The Hip Hop Generation

In examining Black male-female relationships, Bell, Bouie, and Baldwin (1990) noted that most of the research is pathologycentered. This research focuses on a worldview or cultural orientation whose center is Euro-American. It is assumed that Black heterosexual relationships are based on the same values, lifestyles, and beliefs as those of Euro-American heterosexual relationships. To support this belief, the research emphasizes Black-White comparisons that are not cross-culturally sensitive to variation (Allen, 1978). Any deviation from the Euro-American pattern is considered abnormal. Asante (1980) proposed that African American cultural orientation is distinct from that of Euro-Americans. African American cultural orientation and worldview are situated in the cultural, historical, and philosophical tradition of African people. This worldview is defined by two principles: oneness with nature and survival of the group. In this holistic perspective, each partner provides for the other's intellectual, emotional, physical, and social stimulation. Neither partner exploits the relationship (Bell et al., 1990). Other social scientists, such as Page (1997), Hutchinson (1997), and Michaels (1995), discussed the heterogeneity and variation within African American communities. For example, Michaels used a historical examination of writers such as Paul Lawrence Dunbar, Zora Neal Hurston, and W.E.B. DuBois to discuss variation among African Americans. Page also suggested that promoters