
very concerned with making sure their families
will be taken care of financially in the event of
their death.
 FAMILY  They understood the value of their skills and
GOALS & knowledgde, and began to “negotiate” with
PRIORITY their enslavers for the right to have a little piece
of land on which they could grow crops for
themselves and sell a portion to others.
ACCEPTANCE  HOMOSEXUALITY
 SINGLE
OF  LESBIAN AND  ACCEPTANCE
OF SAME SEX 
PARENTING
GAY A SINGLE HEAD
ALTERNATIVE RELATIONSHIPS RELATIONSHIP
S VARIES OF HOUSEHOLD
UNDOUBTEDLY
LIFESTYLES OCCUR AS BETWEEN
AND AMONG
IS ACCEPTED
WITHOUT
FREQUENT
AMONG AFRICAN FAMILIES ASSOCIATED
AMERICANS AS IN STIGMA IN
OTHER ETHNIC AFRICAN
GROUPS. AMERICAN
 THEY ARE LESS FAMILIES
SUPPORTIVE ON
HOMOSEXUALITY
WORKFORCE
ISSUES
  AFRICAN AMERICANS FEEL A NEED TO
ACCULTURATE INTO MAINSTREAM SOCIETY IN
CULTURE IN ORDER TO SUCCESFULLY SURVIVE IN
WORKFORCE
THE
WORKPLACE  SURVIVAL IS OFTEN MET WITH ETHNIC OR
RACIAL TENSION

 ETHNIC OR RACIAL TENSION CAN BE

DEFINED AS A NEGATIVE WORKPLACE
ATMOSPHERE MOTIVATED BY PREJUDICIAL
ATTITUDES ABOUT CULTURAL
BACKGROUND AND/OR SKIN COLOR
  WATTS (2003) asserts that race is an issue for African
Americans, and the “black experience” in America is markedly
different from that of the other immigrants, specifically in
terms of the extended period of institution of slavery and the
CULTURE IN issue of skin colour as a means of dehumanization of black
persons.
THE
WORKPLACE  Watts concludes that matters of race, racism, and racial
discrimination persist throughout contemporary American life.

 Health care providers must increase their sensitivity and awareness

of cultural nuances and issues that create ethnic or racial tension in
the workplace environment, for these factors can have an impact on
such stress related conditions such as mental health disorders and
hypertension.
  In 2007, the leading cause of death in the African American
population were heart disease, malignant neoplasms, CVA,
DM, unintentional injuries, nephrotic syndrome and
nephrosis, chronic lower respiratory diseases, HIV disease
CULTURE IN and septicemia
THE
 HTN is the single largest risk factor for cardiovascular
WORKPLACE disease and heart attack among African Americans.

 African Americans are 15% more likely to suffer from

obesity than European Americans

 African Americans have the highest death rate and shortest

survival of any racial and ethnic group in the US for most
cancers
  African American have the highest rate of infant mortality
among all ethnic groups.

CULTURE IN  Asthma is top health problem for African American

children
THE
WORKPLACE  Lead exposure is another environmental threat for poorer
African American communities

 AIDs contributes to lower life expectancy of African

Americans
  AFRICAN AMERICANS DO NOT ALWAYS RESPOND
TO DRUGS
VARIATIONS
 EXAMPLES OF DRUGS THAT AFRICAN AMERICAN
IN DRUG RESPOND TO OR METABOLIZE DIFFERENTLY ARE
METABOLISM PSYCHOTROPIC DRUGS, IMMUNOSUPPRESANTS,
ANTIHYPERTENSIVES, CARDIOVASCULAR DRUGS
AND ANTIRETROVIRAL MEDS.
HIGH RISK
BEHAVIORS
  Smoking is a serious high risk behaviour in the African
American population.

 African Americans are at increased risk for lung cancer

HIGH RISK even though they smoke about the same amount.
BEHAVIORS
 African Americans can be inferred from the high
incidences of HIV/AIDS and other STIs, teenage
pregnancy, violence, unintentional injuries, smoking,
alcoholism, drug abuse, sedentary lifestyle and delayed
seeking of health care
NUTRITION
  AFRICAN AMERICAN RITES REVOLVED AROUND FOOD.
EATING FOODS IDENTIFIED WITH SLAVERY HAS
PROVIDED MANY AFRICAN AMERICANS WITH A SENSE
OF THEIR IDENTITY AND TRADITION.

MEANING  SPECIAL MEANING IS ATTACHED TO THE SOUL FOOD

OF DIET, A SOUTHERN TRADITION HANDED DOWN FROM

GENERATION TO GENERATION.
FOOD  THE TERM SOUL FOOD COMES FROM THE NEED OF
AFRICAN AMERICANS TO EXPRESS THE GROUP FEELING
OF SOUL, AND AS A RESULT, SOUL FOODS ARE SEEN TO
NOURISH NOT ONLY THE BODY BUT ALSO THE SPIRIT.

 THE EVERYDAY DIET OF AFRICAN AMERICANS MAY MORE

CLOSELY RESEMBLE THE AMERICAN DIET VASED ON
CONVENIENCE AND COST.
  Chitterlings (pig intestines either fried or with hot peppers,
onions, and spices), okra, hocks, corn, pork fat and sweet
COMMON potato pie are uniquely identified as Southern African
American foods.
FOODS &
FOOD  Common ways for African American to prepare food
include frying, barbecuing, and using gravy and sauces.
RITUALS
 African American diet are typically high in fat, cholesterol
and sodium.

 African American eat more animal fat, less fiber and

fewer fruits and vegetables
PREGNANCY & CHILDBEARING PRACTICES
  Fertility is contingent upon a healthy and
well balanced reproductive system.
Therefore, it is important that women seek
FERTILITY to be intentional about ensuring that they
not only take the time to participate in
PRACTICE regular checkups and preventative health
care, but they also take the time to be
informed about their bodies and what is
necessary to ensure that one is able to
produce a family.
 Infertility among African American women
is not only a silent  and  hidden problem in
the African American Community, but one
that continues to be on the rise.

INFERTILITY​
 A female is diagnosed as infertile after
trying to get pregnant after more than one
year with no success, or having multiple
miscarriages. There are different types of
Infertility:
 1. Primary Infertility: Inability to get pregnant
after one year of unprotected sex
 2. Secondary Infertility: When one has
previously had children, but no success getting
pregnant again.
 3. Unexplained Infertility: Doctors have been
unable to identify a reason as to why one can't
get pregnant
 4. Male Factor: There is a problem with able
reproductive system, i.e. sperm count, motility,
shape and/or concentration.
 Infertility usually occurs when there are
disturbances and/or disease within the
reproductive system. There are a number
of factors that contribute to female
infertility or challenges in becoming
pregnant such as fibroids, hormonal
imbalance, uterine factors, ovulatory
disorders, STI's, age endometriosis,
STI's, POS, closed fallopian tubes, the
immune system, recurrent pregnancy
loss, stress and more.
  Acceptance depends on economic status,
pregnancy thought to be a state of wellness
which is often the reason for delay in seeking
prenatal care, especially by low income. Old
Labor and wives tales include belief that having a
delivery picture taken during pregnancy will cause
stillbirth and reaching up will cause cord to
practice strangle baby. Craving for certain foods
including chicken, greens, clay, starch and
dirt. May be viewed by men as a sign of
virility. Self treatment for various
discomforts of pregnancy.
  Use of granny midwife in certain
areas, varied emotional responses:
Labor and some cry out, some display stoic
delivery behavior to avoid calling attention,
practice patient may arrive at hospital in far
advanced labor, emotional support
provided by other women, especially
mother.
  All around the world, there are all
kinds of rules about what pregnant
Practices that woman can and cannot eat. (As if it
are considered weren’t hard enough being pregnant
taboo, without everyone offering their well-
prescriptive, or intended advice.) “Declaring certain
restrictive. foods taboo because they are thought
to make a person sick is also the basis
for the many food taboos affecting
pregnant women,” 
  African Americans tend to be
sensitive about postpartum
depression. The unwritten rule if
POSTPARTUM they’re going through hell they just
have to deal with it without
complaining. For it is more
commendable.
DEATH RITUALS
 Death is not a time of sadness but a time to rejoice for the deceased no longer has to endure the trials
and tribulations of this earthly world. The deceased are indeed mourned and missed, however, death
is also a time of celebration.

 An old belief is that the dead can not be buried on a rainy day. The sun is-a sign that the heavens are
open and welcoming for the deceased one. If it rains while a man is dying, or if lighting strikes near
his house, the devil has come for the soul. Thus, the family members often attempt to bury the dead
on a sunny day.

 There is usually a five to seven day mourning period before the actual funeral. Before the funeral
takes place there is generally a ceremony known as a wake. At this time, close friends of the family
of the deceased pay respects to the family and view the body .
 .
 It is also believed that it is important that the dead be buried feet facing
east; to allow rising at Judgment Day. Otherwise the person remains in
the crossways of the world.

 Coins are placed on the eyes of the dead to keep them closed. However, coins
were also sometimes placed in the hands as the deceased person's contribution
to the community of the ancestors-or perhaps, as a token for admittance to the
spirit world. For the same purpose coins are also placed on or around the grave
site. It is believed that one should always cover the body and one should never
place it directly in the ground.
SPIRITUALITY
 . African Americans often have strong
religious affiliations, especially with
Christian denominations—notably Baptist
and Church of God in Christ. However,
many follow Islam. Maintaining good health
is often correlated with good religious
practice.
 HEALTHCARE
PRACTITIONERS
 African Americans are becoming increasingly health conscious,
seeking health screenings and treatments, although health literacy in
this population tends to vary by generation. Older African Americans
may be suspicious of clinicians, because of experiences of past
generations of African Americans with health care.  Even African
American parents today have heard about the Tuskegee experiments on
African Americans, so they may be a little reserved or suspicious until
it is apparent that their health care provider is friendly, wants to listen,
and is interested in them.  There may be reluctance to share personal or
family issues, so building a trusting relationship is absolutely crucial.
 VIEWS ON MENTAL ILLNESS

 African Americans may be resistant to seek treatment because they

fear it may reflect badly on their families–an outward admission of
the family's failure to handle problems internally. Something I found
in my own studies, is that even among African Americans who
suffered greatly from mental disorders, many held negative attitudes
about people who obtain mental health care. No matter how impaired
they were, they didn't want to be one of "those people.“ They believe
that they are too blessed to be stressed
END