Difference between revisions of "426--Week 5 Questions/Comments--Thursday"
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I always knew it happened, but it was still sad to read about the cases where slaves would marry (with or without permission from their 'masters') and then one of the spouses be sold off, or their children get sold off. Compared to the whites, slave family was vastly different, especially the most households being headed by a female member. --Ashley Wilkins | I always knew it happened, but it was still sad to read about the cases where slaves would marry (with or without permission from their 'masters') and then one of the spouses be sold off, or their children get sold off. Compared to the whites, slave family was vastly different, especially the most households being headed by a female member. --Ashley Wilkins | ||
| − | + | Stevenson spends quite some time discussing the matrifocal family. I found it particularly interesting the link between matrifocal structured families and Virginia law as well as a reference to family structures back in Africa. While I can see how the law dictating the status of a child via the mother would create a matrifocally structured family, I struggle to understand how slaves might have preferred this family structure (p.223). While it may have been familiar it was certainly not ideal and I think it is a stretch to make such a claim that since matrifocally structured families were popular in West Africa that families might even prefer this set up in Virginia. Granted, Stevenson has not painted the picture of stability for those families that were able or willing to have nuclear families, but matrifocal families placed such a burden of protection and sole caretaker on the woman, that it seems far from a preference for matrifocal families, but more likely a necessity of the situation. – Mary Beth | |
== Slave Children == | == Slave Children == | ||
