African American Children: Socialization and Development in Families

In the context of growing diversity, Shirley A. Hill examines the work parents do in raising their children. Based on interviews and survey data, African American Children includes blacks of various social classes as well as a comparative sample of whites. It covers major areas of child socialization: teaching values, discipline strategies, gender socialization, racial socialization, extended families — showing how both race and class make a difference, and emphasizing patterns that challenge existing research that views black families as a monolithic group.