[...]... of Black fatherhood that minimize their expressive contributions to children and of Black motherhood that marginalize their provider role They conclude, “Given that Black fathers and mothers deem it appropriate to interchange or share the provider and expressive roles, the fatherdaughter and mother-son relationships are just as important for understanding child development and aspirations as are the. .. social and cultural changes, the salient aspects of Black family life that require examination are dating and sexuality, marriage and divorce, singlehood, the female-headed household, and the extended family The statistical data tell us that the majority of Black children are born out of wedlock, many of them to teenage mothers Yet there are few data on patterns of dating and sexual norms that could... as are the motherdaughter and father-son relationships.” Thus, they underscore the need for more studies of the impact of Black fathers on the development of their daughters and how Black mothers influence the development of their sons Some feminists contend that singlehood is a viable alternative to marriage for African Americans Yet Johnson and Staples argue that most Blacks perceive their singleness... examination of classic historical theories that claim that the institution of slavery destroyed the basis of Black family life and of neohistorical theories that assert that the family structure of the African slaves was largely untouched by the slave owners The chapter also looks at the postslavery existence of Black families; for example, it discusses the formation of values related to family life in the. .. teachers, and tutors) Even in two-parent families, boys may emulate their fathers in some areas and other men in other aspects More important, Johnson and Staples also cite studies that reveal that mothers can communicate appropriate male roles to their sons They identify successful men (such as Dr Ben Carson and Ralph Bunche) who were reared in families headed by Black women The authors reject the narrow... book The Negro Family in the United States (1939) traced the evolution of Black families, has there been a work that viewed this institution in all its dimensions Whereas there has been a proliferation of books and articles on aspects of Black family life, that literature has generally focused on limited segments of the Black population and has therefore sponsored a rather narrow perspective of the. .. analyze the larger forces outside the Black community, such as assimilation and acculturation, unemployment and underemployment, the role of government and public policy, and the imbalance in the gender ratio Since Blacks do not comprise a monolithic group, we have attempted to consider class and gender variations in family life-styles Moreover, this book places these various themes and orientations... Black family life in the United States One era is the precolonial period on the African continent, where the Black American population originated The basis of African family life was the kinship group, which was bound together by blood ties and the common interest of corporate functions Within each village, there were elaborate legal codes and court systems that regulated the marital and family behavior... of the occupational and income levels of husbands and wives We show the contribution of economic success to marital happiness and discuss the stratification of the Black community that has arisen over the last thirty years Chapter Four is an analysis of the bonding process among young Black men and women We first provide historical background, focusing on the impact of slavery Then we examine how dating... understanding of the Black family Chapter Three explores the impact of economic forces on the structure and stability of the Black family It delineates the lack of Preface to the First Edition fit between the skills of Blacks and the high-technology economy, as well as the role of gender in the economics of Black family life Some statistical data are used to depict marital strain, stress, and stability . marginalize their provider role. They con- clude, “Given that Black fathers and mothers deem it appropriate to interchange or share the provider and expressive roles, the father- daughter and mother-son. reared in families headed by Black women. The authors reject the narrow definitions of Black fatherhood that minimize their expressive contributions to children and of Black motherhood that marginalize. Cataloging-in-Publication Data Johnson, Leanor Boulin, date Black families at the crossroads : Challenges and prospects / Leanor Boulin Johnson, Robert Staples.—Rev. ed. p. cm. Rev. ed. of: Black