Male-Female Relationships in African Descendants

In all relationships today, the interplay of several factors causes an unhealthy relationship between males and females. Some elements that can cut across racial borders include unemployment, communication, the need for autonomy, and education preparation. However, it is evident that the historical discrimination and oppression that faced African Americans significantly contributed to the conflicting relationship. Historically, males and females of African descent have suffered class and racial discrimination (Abrams 151). Their discrimination has had a significant impact on their well-being because it impacted their ability to develop an intimate relationship with each other. At the individual or group level, the stress in the families due to financial issues, the process of socialization, and the double standard of the males are the factors that affect the black male-female relationship.

Firstly, there is a breakdown of the black male and female relationship because it is believed that the African descendants have adopted the Euro-American perspectives and cultural orientation of heterosexual relationships. The Euro-American worldview includes competition, values of power, physical gratification, and material affluence. This perspective stresses the importance of sexual satisfaction, physical traits, male dominance, and female subordination. There was also an emphasis on the accumulation of material. It is then evident that the people of African descent had a different worldview from that of the Euro-Americans. This is because the cultural, historical, and philosophical tradition of the people of Africa shaped their worldview. Their worldview stresses oneness with nature and surviving as a group. This led to a breakdown of the black male and female relationship.

Another factor that affects the black male and female relationship is the black-male double standard (Aborampah 322). There is a risk of conflicts when the partners are not able to accommodate the extra-dating behaviours of other partners. Traditionally, sexual relationships have held a different standard for males and females. In black society, extramarital behaviours are condoned for the males, but society frowns when the wife engages in the same behaviours. Therefore, the conflicting sex demands between the males and females lead to further deterioration of the black male-female relationship. Also, black women left the leadership responsibility to their male counterparts. The reason behind this is that they subjectively viewed it as a way of encouraging unity and coming together of the family. However, this did not serve the intended purpose because it was the beginning of gender oppression by Black males towards black females.

Another popular view is that males and females of African descent internalize sex-role definitions that are not complimentary (Abrams 151). When both genders of African Americans are developing and socializing, they receive different contradictory messages. For instance, during early socialization, black women are fed with information that would affect their adult relationships. In this case, the black females are told that they should work hard to be independent since it is challenging to find a man who will take care of them because they are black. Some of the black women are also told that ultimate accomplishment will occur when they manage to find a black man who will take care of them. On the other hand, black males were told that for them to be men, they had to be aggressive, dominant, responsible, and decisive, among many others. While others received messages that told them they need not be too dominant and too aggressive because the ‘men’ would cut them down. It is evidence that the development of such sex roles will lead to confusion among the African-Americans. Also, the socialization process has a more significant role in the future relationship. The conflicting messages will then affect the relationship between males and females of African descent.

Lastly, the majority of the scholars in the field have attributed the conflict to discrimination of race, class, and gender. The discrimination against people of colour has impacted their relationship quality as they are unable to maintain healthy relationships (Lavner 686). Society is made up of different groups that have varying degrees of power and control over resources. It is believed that black women suffer racial and sexist discrimination in the United States society. They are affected by low wages, overrepresentation in low-status positions, and low level of education. On the other hand, males experience problems with income inequality and unemployment. The security derived from employment plays an essential role in the sexual behaviors of an individual. It is believed that the level of relationship satisfaction depends on the extent to which a person enters a relationship without worrying about economic support. Therefore, the lack of employment opportunities and income inequality plays a significant role in the relationship between black males and females.

Conclusion

The African male-female is characterized by various social, historical, and cultural factors that impact their dynamics. Their relations usually reflect a blend of the effects of colonialism and traditional African values. It is evident that the historical discrimination and oppression that faced African Americans significantly contributed to the conflicting relationship. The legacy of colonialism and slavery, such as disruption in gender roles and family structures, have led to the emergence of challenges that impact the relationship among African descendants. Hence, understating the past events is essential in explaining the current relationship between the males and females of African descendants.