Black Children
Social, Educational, and Parental Environments
Black Children, Second Edition collects current empirical research unique to the experiences and situations of black children and their parents. As the editor emphasizes, "African American children develop a duality for their existence. To be fully functional, they must develop the skills to do well simultaneously in two different cultures, both black and non-black." This volume explores the meaning of this duality in four distinct environments: socioeconomic, parental, internal, and educational. The complex picture that emerges discredits many of the myths that surround black childhood development and initiates in-depth exploration into the diversities of the African American experience.
Taken together, the entries in this volume provide a valuable collection (suitable as both a core or supplemental textbook) for scholars, advanced undergraduate and graduate students, and professionals in the fields of education, counseling and clinical psychology, social work, family services, and related social services who are concerned about the optimal growth and development of black children.
"The authors are bold in addressing
the legacies of enslavement, racism, and the debilitating impact of economic
exploitation at the individual, family, and community levels. BLACK CHILDREN moves us away from the
traditional comparisons of black and white children in the context of
Eurocentric theoretical models as the context for the study of development. The
authors create a basis for an African and African American theoretical
framework to guide future research, educational strategies, and community intervention."
