Cultural Dis/Continuity in African-American and Ghanaian Mothers’ Voices and Identities

Abstract

With Cultural Continuity Theory as a framework, this study used quantitative (N = 204) and qualitative (N = 63) methods to explore how Ghanaian and African-American mothers communicate their motherhood perceptions and identities. Survey, interview, and focus group data obtained from this investigation suggest cultural discontinuity in the rhetoric the participants use to describe their motherhood experiences and identities. Though this multi-method study is meaningful in that it provides a space for the underrepresented voices of African-American and Ghanaian mothers to be heard, it challenges previously held notions of continuity within African-American and African societies. Based on the findings, this study also considers implications relative to the similarities and differences in African-American and Ghanaian motherhood philosophies, and it offers recommendations for future research.

Keywords:

• Cultural Continuity
• Cultural Discontinuity
• Ghanaian Mothers
• African-American Mothers
• Nonmaterial Culture
• Identity

Notes

1. The survey was completed in English for both the African-American and Ghanaian mothers, as English is the official language in both Ghana and the U.S.A.

2. The initial 17-item motherhood survey was pilot tested with a sample of 20 African-American mothers in a large southern (U.S.A.) city. Items that had factor loadings less than .60 and items that the participants reported as confusing, unclear, or unnecessary were eliminated, leaving a 12-item scale. The five eliminated items included: (a) My method of mothering matches society's view of mothering; (b) It is easy for me to achieve my motherhood and non motherhood goals; (c) My non motherhood responsibilities have changed since becoming a mother; (d) My life is more fulfilled now that I am a mother than it was before I became a mother; and (e) My style of mothering should be altered.