Abstract
Understanding social support within a cultural context requires knowledge of the culture in which support is given and received. This chapter focuses on cultural factors that shape giving and receiving social support among African-American, Hispanic-American, Asian-American, and Native American families. Although these groups are a part of American society, they also function within distinct cultural boundaries that define and provide them with an identity that is uniquely different from the identity of those who are not a part of their group’s culture. Findings suggest that their history, social position, minority group status, and entrance into American society have played major roles in shaping their cultural definition and identity.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Antonucci, T. C. (1985). Personal characteristics, social networks and social behavior. In R. H. Binstock & E. Shanas (Eds.), Handbook of aging and the social sciences, 2nd ed. (pp. 94–128). New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold.
Burr, J. A., & Mutchler, J. E. (1993). Nativity, acculturation, and economic status: Explanations of Asian American living arrangements in later life. Journal of Gerontology, 48(2), S55–S63.
Burton, L. M., & Dilworth-Anderson, P. (1991). The intergenerational family roles of aged black Americans. Marriage and Family Review, 16(3/4), 311–330.
Cantor, M. H. (1979). The informal support system of New York’s inner city elderly: Is ethnicity a factor? In D. Gefland & A. Kutzik (Eds.), Ethnicity and aging: Theory, research, and policy (pp. 67–73). New York: Springer.
Chatters, L. M., Taylor, R. J., & Jackson, J. S. (1985) Size and composition of the informal helper networks of elderly blacks. Journal of Gerontology, 40, 605–614.
Chatters, L. M., Taylor, R. J., & Jackson, J. S. (1986) Aged blacks’ choices for an informal helper network. Journal of Gerontology, 41, 94–100.
Collins, P. H. (1991). Black feminist thought: Knowledge, consciousness, and the politics of empowerment. New York: Routledge.
Cross, T. L. (1986) Drawing on cultural tradition in Indian child welfare practice. Social Casework, 67, 283–289.
Depner, C. E., & Bray, J. H. (1993). Nonresidential parenting: New vistas in family living. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.
Dilworth-Anderson, P. (1992). Extended kin networks in black families. Generations, 17 29–32.
Dilworth-Anderson, P., Burton, L., & Johnson, L. (1993). Reframing theories for understanding race, ethnicity, and families. In P. Boss, W. Doherty, R. LaRossa, W. Schumm, & S. Steinmetz (Eds.), Sourcebook of family theories and methods: A contextual approach (pp. 627–646). New York: Plenum Press.
Dilworth-Anderson, P., & Rhoden, L. (in press). A sociohistorical view of African-American women and their caregiving roles. In N. Burgass & E. Brown (Eds.), African American women: An ecological perspective. Hamden, CT: Garland.
Escott, P. D. (1979). Slavery remembered: A record of twentieth-century slave narratives. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press.
Geertz, C. (1973). The interpretation of cultures. New York: Basic Books.
Golding, J. M., & Baezconde-Garbanati, L. A. (1990). Ethnicity, culture, and social resources. American Journal of Community Psychology, 18(3), 465–486.
Gutierrez, J., & Sameroff, A. (1990) Determinants of complexity in Mexican-American and Anglo-American mothers’ conceptions of child development. Child Development, 61, 384–394.
Gutman, H. (1976) The black family in slavery and freedom: 1750–1925. New York: Pantheon Books.
Hays, W., & Mindel, C. H. (1973). Extended kinship relations in black and white families. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 35, 51–56.
Jackson, J. J. (1972) Comparative life styles of family and friends relationships among older black women. Family Coordinator, 3, 477–485.
Jaynes, G. D., & Williams, R. M. (1989). A common destiny. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
John, R. (1988). The Native American family. In C. H. Mindel, R. W. Habenstein, & R. Wright (Eds.), Ethnic families in America: Patterns and variations (pp. 325–363). New York: Elsevier.
Julian, T. W., McKenry, P. C., & McKelvey, M. W. (1994) Cultural variation in parenting: Perceptions of Caucasian, African-American, Hispanic, and sian-American parents. Family Relations, 43, 30–37.
Keefe, S. (1984) Real and ideal extended familism among Mexican Americans and Anglo Americans: On the meaning of “close” family ties. Human Organization, 43, 65–70.
Keefe S. E., Padilla, A. M., & Carlos, M. L. (1979) The Mexican-American extended family as an emotional support system. Human Organization, 38, 144–152.
Keith, J. (1990). Age in social and cultural context: Anthropological perspectives. In R. H. Binstock & L. K. George (Eds.), Handbook of aging and the sodai sciences, 3rd ed. (pp. 91–111). San Diego: Academic Press.
Kekahbah, J., & Wood, R. (1980). Life cycle of the American Indian family. Norman, OK: American Indian/ Alaska Native Nurses Association.
Lincoln, C. E., & Mamiya, L. H. (1991). The black church in the African American experience. Durham, NC: Duke University Press.
Manson, S. M. (1989) Long-term care in American Indian communities: Issues for planning and research. Gerontologist, 29, 38–44.
Manson, S. M., & Callaway, D. G. (1990). Health and aging among American Indians. In U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Minority aging Washington, DC: U.S. Public Health Service.
Mutran, E. (1985) Intergenerational family support among blacks and whites: Response to culture or to socioeconomic differences. Journal of Gerontology, 40, 382–389.
Osaka, M. M., & Liu, W. T. (1986) Intergenerational relations and the aged among Japanese Americans. Research on Aging, 8, 128–155.
Salgado de Snyder, V. M. (1986). Mexican immigrant women: The relationship of ethnic loyalty, self-esteem, social support, and satisfaction to acculturative stress and depressive symptomatology. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Los Angeles: University of California, School of Social Welfare.
Seelbach, W. (1978). Correlates of aged parents’ filial responsibility expectations and realizations. Family Coordinator, 27(4), 341–350.
Serafica, F. C. (1990). Counseling Asian-American parents: A cultural developmental approach. In F. C. Serafica, A. I. Schwebel, R. K. Russell, P. D. Isaacs, & L. James-Myers (Eds.), Mental health of ethnic minorities (pp. 222–244). New York: Praeger.
Silverstein, M., & Waite, L. (1993) Are blacks more likely than whites to receive and provide social support in middle and old age? Yes, no, and maybe so. Journal of Gerontology, 48, S212–S222.
Snipp, C. M. (1989). American Indians: The first of this land. New York: Sage.
Taylor, R. J. (1986) Receipt of support from family among black Americans: Demographic and familial differences. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 48, 67–77.
Taylor, R. J., & Chatters, L. M. (1991) Extended family networks of older black adults. Journal of Gerontology, 46, S210–S217.
U.S. Bureau of the Census (1992). Statistical abstract of the United States, 112th ed. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.
Vega, W. A. (1990) Hispanic families in the 1980s: A decade of research. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 52, 1015–1024.
Vega, W. A., & Kolody, B. (1985). The meaning of social support and the mediation of stress across cultures. In W. A. Vega & M. R. Miranda (Eds.), Stress and Hispanic mental health: Relating research to service delivery (pp. 48–75). Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Watson, M. F., & Protinsky, H. O. (1988) Black adolescent identity development: Effects of perceived family structure. Family Relations, 37, 288–292.
Wilson, M. N. (1989) Child development in the context of the black extended family. American Psychologist, 44, 380–385.
Yee, B. W. (1990). Gender and family issues in minority groups. Generations, 14(3), 39–42.
Zinn, M. B., & Eitzen, D. S. (1993). Diversity in families, 3rd ed. New York: Harper.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1996 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Dilworth-Anderson, P., Marshall, S. (1996). Social Support in Its Cultural Context. In: Pierce, G.R., Sarason, B.R., Sarason, I.G. (eds) Handbook of Social Support and the Family. The Springer Series on Stress and Coping. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-1388-3_4
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-1388-3_4
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4899-1390-6
Online ISBN: 978-1-4899-1388-3
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive