African-American Children at Church
A Sociocultural Perspective

Describes socialization beliefs and practices within an African-American church in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Wendy L. Haight (Author)

9780521003452, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 10 December 2001

242 pages, 7 tables
22.9 x 15.4 x 1.5 cm, 0.34 kg

"Haight provides a microscopic description of the socialization beliefs and practices of African American adults and of children's experiences and developmen within a religious community.... An important conribution to a better understanding of children's religious experience, and to the fields of human development, education, and social work." Choice

African-American Children at Church explores African-American socialization beliefs and practices, based on findings of a unique, four-year long study in a Baptist church in Salt Lake City, Utah. By combining the ethnographic approaches of anthropology with the detailed naturalistic observations of developmental psychology, Dr Haight provides a rich description of actual socialization practices along with an interpretation of what those patterns mean to the participants themselves. Based on extensive interviews with successful African-American adults involved with children, this book begins with the exploration of adults' beliefs about socialization issues focusing on the role of religion in the development of resilience. Drawing from naturalistic observations of adult-child interaction, the book then describes actual socialization contexts and practices that help to nurture competencies in African-American children. The text focuses on Sunday School and includes narrative practices and patterns of adult-child conflict and play.

Part I. Overview: 1. Introduction
2. The African-American church and the socialization of children's resiliency
3. Research strategy
Part II. Patterns of Socialization and Participation: 4. African-Americans in Salt Lake City: an historical and social overview
5. The teachers
6. Adults' perspectives on spiritual socialization
7. Narratives related during Sunday School
8. Socialization and participation through storytelling
9. Adult-child verbal conflicts
10. Other contexts for socialization and participation
Part III: 11. The computer club: implications of research for practice
12. Enhancing university students' understanding and appreciation of cultural diversity: implications of practice for research
Part IV. Conclusion: 13. Some final points.

Subject Areas: Social groups [JFS], Religion: general [HRA]