Ethnographic Essay: Black African Gay Community and Culture

This essay presents an ethnographic study focusing on the Black African gay community, examining their experiences, cultural identity, and the challenges they face. It delves into the Quiverfull movement and its impact on marginalized groups. The essay explores the movement's conservative beliefs, which differ significantly from modern American values. It analyzes the ideology of the Quiverfull movement, its rituals, and the reasons for its marginalization by modern society. The study further investigates the perspectives of individuals who have engaged with the movement, highlighting the potential health risks associated with its beliefs. Finally, it discusses strategies to prevent marginalization, such as promoting women's education and career development, and raising awareness about the disadvantages of certain beliefs, advocating for equality and societal progress.

Running head: ETHNOGRAPHIC ABOUT BLACK AFRICAN GAY
ETHNOGRAPHIC ABOUT BLACK AFRICAN GAY
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1
ETHNOGRAPHIC ABOUT BLACK AFRICAN GAY
Discuss the main components
Origin/Habitat: Certain group belonging from Christian Denominations operates the Quiverfull
movement; they have conservative beliefs and values, which make them different from other
modern residents of United States. The movement was originated near about 40 years ago, in the
19th and 20th century, when the birth control methods were implemented, many families from the
Quiverfull movement issued official statements protesting against the methods that are against
biblical beliefs and values
Ideology: The ideology of “Quiverfull” movement and their groups are abstaining themselves
from all the activities that preaches birth control, sterilization and normal family planning
measures. The widespread believers of this movement, following “Providentialism” philosophy
resides majorly in United States, some residing in parts of Canada. Providentialism is the belief
that God follows everything on the earth, and controlling those things is inclining the defying the
will of God (Walsham 2016).
Rituals: They tend to live in an uncontrolled and unplanned lifestyle, which makes them
different from the modernized Americans. They have unplanned multiple number of children
following the concept of “pronatalism”, nurturing them and growing them through
homeschooling process. They believe in typical gender role of women and men, and that believe
that they are most faithful groups in following God’s will (Corrigan 2016).
Reason the group has been marginalized:
The modernized Americans have marginalized this group, as they believe in that every child is a
God Gifts, and they are spreading this to entire United Kingdom. This form of beliefs also tends

2
ETHNOGRAPHIC ABOUT BLACK AFRICAN GAY
in believing the traditional gender role of women and men leading to women believing main rile
to be a wife and mother. There is a psalm that the Quiver group follows is stating, “where
children are compared to arrows for war- is the inspiration of Quiverfull movement”. According
to statistics the family size of average people in United States is 1.7, the families following this
belief helps is considered different and awkward (McGowin 2015. ). In the 21st century, where
women are taking their career as an important part of their life proving their identity being
parallel to men, this group’s value indicates to drop the beliefs of birth control and feminism.
The Government has speculated birth control because there were increased population, which led
to increased negligence for children and poverty with increased health issues in both mother and
children. The birth control measures also gave ways to women to concentrate in higher studies
and employment and thinking about creating their own identity alongside their husband.
Change of views and opinions through observation and research:
The example of women called Garrison, believed in Quiver full movement, and she was part of
movement before she moved out of the group in the year 2008(bbc.com 2020). She had seven
children, even after suffering from a rare bone disease, which made childbirth difficult, she had
risk for her life while giving birth to her seventh child. It has also been observed that the husband
does not believe in the belief and for him it’s hard to maintain the family of seven children along
with him and his wife Garrison, functioning a family of nine, is kind of hard and pressurizing on
Garrison’s husband. Nevertheless, she continues to believe that God is only person who decides
the faith and having child is part of believing in God and is creation. I have gathered the belief
from the case of Garrision, is that maintaining the belied can endanger the women and child
health. The birth complications for which Government should take measures.
Prevention of marginalization:

3
ETHNOGRAPHIC ABOUT BLACK AFRICAN GAY
To prevent the marginalization
Women believing inequality should take measures in preaching the women education and career
building. The disadvantages of these beliefs should be made them understand by the processes of
medical training and awareness (Taylor 2015). The feminists are the ones against this concept
that they believe that the equality own by women by decades of struggling will be hampered by
this type of concepts, where men are given the power to guide the family and take all the
decisions. Many advocates have proclaimed that the Quiver-full movement can inflict with moral
decay in American society.
References
.bbc.com, 2020. The People With A Religious Duty To Have Children. [online] Available at:
<https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-22526252> [Accessed 3 April 2020].
Corrigan, L.M., 2016. So, You've Heard of the Duggars? Bodily Autonomy, Religious
Exemption, and the American South.
McGowin, E.H., 2015. As for Me and My House: The Theology of the Family in the American
Quiverfull Movement (Doctoral dissertation, University of Dayton).
Taylor, M., 2015. Quiverfull: Family Reformation and Intentional Community.
Walsham, A., 2016. Deciphering Divine Wrath and Displaying Godly Sorrow: Providentialism
and Emotion in Early Modern England. In Disaster, Death and the Emotions in the Shadow of
the Apocalypse, 1400–1700 (pp. 21-43). Palgrave Macmillan, London.