Being a resident of South Carolina, African-American Culture was chosen as part of the applied learning project for the Intercultural Nursing class, because African-Americans make up more than a quarter of this state’s population. According to the 2010 United States Census Bureau, the total population for South Carolina (S.C.) is 4,625,364, with 27.9% being of African-American descent. The purpose of this paper is to develop an understanding and sensitivity to issues and cultural variances or phenomena that are unique to the African-American Culture. Another goal is to identify nursing interventions that are important for the nurse to consider in caring for this population. These phenomena’s include variances in social organization, communication, space, perception of time, environmental control, and biological variations associated with the African-American culture. (Giger, 2013 and South Carolina minority, n.d.) “At a time when people are seeking to become more culturally aware it is important to note distinctions which make cultures different and unique from one another” (Giger, 2013, p. 163). “Culture involves much more than race, ethnic background, and language” (Smith, 2013, p. 32). Culture is a combination of learned behaviors, beliefs, and values that are reinforced through exposure to social interactions within one’s immediate social group or surrounding society. A personal interview was conducted with Andrea Sinkler, is an African-American female, whose culture influence is mainly attributed from her association with family and social interactions. It must be noted that for the purpose of avoiding redundancy, the author has chosen to use the terms African-American and black synonymously to reference the culture, which... ... middle of paper ... ...yst in the effort to eliminate health disparities and thus improve long term outcomes for the African-American culture. Works Cited Giger, J. (2013). Transcultural nursing: Assessment and intervention. (6 ed.). St. Louis, MO: Mosby. Opala, J. (n.d.). The Gullah: Rice, slavery, and the Sierra Leone-American connection. Retrieved from http://www.yale.edu/glc/gullah/06.htm Sinkler, A. (2014, February 12). Interview by L.S. Shaw. Smith, L. (2013). Reaching for cultural competence. Nursing 2013, 43(6), 30-37. doi: 10.1097/01.NURSE.0000429794.17073.87 South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, Office of Minority Health. (n.d.). South Carolina’s minority population. Retrieved from website: http://www.scdhec.gov/images/dhec_logo.gif The African slave trade and South Carolina. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.sciway.net/hist/chicora/slavery18-2.html
Jewelll, N., & Russell, K. (1992). Current health status of african americans. Journal of community health nursing, 9(3), 161-169.
African-American is a politically correct term used to refer to blacks within the United States. The roots of many African-American rites can be traced back to African cultural rites. However, it is important to note that not all blacks in America identify with African cultural roots. Therefore, some of the rites found within what many in the United States call African-American culture stem from Caribbean and other cultural traditions. For this reason, when making end of life decisions or funeral arrangements the “cultural identification, spirituality and the social class” the individual identifies with must be taken into account. The black majority within the United States identifies with Afrocentric traditions and perspectives. For this reason the term African-American will be used within this paper to denote the black population found in America as comparisons are made regarding how end of life decisions are viewed and made by African-American culture verses the traditional western European beliefs of American culture (Barrett, 2002).
Roberts, J. (2009). African American Belief Narratives and the African Cultural Tradition. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com /docview/207621912?accountid=458
African American culture is defined as the learned, shared and transmitted values, beliefs, norms, and life ways carried by this group of people, which guides their decisions, thinking, and actions in patterned ways. The individual in society is bound by rules of their culture. Culture of people are different in that the same events that maybe fear- inducing in one culture, maybe anger-inducing in another culture (Leininger's, 1991).
Foertsch discusses the racial progressiveness in the United States that was similarly demonstrated by the Japanese and Indian citizens. She explains the affects it had on the African American cultures in America, and the transcripts of major colored influences, "The interest in things atomic within postwar black newspapers varied according to the moment in time and even more significantly according to the inclination of the editorial staff." (103). Depending on the publisher, African American's formulated different opinions on the issues of atomic superiority. When popular newspapers were printed in a negative light, the views of African Americans changed. Accordingly, a community of opposite influence would hold a polar opinion, thus creating
There are many examples of which European religious music have been borrowed by black Americans, the key characteristics of their African-heritage were never forgotten such as improvisation, vocal slides and shouts, call-and-response style singing can all be found even in modern day gospel. Many of the lyrics and texts are performed in a half sung, half spoken manner which became a signature vocal technique. Vowel sounds like “ah”, “oh”, “yeah” etc. are mixed within the melodies as prolongations and or ornamentations to the music. Some words could form an entire melody with such elongations on its own. (Roach 24) Musicians can often alter the melodies and improvised vocal riffs in addition to the main melody which is an extension of the purpose
Black culture is the epitome of what defines America’s understanding of cool. It is difficult to define what it means to be cool without stating the influence or impact of the culture. The idea of cool developed as a social attitude implemented by black men during slavery which they used as a defense mechanism in order to cope with exploitation and injustice. It is now spread by hip hop culture which has integrated itself into mainstream society. As a result, black culture continues to play a vital role in America due to its innovative and creature nature.
African-American culture is known for thick, coarse hair, which is extremely time consuming when maintaining it in it’s natural state. The natural state of hair varies depending on the ethnicity. For African Americans, natural hair is hair that has not been altered by chemical straighteners, such as perms. From trying to maintain healthy hair to paying for extensions, my hair was one of my biggest battles I faced during my upbringing. This paper engages a sociological analysis my personal hair situation I faced when I was an adolescent. I will directly focus toward social aspects of this phenomenon. Specifically, I will discuss the issue of race and hair in relation to the dominant culture and the consequences this has for individuals.
The African American culture seems to be a lot less unified than others in today’s society. There are some recent situations that bring me to believe that as a culture African American as less unified. One situation that sparked my interest the most was the recent critics of and actor by the name of Nate Parker he was about to release a movie the spoke in great detail about the slave rebellion in the 1800. Right before the release of his movie there was a leak that brought out his rape allegations for the 1999 during this time in college which brought out about extremely horrible press and publicity which made people not want to go and support his movie and him as an actor. I know that it can seem as if people mostly women did not want to
United States. US Department of Health and Human Services. The Initiative to Eliminate Racial and Ethnic Disparitites in Health. 26 May 1998. Online. Internet. 21 February 1999. Available <http://raceandhealth.hhs.gov/home.htm>.
It seems quite safe to assume that all human beings desire peace. What is not always very clear is what each person means by peace and how it can be attained and maintained. Religion and peace in an African culture have been almost natural companions in the minds of humans in different periods of history and in different cultures of the world. This is because, although far too many adherents and leaders of the different religions in the world have disrupted the peace in the society by promoting violence and wars, the vast majority of believers still hold that true religion is a source and guarantor of individual and societal peace. The positive side of holding peace together is the knowledge and values that are giving to a person in order to carry on tradition of your principals, especially your culture. Many Africans practices these very simple tasks today. They are taught to be kind, respectful, loving and many more positive attitudes that most Americans should abide by.
Despite the restrictions imposed by slavery, African Americans have made significant contributions to American culture in music, literature, and cuisine.
Black culture in our society has come to the point where it is allied with pop culture. The most popular music genres, slang terms, to dance forms it all comes from black culture. Hip hop emerged from black culture, becoming the soul of it that is seen in the media. Hip hop helped the black community by creating new ways of expressing themselves, from breakdance, graffiti, rap and other music, to slang. This culture was rooted in their tradition and created from something new. Hip hop created a new form of music that required the use of turn tables, ‘cuts’, loops, rhythm, rhyme, stories, and deep-rooted emotions, but also incorporated black oral forms of storytelling using communal authors.
As I reflect on who I am and which culture I identify with, I am met with reservation. My parents are both Black Americans, they were both born and raised in the United States, their parent were also born and raised in the US. It is obvious that we derive from African descent; our skin color and physical features yet I find it difficult to relate or identify with my African heritage as slavery has played a pivotal role in separating us from our African origin. African enslavement left us devoid of a way to define ourselves. It severed familial ties and deprived us of any viable opportunity to reclaim them.(www.huffpost.com) We are descendants of African slaves but when I speak to someone who was born in Africa or research African culture, I
One contribution from cultures came from the Native Americans. The Europeans; love the method the native Americans work with the agriculture. Their agriculture system was the advance, the native Americans put their focus on their crops, the way it should be (). They had to eat, so the finest and freshest foods was a blessing. Also, the natural medicines that the Native Americans use are the majority of the medicine that the Europeans used and the ones we take today ().