The Family Emotional System and the African American Family

December 17, 2018

The Family Emotional System and the African American Family

Mignonette N. Keller, PhD

This study applies Bowen family systems theory to investigate the factors influencing the functioning of slave owners, slaves, and their descendants from a systems perspective. The findings in this investigation reveal the extent to which there is a direct correlation between the quality of a person’s family relationships and how that person functions. In effect, it is an attempt to answer a basic question asked by Murray Bowen in the late 1970’s: “How does a slave develop a self in an oppressive, dehumanizing system forcing him in a no-self position?” Bowen was convinced the answer would best be found by shifting the focus from the atrocities of slavery to the ability of slaves to survive and thrive.

Video Length: 1:32:05

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