African American Culture Description - Coursework Example

The African American Culture of the African American Cultural Group Introduction Many studies have focused on understanding the different factors that have shaped the African American cultural group over the years. Historical events that have affected what this cultural group has become serve as the motivating factors for many sociologists to seek a deeper understanding of the unique African American culture. The experience of the African Americans with a nation with diverse cultures has been outstanding. Many issues that define this experience have been the basis under which norms, rules and the networks of the African American culture are formed. Being a minority group in the American nation, the African American cultural group has faced certain challenges that define minority groups against a mainstream culture. Notably, despite the number of years that African Americans have resided in America, they have maintained certain unique cultural aspects that have become identified traits of the cultural groups. This paper will describe the African American cultural group highlighting the historical influences that defined this culture, their cultural norms, values and networks as well as opportunities and obstacles faced by the members of this cultural group. Historical Influences that had an Impact on African Americans The emergence of the African Americans resulted from the intermarriages or interracial relationships between the Americans and the Africans. Notably, during the famous trans-Atlantic trade, Africans were transported from their continent to the new world where a high level of labour was needed (Mazzula, Hage & Carter, 2010). Upon the arrival in the new world, they laboured as slaves for many years. Although most of them maintained their African roots, eventually. There was an event mixing with the Americans. This created a new racial group which had been named the African Americans. Notably, this group lost some of the defining African traits and their continued experience within America has altered the level of their African identity (Bankston, 2009). Moreover, worth noting is the fact that they have also absorbed some of the cultural aspects from the mainstream American culture. The cultural group has made efforts to retain its African identity over the years, but the historical influences have resulted in a condition of double identities. Sociologists interested in this group have realized that the acculturation process and assimilation into the mainstream culture has transformed this group to become what it is in the modern day. Without doubt, the group has not completely adopted the mainstream culture, but has rather integrated some aspects of the mainstream culture and their African culture. Therefore, slavery went on for many years and leaders of African Americans sought to fight against this form of human exploitations (Bankston, 2009). One factor that served to bring the African American together is their common quest for freedom after many years of exploitation as slaves. In different occasions, African Americans organized riots and appraising in a bid to reject the ongoing slavery (Mazzula, Hage & Carter, 2010). During the years of slavery, African Americans faced the highest level of indignation, being treated as lesser human beings. In addition, they had no rights and no privileges, a factor that made the defining aspect of their culture to be named as poverty. In many of the states where slavery existed, the masters took no recognition of the human value of African American slaves (Bankston, 2009). Therefore, this cultural group has experienced the darkest phase of the American history. When American gained the independence, after a rigorous revolution, African Americans hoped that they will be freed. Notably, they had joined the revolutions in a bid to express their desire for human rights and freedom as human beings. They needed to reconstruct their lives after many years of human exploitation and indignation (Harris & Graham, 2014). Although acts of parliament would be passed later, that demanded an immediate end of slavery, and the southern states of America took much longer to free the slaves. Even when they were freed, they faced stringent segregation that denied them access to quality services and infrastructure (Bankston, 2009). They were required to settle for less because of the stratification that slavery had brought separating African Americans from the mainstream culture. Notably, the historical aspects described above had immense effects on the African American culture. When this Africans arrived in America, they were reluctant to adopt the white man’s culture. However, as time passed by, they would not recollect some of the African cultural aspects and sought to integrate certain aspects of the mainstream culture with the African aspects that they were still familiar with. They had been forced to adopt English as a language in the new world, but they would later develop Black English that specifically identified them from the white English speakers. With many different aspects of culture, they integrated aspects from both cultural identities had defined a unique African American experience and culture that was deferred from the African culture and the American culture (Bankston, 2009). Therefore, this unique culture formed over a long period in the United States has made this minority group outstanding a factor that attracts many sociologists to study the cultural group. Evidently, slavery served as a limiting factor for the sub-Saharan Africans that moved into America to actively practice their cultural norms, values and beliefs. However, some of their norms and values have persisted irrespective of such limitations. Over time, African cultural values have been integrated with European American culture practiced by the mainstream culture in America (Harris & Graham, 2014). During the years of slavery, African Americans relied on cultural activities such as song, dance and other activities that defined the African roots. When working as slaves, they narrated their African stories and sang a unique form of music. They still practiced music, literature and art that had an African identity while also maintaining the African religious beliefs. Some sociologists have been misguided to think that the African Americans lost their African identity. However, a closer analysis has revealed that African Americans still practiced cultural aspects that conform to the African culture (Harris & Graham, 2014). During their years of slavery, they relied on oral traditions as a defining concept of passing their cultural values and beliefs from one generation to the other. Through oral traditions, they had the opportunity to offer encouragement to each other and even plot out appraising against slavery (Mazzula, Hage & Carter, 2010). During the Harlem Renaissance period, African Americans exhibited a new determination of expressing their culture. During this period, their music, literature as well as art gained a remarkable popularity. At this time, they developed unique music genres such as jazz and blues. These music genres served to communicate many of the African cultural values and beliefs, they were used as a form of communication of their experience in American as well as their undying determination to be a free person (Harris & Graham, 2014). Moreover, they also exhibited different dance forms that had African identity. In the 2th century, there was a notable popularization of African American culture. Through different cultural performances, African Americans were able to communicate their values and beliefs. This was evident in their attire, hairstyles, language, body image and religion. Moreover, they celebrated certain holidays and accorded values to phases of life, such as death and birth. They exhibited a strong belief in family ties an aspect that did not exist in the mainstream culture (Mazzula, Hage & Carter, 2010). Opportunities and Obstacles of Being an African American Many African Americans are only familiar with the obstacles that define their American experiences. For a long time, they had no access to any opportunities and privileges. As slaves, they did not enjoy human rights, had no access to education and other basic services. During the segregation period, when they could access some public facilities, they were of lower quality than those used by white Americans (Strickland & Weems, 2010). African Americans are viewed as a minority group and face multiple challenges to undertake certain careers and even hold certain job positions. For a long time, they were defined as incapable of pursuing certain careers in life. This limited their opportunities in a country that is highly competitive (Strickland & Weems, 2010). They had to settle for old jobs and careers that were considered of a lower value in the society. Moreover, most of them lacked the opportunity of living in luxury and have to compact with poverty throughout their lives. This has made the African American culture to be prone to the detrimental practices such as drug abuse, and crime. With limited opportunities, many young people have faced the compulsion of adopting the thug culture (Strickland & Weems, 2010). Although in the modern day, African Americans can exploit their full potential and reach out for opportunities, the limitations of being a minority group have never faded away completely. Opportunities and Obstacles in the Acculturation Process As highlighted above, the African American experience has been a sad one because of the effects brought about by slavery. Therefore, many African Americans resented the mainstream culture and were unwilling to adopt it. Therefore, they exhibited the efforts of upholding what was truly African (Waites, 2009). However, after sometimes, they chose to integrate certain aspects of the mainstream culture with their African cultural identity to define the African American culture. Therefore, African Americans have been reluctant to undergo a complete acculturation into the mainstream culture. Slavery, segregation and racism have been defined as the main obstacles that prevented any possibility of complete acculturation. Many African Americans have exhibited double identities over the years (Waites, 2009). However, with increasing emphasis on equality, some African American slave made efforts towards the complete acculturation. However, such a journey has had its setbacks. Conclusion Without doubt, the African American culture is one of the most studied cultural groups in America. Their experience as a culture is unique compared to any other minority group. The fact that the initial African to move into America were victims of a human exploitation err is one of the factors that has made their experience different. Slavery and the indignation that defined all the years of servitude served to define the modern African American culture. Notably, African Americans have integrated African cultural aspects with those of the mainstream culture and have remained reluctant to complete acculturation. References Bankston, C. L. (2009). African American History. Pasadena, Calif: Salem Press. Harris, Y. R., & Graham, J. A. (2014). The African American Child: Development and Challenges. New York: Springer Publishing Company. Mazzula, S. L., Hage, S. M., & Carter, R. T. (2010). Religious self-identification and cultural values in Black and White Americans. Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 13 (2), 111-128. doi:10.1080/13674670903563284. Strickland, A. E., & Weems, R. E. (2010). The African American Experience : An Historiographical and Bibliographical Guide. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press. Waites, C. (2009). Building on Strengths: Intergenerational Practice with African American Families. Social Work, 54(3), 278-287. Read More