Description

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This volume brings together leading experts from different disciplines to offer new perspectives on contemporary African American families. A wealth of knowledge is presented on the heterogeneity of Black family life today; the challenges and opportunities facing parents, children, and communities; and the impact on health and development of key cultural and social processes. Comprehensive and authoritative, the book critically evaluates current policies and service delivery models and offers cogent recommendations for supporting families' strengths.

About the Author

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Vonnie C. McLoyd, PhD, is Professor of Psychology and Research Scientist at the Center for Developmental Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC). Her scholarly work focuses on the effects of economic disadvantage and employment-related transitions on family life and child development, and the mediators and moderators of these effects. Dr. McLoyd is also interested in how race, ethnicity, and culture shape child socialization and development. She is director of a training program at UNC in research on Black child development, funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

Nancy E. Hill, PhD, is Associate Professor of Psychology at Duke University and Faculty Affiliate of the Center for Developmental Science at UNC. Her research focuses on how family socialization varies across ethnicity and socioeconomic status, and demographic variations in the relationship between family dynamics and children's development, especially among African American and Latino families. She is one of the founders of the Study Group on Race, Culture, and Ethnicity, an interdisciplinary group of scientists brought together to develop theory and methodology for defining and understanding cultural contexts.

Kenneth A. Dodge, PhD, is the Pritzker Professor of Public Policy and Psychology and Neuroscience at Duke University. He is Founding and Emeritus Director of the Duke Center for Child and Family Policy. A clinical and developmental psychologist, Dr. Dodge studies early childhood development, prevention of violent behavior in the family, and public policy to improve population outcomes for communities. He is the developer of Family Connects, a population approach to improve children’s outcomes in the first year of life. The author of more than 500 highly cited scientific articles, which have been cited more than 100,000 times, Dr. Dodge has been elected into the National Academy of Medicine and is the 2019–2021 President of the Society for Research in Child Development.

Praise For…

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"The message of this book is clear and timely: there is no single portrait of the African American family, only many and diverse versions of these families. By highlighting the varied ecological circumstances of African American families and the range of historical experiences that continue to produce myriad family types, this volume not only provides scholarly insights but also offers an empirically grounded platform for guiding social policies for different groups of families. The focus on the strengths and resilience of these families is a welcome corrective to earlier deficit models and the pathologization of the African American family. Scholars in a variety of fields, including psychology, ethnic studies, anthropology, social work, family studies, and education, would profit from this volume. This book deserves a prominent place in the library of all serious students of the contemporary African American family."--Ross D. Parke, PhD, Center for Family Studies and Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside

"This is a very fine book. It brings a fresh approach to the study of African American families. The ecological perspective is especially appropriate to the study of families. The authors together make it clear that African American families not only grow out of and are shaped by the varied cultural streams in American life, but also make a contribution to the continuing streams of cultural diversity....Will be especially useful as a supplementary text in African American Studies and Family Studies."--Andrew Billingsley, PhD, Department of Sociology and African American Studies Program, University of South Carolina, Columbia

"An intensive examination of the many facets of family life in Black America. This is an excellent text for graduate and advanced undergraduate students seeking the most recent data on this racially, culturally, and socioeconomically diverse population. The editors are to be congratulated for assembling this amazing cadre of contributing authors."--Harriette McAdoo, PhD, Department of Family and Child Ecology, Michigan State University

"A 'must have' reference....It has been a handy resource in intervention planning for my individual family intervention program that serves fifty African American families who live in an urban area. I have also used it with good success in a training workshop for behavior management staff who provide school intervention to teens....The material also is relevant to the graduate level family therapy and diversity classes that I teach."
— The Family Psychologist

"I thoroughly enjoyed this book....It challenges you to go beyond conventional thinking and deal with difficult issues."
— Doody's Review Service