Overview

Child Discipline in African American Families provides and in depth, contextual understanding of African American disciplinary practices. The author argues that contextual perspective of African American child discipline is needed to fully comprehend how and why African American mothers and fathers use discipline to achieve their parenting goals. This book debunks the theory that spanking is the preferred method of child discipline for African American parents. The author provides numerous sources, cases, narratives and data that African Americans use physical discipline as a last resort option on a child discipline continuum. Adding the perspectives of seasoned trial lawyer demonstrates how research and arguments in this book are played out in a real-world context. A key feature of this book is highlighting the voices of African American parents in conceptualizing child discipline in African American homes. This data will provide new insights into how African American parents grapple with establishing parenting goals and child behavior expectations in a society that is often hostile toward African American children. The information can provide a framework for clinicians, child welfare and legal professionals to better define what is reasonable and functional when addressing child rearing concerns with African American parents.

Full Product Details

9781793620934

Table of Contents

Reviews

Adkison-Johnson takes the reader through an engaging history and overview of the conceptualizations of child-rearing in African American families. The book dives into the myriad and complex ways in which child-rearing in African American families is often misunderstood, primarily as a result of the hegemonic ideologies, rooted in white supremacy, that define Black people as out of control and violent. The narrow constructions of appropriate child-rearing not only impact our assessment of African American parents but also infiltrate policy. This book unpacks clearly the linkages between these constructions of appropriate parenting and referrals to child protective services and the disproportionate impact of the child welfare system on African American families. Recommended. All levels.-- Choice This book offers readers and professionals an in-depth understanding of the importance of culturally competent processes that do not further mitigate African American parents to be deemed as unfit. . . . I would purchase this book and recommend it to others, because (it) helps reframe the way we look at African American parenting, challenging our biases as professionals. . . . This was an informative, detailed, thought-provoking, and enlightening read!--Thomas A. Vance, The New School

"Adkison-Johnson takes the reader through an engaging history and overview of the conceptualizations of child-rearing in African American families. The book dives into the myriad and complex ways in which child-rearing in African American families is often misunderstood, primarily as a result of the hegemonic ideologies, rooted in white supremacy, that define Black people as ""out of control"" and ""violent."" The narrow constructions of ""appropriate"" child-rearing not only impact our assessment of African American parents but also infiltrate policy. This book unpacks clearly the linkages between these constructions of appropriate parenting and referrals to child protective services and the disproportionate impact of the child welfare system on African American families. Recommended. All levels. This book offers readers and professionals an in-depth understanding of the importance of culturally competent processes that do not further mitigate African American parents to be deemed as unfit. . . . I would purchase this book and recommend it to others, because (it) helps reframe the way we look at African American parenting, challenging our biases as professionals. . . . This was an informative, detailed, thought-provoking, and enlightening read!"

This book offers readers and professionals an in-depth understanding of the importance of culturally competent processes that do not further mitigate African American parents to be deemed as unfit. . . . I would purchase this book and recommend it to others, because (it) helps reframe the way we look at African American parenting, challenging our biases as professionals. . . . This was an informative, detailed, thought-provoking, and enlightening read!--Thomas A. Vance, The New School

This book offers readers and professionals an in-depth understanding of the importance of culturally competent processes that do not further mitigate African American parents to be deemed as unfit. . . . I would purchase this book and recommend it to others, because (it) helps reframe the way we look at African American parenting, challenging our biases as professionals. . . . This was an informative, detailed, thought-provoking, and enlightening read!--Thomas Vance, private practice

Author Information

Carla Adkison-Johnson is professor and interim chairperson for the Department of Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology at Western Michigan University.

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