Question

By tracing the genealogy of the "normal" (i.e., white) family to the destruction of black families and alternative relational structures, Spillers de-naturalizes and de-normalizes the ________________ as one form among many and a form made possible through the violence of slavery.

A. Nuclear family

B. Extended family

C. Patriarchal family

D. Heteronormative family

Answer 1

Hortense Spillers de-naturalizes and de-normalizes the nuclear family by showing it as one relationship structure among many, its prevalence in part due to the historical violence of slavery.

Step-by-step explanation:

By tracing the genealogy of the "normal" (i.e., white) family back to the tumultuous history of black families during slavery, Hortense Spillers challenges the notion of the nuclear family structure, highlighting it as a form made viable through the systemic violence and oppression of slavery. This critique de-naturalizes and de-normalizes the nuclear family as just one relational structure among many. Spillers' analysis demonstrates that the traditional nuclear family is not a universal standard but rather a product of particular historical and social contexts, thereby recognizing the legitimacy of alternative relational structures that have formed both in resistance to and as a consequence of this violence.