Another Useless Study: Black Girls Oppressed By Their Mothers???

Okay, I don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing, but there is yet another study out about Black girls. Apparently Black and Hispanic girls are more likely to defer to their mothers than their White counterparts:

“Within African-American and Latino families, children follow a cultural tradition that places a high value on respecting, obeying and learning from elders, and in our study they did indeed show more respect for parental authority,” said Julia Graber, a UF psychology professor. DIVERSE HISPANIC

FYI to researchers... it's called spanking! Or "my childhood oppression" as I like to refer to it these days. I remember being in the supermarket and watching little White kids throw temper tantrums and all manner of other behavior waiting on their Mamas to give them "THE LOOK" that meant they were going o get it when they got home, but it never happened.

The girls’ respect for authority was observed through videotaped interactions with their mothers. Daughters were scored on their listening behaviors when their mothers were speaking: attending to them, acknowledging their mothers' comments and not interrupting. They also were evaluated for defiant behaviors, such as disobeying their mothers' requests, being unwilling to cooperate and ignoring their mothers.

When African-American and Latina girls do act up, said Graber, their mothers consider the arguments to be more intense than those reported by white mothers who clash with their daughters. DIVERSE HISPANIC

I really wish some of these studies would actually look at history when they come up with these findings. The see trends based on what they see today, but never go backwards to figure out how the trend got started. So we get studies that are relatively useless because the researchers lack any historical context.

Hispanic and Black mothers, who value strong family connections, family loyalty and extended family/social support networks, seemed to be much more upset if daughters fell short of cultural, good girl expectations. DIVERSE HISPANIC

I think one of the reasons White girls might not defer to their mothers as much or their mothers might not get as upset with them arguing or disagreeing with them probably goes back to the fact that the consequences for a Black child not following expected social norms are far more severe that those of a White child. If a Black child cuts up at school, the stats indicate they are far more likely to be suspended. We've all sent he cases of little 8 year old Black girls handcuffed and taken to jail. We also act as if Jim Crow was unraveled 300 years ago instead of 40 years ago. So it wasn't that long ago that Black people who violated the unspoken rules of the the south would face some pretty harsh consequences.

Another reason they might defer to their mothers is because stats say 70% of them are being raised fatherless. When you are raising a child by yourself, you don't necessarily have the flexibility You are balancing on fence post, if one thing goes out of whack, the whole system collapses. Unfortunately, this more intense battle of wills eventually leads to "at risk" behavior in the teen years.

But this study doesn't tell me anything I didn't already know. Just go to any shopping mall or grocery store and do your own study. I am trying to remember if I have ever seen a Black child screaming and yelling or talking back in the grocery store... Have any of y'all?

What About Our Daughters has received credentials to cover the 2008 Democratic National Convention. Help us get there by clicking our donate button in the sidebar.

Comments

[Brother OMi]

thanks for this. i am doing an article on corporal punishment and i needed a study such as this to put everything together.

i agree, go to any grocery store and do the math...

[Hesperis]

Thanks for this great post.

A question:

Given that black children MUST be taught to respect their mothers at the risk of harm in the "white world", HOW is that respect instilled? Are you saying something like children "know", somehow, that their mothers are protecting them with their discipline or giving them much needed values and advice? Or that the mothers have developed specific methods of discipline to fit the circumstances?

Their are tons of "white" single mothers too. And many who come from families without fathers as well. Do you have any ideas as to why these mothers aren't able to instill this respect?

[cinco]

I don't know what this info is supposed to prove or support. Even with all our 'oppressive training' we're not able to decrease the odds of teenage pregnancy; contraction of STD's; or lessen the occurences of rapes and domestic violence.

But to answer your question, I've rarely seen Black children acting up anywhere. In those rare times- the nonverbal language of the parent/guardian has let me know that that child would know not to act up next time they were out in the public view.

[lena]

So we respect our mothers. and...So what? Why is this even a posted topic? I don’t see any reason to justify or explain or give details as to why black and latinos respect their mothers.

Whether it be jim crow, slavery, single-parent households or the fact that we actually like our mothers and value their opinions, I don’t see the need to get defensive and explain/compare ourselves to white people or anybody else.

Who cares?

[SheCodes]

I love my mother. Period. Plus she's respectable, and that's why I defer to her.

As for black kids acting up in grocery stores, I'm beginning to see it. My own 4 year old nephew lost his mind and humiliated me not too long ago, and I would have beat his behind if I didn't think somebody would call 5-0 on me.

I think some of us are beginning to take on different values than the past, and our children will change in behavior accordingly.

[Ebony Intuition]

Tired of seeing these studies that are only made to depress us and make it seem like we don't know how to raise our children...The only reason why they are putting these out is to make it look like the white women is the only women worthy of having and raising children..UGH

[Monique]

This is interesting. I have a white sister in law who gives her 5 year old daughter a lot of space to be and discover herself. Though she does discipline her, she never hits her. When her daughter says things like "what and no", I'm always iching to yank her up or threaten to pop her mouth. What I love about this 5 year old, is she is independent, confident and free of fear. She is also creative, smart and charming. I admire her mother's ability to cultivate authenticity in her daughter without making her afraid of being herself. Its different but very refreshing.

[MarilynJean]

Part of child-rearing has to do with class as well as race. I know plenty of white people who got "whooped" by their parents (single and married) when they were growing up. What we have in common is a poor/working class background.

[BCmomtobe]

Those white kids throwing tantrums in the store didn't have my mother. She grew up in WWII Germany, and tantrums were just not done. I'm not sure on the exact demographics, but there is a trend for parents, often moms, to be their children's 'friends'. Spanking has come under the microscope, more and more, and some parents are throwing discipline out with the spanking. In an effort to make their kids happy, to many parents are making depressed and anxious, spoiled kids.

[no1kstate]

I read a book by Patricia Hill Collins that points out much the same, although her book was written last century, can't remember exactly when. BLACK FEMINIST THOUGHT is the title, I think.

Anyway, I haven't read the referenced study, though I will later. I can say from what I've read of the study and of Collins's book that, yes, black mothers are tougher on their children because the risks are higher. (I say "black mothers" because I'm not as read on Latina mothering.) And yes, arguments are more intense because the mother's discipline is more intense, which is because the risks are higher.

I also think what's interesting to note is that while African American daughters may experience an "oppressive" childhood relative to white girls, African American women are also more independent/out-spoken on average than most white women. (Before charges of reverse-racism, I learned that in intro to women's studies.)

In my own experience, I can definitely testify that my mother gave me the tools to stand up for and take care of myself. Conflicts are most intense between us when I use these tools, the ones she gave me, against her.