Racial Identity Development for Black Adolescents: Over Time and At School

Racial Identity Development for Black Adolescents: Over Time and At School
Author: Amirah Lindsey Saafir
Publisher:
Total Pages: 95
Release: 2020
Genre:
ISBN:

This dissertation consists of two studies that explore the development of ethnic racial identity for Black adolescents during middle and high school. Both studies draw from a longitudinal school-based study of about 6,000 ethnically diverse early adolescents' social and psychological adjustment in 26 schools that varied in ethnic diversity. The analytic sample for this dissertation consisted of only students that self-identified as Black/African American. In Study 1, I examined the developmental trajectory of growth in 3 parameters of ethnic racial identity--ethnic pride, ethnic exploration, and out group orientation--from 6th-12th grade. Piecewise latent growth curve models revealed that each aspect of ethnic racial identity followed a unique pattern of growth. While ethnic pride and out group orientation seemed to both grow in middle and high school, ethnic pride was relatively stable in middle school and then showed a pattern of growth in high school. Furthermore, both ethnic pride and ethnic exploration showed a significant drop at the start of high school. In Study 2, I focused in on ethnic pride to explore school ethnic context as a potential explanation for changes in ethnic pride over time, especially at the transition to high school. I considered a variety of aspects of the school ethnic context including actual ethnic representation of Black students, perceived representation, and change in representation. I also explored the impact of racial discrimination as a psychological aspect of the ethnic context. Results from latent growth curve models revealed that only perceived ethnic representation impacted ethnic pride. I found that perceptions of declining representation from middle school to high school predicted the drop in ethnic pride at the start of high school. Furthermore, perceiving more same ethnic peers in 9th grade predicted a faster recovery for ethnic pride during high school. Findings from this dissertation point to an important relationship between school ethnic context and ethnic racial identity.

Below the Surface

Below the Surface
Author: Deborah Rivas-Drake
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Total Pages: 240
Release: 2021-06-08
Genre: Education
ISBN: 0691217130

A guide to the latest research on how young people can develop positive ethnic-racial identities and strong interracial relations Today’s young people are growing up in an increasingly ethnically and racially diverse society. How do we help them navigate this world productively, given some of the seemingly intractable conflicts we constantly hear about? In Below the Surface, Deborah Rivas-Drake and Adriana Umaña-Taylor explore the latest research in ethnic and racial identity and interracial relations among diverse youth in the United States. Drawing from multiple disciplines, including developmental psychology, social psychology, education, and sociology, the authors demonstrate that young people can have a strong ethnic-racial identity and still view other groups positively, and that in fact, possessing a solid ethnic-racial identity makes it possible to have a more genuine understanding of other groups. During adolescence, teens reexamine, redefine, and consolidate their ethnic-racial identities in the context of family, schools, peers, communities, and the media. The authors explore each of these areas and the ways that ideas of ethnicity and race are implicitly and explicitly taught. They provide convincing evidence that all young people—ethnic majority and minority alike—benefit from engaging in meaningful dialogues about race and ethnicity with caring adults in their lives, which help them build a better perspective about their identity and a foundation for engaging in positive relationships with those who are different from them. Timely and accessible, Below the Surface is an ideal resource for parents, teachers, educators, school administrators, clergy, and all who want to help young people navigate their growth and development successfully.

Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?

Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?
Author: Beverly Daniel Tatum
Publisher: Basic Books
Total Pages: 461
Release: 2017-09-05
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1541616588

The classic, New York Times-bestselling book on the psychology of racism that shows us how to talk about race in America. Walk into any racially mixed high school and you will see Black, White, and Latino youth clustered in their own groups. Is this self-segregation a problem to address or a coping strategy? How can we get past our reluctance to discuss racial issues? Beverly Daniel Tatum, a renowned authority on the psychology of racism, argues that straight talk about our racial identities is essential if we are serious about communicating across racial and ethnic divides and pursuing antiracism. These topics have only become more urgent as the national conversation about race is increasingly acrimonious. This fully revised edition is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand dynamics of race and racial inequality in America.

Exploration of Ethnic and Ego Identity Development in Black Americans

Exploration of Ethnic and Ego Identity Development in Black Americans
Author: Alonzo DeCarlo
Publisher: LAP Lambert Academic Publishing
Total Pages: 60
Release: 2009-10
Genre:
ISBN: 9783838314846

Understanding how African American youth appear to manage the struggles of race and ethnic consciousness as well as achieving the normal developmental outcomes of adolescence associated with ego identity requires extensive research. More study is necessary to ascertain how ego, racial, and ethnic identity evolves over time and the nature of this development in other areas of African American adolescents lives. Afro-centric theories on development with empirical support would make major contributions to our understanding of identity development for African American adolescents. Studies that capture the cultural subtleties of identity development in African American youth will make tremendous contributions to the intervention and prevention strategies for mental health, judicial and educational practitioners working with this population.

Handbook of Race, Racism, and the Developing Child

Handbook of Race, Racism, and the Developing Child
Author: Stephen M. Quintana
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 524
Release: 2008-07-10
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 0470189800

Filling a critical void in the literature, Race, Racism, and the Developing Child provides an important source of information for researchers, psychologists, and students on the recent advances in the unique developmental and social features of race and racism in children's lives. Thorough and accessible, this timely reference draws on an international collection of experts and scholars representing the breadth of perspectives, theoretical traditions, and empirical approaches in this field.

African American Family Life

African American Family Life
Author: Vonnie C. McLoyd
Publisher: Guilford Press
Total Pages: 367
Release: 2005-09-26
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 1572309954

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 sets forth cogent recommendations for supporting families' strengths. Following an overview that traces the ongoing evolution of theory and research in the field, the book examines how African American families fare on numerous indicators of well-being. Throughout, contributors identify factors that promote or hinder healthy child and family development, writing from a culturally sensitive, nonpathologizing stance. The concluding chapter provides an up-to-date framework for culturally competent mental health practice.