In my African-American community, caregiver roles are usually assumed by women – daughters, wives, or daughters-in-law. Women are usually responsible for helping the diseased with their daily living activities, such as dressing, washing, and cooking, while men’s duty is financial support. However, the burden of caregiving generally does not fall on a single person; rather, many members of the family may coordinate with each other in providing assistance to the sick relative.
Overall, different identity characteristics determine who assumes caregiving roles. Gender is an important factor since research shows that, although men can be engaged in caregiving, women act as caregivers much more often (Bertogg & Strauss, 2020). In addition, men are more likely to remain in employment, which is why they often take up financial support, while women assist in daily living activities (Bertogg & Strauss, 2020). Further, marital status also determines whether a person will become a caregiver. Among married individuals, caregiving is common, and when both spouses have certain health problems, the caregiving burden falls on the one who is functionally less limited (Bertogg & Strauss, 2020). Age may also affect caregiving roles as younger individuals are more likely to become caregivers for their older relatives.
In the African American community, two major factors may alleviate the caregiver burden. The first factor is the high value of the family and cultural expectations about women’s roles as carers for the family. Because of culturally embedded female duties and more value placed on family needs rather than individual ones, African Americans are less burdened by caregiving (McLennon et al., 2020). Another alleviating factor is religiosity that is used as a source of comfort and strength (McLennon et al., 2020). Both factors help African Americans cope with the caregiver’s burden.
Culturally appropriate interventions for this cultural group should emphasize African American values. One particular intervention is psychoeducation that should be culturally tailored to include more information about the family as a caregiving resource (Brewster et al., 2020). Culturally sensitive interventions are important because it allows for forming therapeutic alliances with clients and addressing the systemic oppression faced by their cultural groups (National Association of Social Workers, 2010). In order to advocate for African American caregivers, social workers should be aware of policies applying to this group and defend their interests and cultural values in team meetings. They should also support policies and media that act to eliminate the institutional oppression of this group.