African American Families:    Issues, Insights and Directions:    

This text is designed as a workbook that allows families, groups and others to address the issues confronting the African-American Family. It asks the basic question “what is the African-American family and where is it going?” In attempting to answer these questions the authors provide relevant information regarding the African-American family and the conditions confronting it. Chapters include Authentic Features in the African-American Family, Media Technology and the African-American Family, Religion and Spirituality, Substance Abuse and the Future of the African-American Family.

ISBN: 0-939205-04-1                                  To order contact: Ayanna Nobles - Email: ayn@iasbflc.org Phone: 510 517-7321
$15.00

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

I OVERVIEW OF THE INSTITUTE'S AFRICAN-AMERICAN FAMILY STUDIES 1

II African-American family Analysis 13
Brief Historical Background of Scholarly Interest
in the African-American Family 16
Problems in the Study of the Black Family 20
What Is The African-American family? 21
Where is the African-American family Going? 23
DICUSSION AND STUDY GUIDE 25

III AUTHENTIC FEATURES OF THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN FAMILY 29
Contemporary Conditions Affecting the
African-American Family 31
DISCUSSION AND STUDY GUIDE 40

IV PARENTING IN AFRICAN-AMERICAN FAMILIES 43
Conditions Influencing Black Parenting Styles 46
Toward A Reclamation of Black Parenting Techniques 47
DICUSSION AND STUDY GUIDE 52

V TEENAGE PREGNACY IN THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN FAMILY 55
Personality and Behavioral Dispositions 59
The Psychology of Teenage Boys 59
The Psychology of Teenage Girls 61
DICUSSION AND STUDY GUIDE 64

VI MEDIA TECHNOLOGY & THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN FAMILY 67
Programming or Propaganda 71
Comedy or Casualty 74
DISCUSSION AND STUDY GUIDE 78

VII SPIRITUALITY &THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN FAMILY 81
Functions of the Church 85
Dysfunctional Black Church and Family 86
A Model of Reclamation and Rejuvenation 87
DISCUSSION AND STUDY GUIDE 89

VIII SUBSTANCE ABUSE IN THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN FAMILY 93
DISCUSSION AND STUDY GUIDE 104

IX THE FUTURE OF THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN FAMILY 107
Black Population Profile 110
Transformation of the African-American Family 112
Acculturation of the Black Population 113
The Eroding Economic Viability of the
African-American Family 114
The Choice of Change 117
DISCUSSION AND STUDY GUIDE 119

GLOSSARY 123

INDEX 129