Role Strain in African-American Women

Abstract

Historically, African-American women in families have been responsible for the care and nurturance of their spouses, children, and aging family members (Campbell, 1987). Limited attention has been given, however, to their ability to carry out these responsibilities. Furthermore, few strategies have been suggested which may enable them to balance role responsibilities more effectively. This article reports the findings from a study investigating the use of support networks as a possible survival strategy adopted by AfricanAmerican women with children. African-American mothers are cognizant of the societal limitations confronting them as they undertake their economic, parental, and household maintenance tasks. They bear the stigma attached to their ethnic status, as well as that of being female, in many cases. While attempting to modify or execute the responsibilities attached to their roles, they are also influenced by the often caste-like restrictions prescribed to them in their ethnic status.1 Thus it may be posited that the execution of tasks may create a strain for African-American mothers who often have limited access to resources and institutional supports. Among the illustrations of the difficulties in this balancing act are the works of Johnson (1983) and Leggon (1983) who identified the stress related to the simultaneous fulfillment of the roles of mother and worker for African-American women. The United States continues to be the only industrialized nation without a universal child support or child benefit program (Kammerman and Kahn, 1981). Part-time, flexible work opportunities are limited for