Somali Cultural Guide
Building Capacity to Strengthen the Well-Being of  
Immigrant Families and Their Children: A Prevention Strategy
The following is an overview of selected factors that are critical to understanding child and family 
environments of Somali immigrants. Through research and field interviews, the following are 
considered to be themes generally relevant to Somali culture and family dynamics. This guide 
is not meant to be exhaustive or representative of every family or group. Each family and child is 
coming from a unique and particular experience and should be approach in this way
Accurate understanding  
of parenting practices
Most Somali families focus only on the basic needs 
of their children. These basic necessities include 
nutrition, education, and shelter. They also put an 
effort into their children’s safety, health, and over-
all well-being. Religious traditions are considered 
essential to strong families. A two-parent fam-
ily structure is described as the ideal family for 
Somali families. Somali families often utilize an 
authoritarian parenting style; parents make deci-
sions for their children, who are expected to obey.
Somali parents often express concern with methods 
of discipline and seek more effective ways to man-
age children’s behavior. There is a desire to ensure 
that disciplinary interventions are contextually 
congruent with family and community culture.
The Somali culture is chiefly an oral tradition that 
values hands on learning and oral exchanges; 
handouts to be read will have a limited response. 
Parent and child nurturing  
and attachment styles
Traditionally, Somali families are large, with many 
households including 5-10 children.  Somali 
parents provide for their children and raise them 
with care, safety, and protection until the child 
becomes independent. There is a strong and 
secure attachment between mother and the 
children, especially when the child is at infant 
stage and until the child reaches the age of five.
Expectations of child development
Somali parents promote their children’s 
development and make sure their children 
are developing well according to the stages of 
development such as the child’s age and their 
mental status. Most Somali parents understand 
the normal pattern of child development. They 
are concerned about their children’s emotional 
and social behavior, as well as their cognitive 
development.
There is reluctance to pursue responses to an 
assessment of a child disability: concern that this 
may identify a child in a negative way and that the 
assessment may in fact be incorrect. 
Attitudes in seeking  
health care for children
Somali parents would know if their children have 
developmental issues because of yearly check-
ups, especially if the child is under the age of five. 
Most Somali parents see their child’s health as 
important, and they take their children to regular 
health check-ups and medical appointments.
Attitudes toward emotional  
behavior and mental health 
“Mental illness” is not acknowledged as an 
acceptable concept. Various phrases are often 
used in the Somali community to describe feelings 
of emotional distress.  These can include “noise 
in the brain”; “burning emotionally”; “thinking too 
much”; and/or “ongoing headache.” Depression is 
not acknowledged, but cultural healing, such as 
reading parts of the Koran, is often suggested by 
friends and family.
Role of kin and tribal networks
Somali families have a strong sense of kinship. 
Before the civil war, Somali helped each other and 
got support from extended families. Grandparents, 
aunts, uncles provide financial support to 
their relatives. Especially grandparents mostly 
take big role and responsibility of raising their 
grandchildren.
Tribal networks can be important for Somali 
elders and middle-aged adults. However, tribe 
plays a minimized role for younger generations,  
who may associate more strongly with an African 
or Muslim identity.
Support networks in coping with  
day-to-day challenges
When Somali families face issues and unfortunate 
events they get emotional support from their 
immediate families, as well as their extended 
families. Somalis do not have group support, but 
their source of help is their immediate families. 
Somali families are close to their community and 
seek support when faced with issues whether it is 
about family, housing, job.  
Families have often been accustomed to living 
difficult lives as nomads and farmers by relying 
on both the physical environment and on the 
physical proximity of extended family members 
for necessary resources.  This interdependence 
and sharing of resources was expected between 
generations within families, and between families 
and the greater Somali community.
Intergenerational tradition and values
It is not part of Somali tradition for parents to 
socialize with their children. They do not have conversation that 
involves how their day is going and how they are getting along well 
with other peers in school or if something is going in their lives 
emotionally. 
In Somalia, every member of the family, whether immediate or 
extended, is used to provide support and financial assistance and 
often takes part in a child’s life.
In the US, the living situation is different, and it is not convenient 
for Somali families to live in same state. For many Somali families, 
the loss of traditional extended family support creates increased 
stress for resettled family members. It is difficult to maintain 
kinship and get support from extended families.
Hierarchical role structure within the family was considered to be 
essential for the stability necessary to promote family strength. 
Men and elder family members were assigned positions of highest 
respect by religious tradition, as well as overall responsibility 
for family unity and well-being. Lifelong respect of parents was 
believed to be the parents’ right and the children’s obligation.
There may be occasions of role reversal, where children, by virtue 
of language and learned behavior, teach their parents. Somali 
children are often caught between two cultures. Adolescents 
may be in a disconnect within families and the community: 
rebellion, involvement in gang related activities, drug use, and 
vulnerabilities to recruitment for foreign terror activities are 
sources of intense anxiety.
Roles of men and women in their  
family life and socialization of the children
Traditionally, women take care of children and household chores. 
Somali men are the breadwinners. Usually Somali women put their 
children’s health, education, and well-being first. Somali men only 
take a small role in this regard.
Patterns of family interaction direct women to defer to men, 
especially in public. Responsible role functioning for men and 
women is defined differently according to public and private (home) 
domains. Family dynamics are reported to “shift” by domain: men 
dominant in public, women dominant in home management. 
Experiences in the migration journey
For some Somali families the severity of the violence and stress 
of the civil war, and flight from the homeland with loss of family 
members has made the adjustment process a struggle, in addition 
to the stresses of poverty, health, language barriers, and isolation.  
Many have been here for 15 years and they may still suffer from 
immigration issues, as well as the economic downturn. Moreover, 
serious concerns for their adolescents are uppermost in their 
family life. Resettlement takes time.  
For Additional Reading and References: 
Heitritter, D.L. (1999). Somali family strength: Working in the communities. Family and Children’s Services, University of Minnesota Extension Service.  
http://www.brycs.org/documents/upload/SomaliFamilyStrengthReport.pdf
Bridging Refugee Youth and Children’s Services (BRYCS). (2009, February). Positive youth development and Somali youth: Research and resources.   
http://www.brycs.org/clearinghouse/Positive-Youth-Development-and-Somali-Youth.cfm
The Minneapolis Foundation. (2004, October). Immigration in Minnesota: Discovering common ground.   
https://cas.bethel.edu/dept/psychology/multicultural-resources/immigration-in-minnesota
Morland, L. Somali Bantu refugees: Cultural considerations for social service providers. BRYCS Bulletin.   
http://www.brycs.org/documents/upload/SBantu-Service-Considerations.pdf
Nur, U., Dalal, M., & Baker, K. (2005). Best practices: Somali family mental health program. 
http://mha.ohio.gov/Portals/0/assets/Learning/CulturalCompetence/Best_Practices_Somali_Family_Mental_Support.pdf
Putnam, D.B. & Noor, M.C. (1993). The Somalis: Their history and culture. Center for Applied Linguistics. Refugee Fact Sheet Number 9. 
https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED377254
Schaid, J. & Grossman, Z. (2007). Somali immigrant settlement in small Midwestern U.S. communities: The case of Barron, Wisconsin. In A. Kusow  
and S. Bjørk (Eds.). From Mogadishu to Dixon: The Somali Diaspora in a Global Context. Lawrenceville, NJ: Africa World Press/The Red Sea Press.
Schuchman, D. & McDonald, C. (2004). Somali mental health. Bildhaan: An International Journal of Somali Studies. 
http://digitalcommons.macalester.edu/bildhaan/vol4/iss1/8/
Shukri, A. (2007). Report on Somali youth issues. City of Minneapolis. Department of Civil Rights.  
http://www.minneapolismn.gov/www/groups/public/@council/documents/webcontent/convert_272143.pdf
Among those who provided assistance and their expertise in developing this cultural guide and reference list: Hawa Aden, Somali Women in Minneapolis 
(SWIM), Amina Mohamed and Layla Abdi, MSW Candidates, University of Minnesota School of Social Work. Research Assistant Sarah Aughenbaugh, MPP 
and MSW Candidate, University of Minnesota, developed drafts based on their insights, as well as available research. This guide was developed under 
the auspices of the Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare (CACSW) and the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA) at the University of 
Minnesota, and funded by the Minnesota Department of Human Services’ Children’s Trust Fund, 2010. 
The Center for the Advanced Studies in Child Welfare (CASCW) is a nonpartisan research and 
training center at the University of Minnesota’s School of Social Work. 
CASCW’s mission is to improve the well-being of children and families who are involved in the 
child welfare system by; educating human service professionals, fostering collaboration across 
systems and disciplines, informing policy makers and the public, and expanding the child welfare 
knowledge base.  
CASCW takes neither partisan positions nor advocates for or against specific bills. Instead, CASCW 
offers background data, theory, and evidence-based practices that may be helpful to you as you 
consider these issues.   www.cehd.umn.edu/ssw/cascw
Center for Advanced Studies
in Child Welfare