NCJ Number
183701
Journal
Violence Against Women Volume: 6 Issue: 5 Dated: May 2000 Pages: 533-549
Date Published
May 2000
Length
17 pages
Annotation
This article examines ways to prevent violence in the African American community.
Abstract
The article explores how aspects of black popular culture can be effectively used to enhance the sensitivity and competence of intervention efforts designed to prevent and reduce domestic violence among African Americans. Characteristics of black popular culture include a common heritage involving intergenerational exposure to various racist practices, an attachment to music and religion. There are many causes of domestic violence and efforts to prevent and reduce the occurrence of domestic violence among African Americans must occur within the context of a comprehensive prevention agenda. A fundamental feature of such an agenda involves delivery of services that are culturally sensitive and competent. The icons and artifacts that constitute black popular culture can be recast to claim ownership of domestic violence as a significant social problem in the African American community. As a domestic violence intervention, black popular culture exemplifies how cultural products and cultural expressions could be used to facilitate access to information and services related to domestic violence. Finally, black popular culture has significant public health implications, given its potential uses as an intervention that can transform attitudes and change behavior because it reflects a cultural authenticity that more traditional interventions tend to lack. References