African American Identity: Racial and Cultural Dimensions of the Black Experience

by Frank C. Worrell (Contribution by), Richard D. Harvey (Contribution by), Jelani Mandara (Contribution by), William E. Cross Jr. (Contribution by), Donald C. Reitzes (Contribution by)

Overview

Jas M. Sullivan and Ashraf M. Esmail’s African American Identity: Racial and Cultural Dimensions of the Black Experience is a collection which makes use of multiple perspectives across the social sciences to address complex issues of race and identity. The contributors tackle questions about what African American racial identity means, how we may go about quantifying it, what the factors are in shaping identity development, and what effects racial identity has on psychological, political, educational, and health-related behavior.

African American Identity aims to continue the conversation, rather than provide a beginning or an end. It is an in-depth study which uses quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods to explore the relationship between racial identity and psychological well-being, effects on parents and children, physical health, and related educational behavior. From these vantage points, Sullivan and Esmail provide a unique opportunity to further our understanding, extend our knowledge, and continue the debate.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780739193020
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	03/12/2014
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	472
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.40(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

MICHAEL CUNNINGHAM is the author of the novels A Home at the End of the World, Flesh and Blood, Specimen Days, By Nightfall, and The Snow Queen, as well as the collection A Wild Swan and Other Tales, and the nonfiction book Land’s End: A Walk in Provincetown. He is the recipient of a Whiting Award and a Guggenheim Fellowship, and his work has appeared in The New Yorker and The Best American Short Stories. The Hours was a New York Times bestseller, and the winner of both the PEN/Faulkner Award and the Pulitzer Prize. Raised in Los Angeles, Michael Cunningham lives in New York City, and is a senior lecturer at Yale University.

Table of Contents

Part 1. Theoretical and Methodological Issues in African American Racial Identity
Chapter 1. Forty Years of Cross' Nigrescence Theory: From Stages to Profiles, From African Americans to All Americans
Chapter 2. The Conceptualization and Measurement of Racial Identity and Racial Identification within Psychology
Chapter 3. African American Racial Identity Research in Political Science: The Need for a Multidimensional Measure
Part 2. African American Racial Identity and Psychological Well-Being
Chapter 4. The Effects of Racial Identity on African-American Youth Well-Being: A Clarification of the Research and Meta-analysis
Chapter 5. Black Identity and Well-Being: Untangling Race and Ethnicity
Chapter 6. Black Racial/Ethnic Identity and Its Impact on Well-Being: Bridging Identity Theory and Racial/Ethnic Identity Research
Chapter 7. When Racial Identity Matters: Stressful Events and Mental Health in Rural African American Adolescents
Part 3. African American Racial Identity and Physical Health
Chapter 8. The Role of African American Racial Identification in Health Behavior
Chapter 9. Vascular Depression and African Americans: A Population at Risk
Part 4. African American Racial Identity Development and Effects on Parents and Children
Chapter 10. Black Like Me: The Race Socialization of African American Boys by Nonresident Fathers
Chapter 11. Toward a Model of Racial Identity and Parenting in African Americans
Chapter 12. African American Children's Racial Identification and Identity: Development of Racial Narratives
Part 5. African American Racial Identity and Influence on Educational Behavior
Chapter 13. Racial Identity as a Buffer to Discrimination among Low Income African American Adolescents: An Examination of Academic Performance
Chapter 14. The Congruence Between African American Students' Racial Identity Beliefs and their Academic Climates: Implications for Academic Motivation and Achievement
Chapter 15. The Influence of African American Racial Identity on Standardized Test Performance
Chapter 16. An Exploration of Racial Identity among Black Doctoral Students Involved in Cross-Race Advising Relationships
Chapter 17. The Relationship between African American Males' Collegiate Peer Support Groups and Their Racial Identity Development

What People are Saying About This

Beverly Vandiver

African American Identity is a must-read for anyone seeking a scholarly understanding of racial/ethnic identity of Black folks. In one volume, Sullivan and Esmail bring together noteworthy scholars across various disciplines, as well as new scholars. The writings are stimulating and provocative and extend the debate about the conceptualization and measurement of Black identity, as well as its applications across disciplines, sociology, medicine, psychology, and political science.

Kevin Cokley

Sullivan and Esmail have edited one of the most impressive volumes on African American identity in recent memory. The multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary nature of the book, combined with contributions from established scholars as well as emerging scholars in the field, make this book a unique and indispensable reference for scholars, researchers, educators, and practitioners interested in better understanding how racial identity impacts the lives of African Americans.

Editorial Reviews

African American Identity is a must-read for anyone seeking a scholarly understanding of racial/ethnic identity of Black folks. In one volume, Sullivan and Esmail bring together noteworthy scholars across various disciplines, as well as new scholars. The writings are stimulating and provocative and extend the debate about the conceptualization and measurement of Black identity, as well as its applications across disciplines, sociology, medicine, psychology, and political science.” —Beverly Vandiver, Penn State University

“Sullivan and Esmail have edited one of the most impressive volumes on African American identity in recent memory. The multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary nature of the book, combined with contributions from established scholars as well as emerging scholars in the field, make this book a unique and indispensable reference for scholars, researchers, educators, and practitioners interested in better understanding how racial identity impacts the lives of African Americans.” —Kevin Cokley, University of Texas at Austin

“African American Identity: Racial and Cultural Dimensions of the Black Experiencehas an especially strong applied focus. Community and religious leaders, health interventionists, and educators will find ideas for programmatic interventions.Scholars of Black racial identity will be very interested in this volume, which provides a much-needed window onto the diverse theories, measurement strategies, and findings with respect to Black racial identity. Sullivan and Esmail’s book represents a beginning in corralling and integrating this important literature.” —PsycCRITIQUES

“The impressive group of researchers Sullivan (political science and African American studies, Louisiana State Univ.) and Esmail (social sciences, Walden Univ.) assembled present up-to-date qualitative and quantitative explorations of the multidimensional construct of African American racial and cultural identity. The chapters in part 1 review the theoretical evolution of the construct and measurement instruments that help clarify underlying factors of identity development and its influence on everyday life. The chapters in the remaining four parts report current research on the association of racial identity and psychological well-being, physical health, parenting, and educational behaviors. Although the book focuses on African American identity, the theoretical perspectives serve for other ethnic and racial identities. Presenting a well-rounded review of theories and their application, the book will help readers understand the development, reproduction, and influence of racial identity on the lives of African Americans. Specialists examining identity will find this a useful review of theory and method, a resource that highlights the associations between aspects of African American identity and everyday outcomes. The book should inspire scholars to consider new avenues of research. Summing Up: Recommended.” —Choice Reviews

From the Publisher

The impressive group of researchers Sullivan (political science and African American studies, Louisiana State Univ.) and Esmail (social sciences, Walden Univ.) assembled present up-to-date qualitative and quantitative explorations of the multidimensional construct of African American racial and cultural identity. The chapters in part 1 review the theoretical evolution of the construct and measurement instruments that help clarify underlying factors of identity development and its influence on everyday life. The chapters in the remaining four parts report current research on the association of racial identity and psychological well-being, physical health, parenting, and educational behaviors. Although the book focuses on African American identity, the theoretical perspectives serve for other ethnic and racial identities. Presenting a well-rounded review of theories and their application, the book will help readers understand the development, reproduction, and influence of racial identity on the lives of African Americans. Specialists examining identity will find this a useful review of theory and method, a resource that highlights the associations between aspects of African American identity and everyday outcomes. The book should inspire scholars to consider new avenues of research. Summing Up: Recommended.

CHOICE

African American Identity: Racial and Cultural Dimensions of the Black Experience has an especially strong applied focus. Community and religious leaders, health interventionists, and educators will find ideas for programmatic interventions. Scholars of Black racial identity will be very interested in this volume, which provides a much-needed window onto the diverse theories, measurement strategies, and findings with respect to Black racial identity. Sullivan and Esmail’s book represents a beginning in corralling and integrating this important literature.

PsycCRITIQUES

Sullivan and Esmail have edited one of the most impressive volumes on African American identity in recent memory. The multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary nature of the book, combined with contributions from established scholars as well as emerging scholars in the field, make this book a unique and indispensable reference for scholars, researchers, educators, and practitioners interested in better understanding how racial identity impacts the lives of African Americans.

Kevin Cokley

African American Identity is a must-read for anyone seeking a scholarly understanding of racial/ethnic identity of Black folks. In one volume, Sullivan and Esmail bring together noteworthy scholars across various disciplines, as well as new scholars. The writings are stimulating and provocative and extend the debate about the conceptualization and measurement of Black identity, as well as its applications across disciplines, sociology, medicine, psychology, and political science.

Beverly Vandiver

The impressive group of researchers Sullivan (political science and African American studies, Louisiana State Univ.) and Esmail (social sciences, Walden Univ.) assembled present up-to-date qualitative and quantitative explorations of the multidimensional construct of African American racial and cultural identity. The chapters in part 1 review the theoretical evolution of the construct and measurement instruments that help clarify underlying factors of identity development and its influence on everyday life. The chapters in the remaining four parts report current research on the association of racial identity and psychological well-being, physical health, parenting, and educational behaviors. Although the book focuses on African American identity, the theoretical perspectives serve for other ethnic and racial identities. Presenting a well-rounded review of theories and their application, the book will help readers understand the development, reproduction, and influence of racial identity on the lives of African Americans. Specialists examining identity will find this a useful review of theory and method, a resource that highlights the associations between aspects of African American identity and everyday outcomes. The book should inspire scholars to consider new avenues of research. Summing Up: Recommended.

Choice Reviews

The impressive group of researchers Sullivan (political science and African American studies, Louisiana State Univ.) and Esmail (social sciences, Walden Univ.) assembled present up-to-date qualitative and quantitative explorations of the multidimensional construct of African American racial and cultural identity. The chapters in part 1 review the theoretical evolution of the construct and measurement instruments that help clarify underlying factors of identity development and its influence on everyday life. The chapters in the remaining four parts report current research on the association of racial identity and psychological well-being, physical health, parenting, and educational behaviors. Although the book focuses on African American identity, the theoretical perspectives serve for other ethnic and racial identities. Presenting a well-rounded review of theories and their application, the book will help readers understand the development, reproduction, and influence of racial identity on the lives of African Americans. Specialists examining identity will find this a useful review of theory and method, a resource that highlights the associations between aspects of African American identity and everyday outcomes. The book should inspire scholars to consider new avenues of research. Summing Up: Recommended.

Choice