Hisorical Review of the Somali Family: 1900-2014

• In Event: 220 - Section on the Sociology of the Family Roundtables (one-hour)
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 19. Defining Family and Family Values

Abstract

Despite the absence of any concerted effort to study the Somali family and its place within the larger African and Muslim family studies, this critical review illustrates that the Somali family is in transition. The protracted political turmoil in Somalia and the dispersal of Somali refugees around the globe led to an institution that is being shaped by local and international discourses variously framed in religious, cultural and medical veils, with complex ramifications for the Somali family and its inner workings around the globe. This critical review demonstrates how the Somali family remains central for social relations in this community. Despite the many shocks that Somalis experienced over the last few decades, this community continues to prioritize Islam and Somali cultural precepts to guide its dealings with gender and family issues, no matter how far removed they may be from the homeland, and in light of new demands intrinsic with political, economic and social turmoil including dispossession and displacement.

Author

• Cawo Mohamed Abdi, University of Minnesota