Social Work With African American Males

Waldo E. Johnson, Jr., PhD, is an Associate Professor in the School of Social Service Administration and Faculty Affiliate of the Center for the Study of Race, Politics and Culture at the University of Chicago.

"This unique volume, through careful original research, explores how African American males respond to the challenges and barriers they face in their day-to-day struggles to survive. The chapters cover a range of issues in the experiences of these men, including their developmental transitions, their physical and mental health, their family roles, and the impact of incarceration on their own lives and the lives of their families. The chapter authors not onlyprovide compelling evidence on the contemporary status of African American males, they also present thoughtful reflections on the policy implications of their research's findings." --William Julius Wilson, PhD, Lewis P. and Linda L. Geyser University Professor, Harvard University"A masterful blend of qualitative and quantitative materials, this book represents an important contribution to the growing body of research on black male poverty. Johnson's collection constitutes some of the most provocative new work on the troubling issues facing poor young black men to date...a must read for anyone interested in this area." --Elijah Anderson, PhD, William K. Lanman, Jr. Professor of Sociology, Yale University"Dr. Waldo Johnson, a leader in social work research, has compiled a powerful volume of thoughtful reviews and empirical research on the status of men of color. His book lays out the complex challenges they face while charting a hopeful path towards practice and policy solutions. This work is essential for anyone whose work touches the lives of men of color." --John A. Rich, MD, MPH, Professor and Chair, Health Management and Policy, Drexel University School of Public Health"This volume brings together in one place an unprecedented collection of resources for practitioners dealing with the distinctive needs of one of the poorest groups in American society, African American males. Chapters filled with quantitative and qualitative data lay out the issues in cogent and arresting detail. Other chapters then provide a much-needed overview and discussion of existing programs and contemporary policy issues." --Mercer L. Sullivan, PhD, Associate Professor, Rutgers School of Criminal Justice"This strengths-based book does not sugarcoat the issues that society faces, yet it offers hope. Answers are in the chapters. Every social worker should own a copy." -- Social Service Review

• 1. From Shortys to Old Heads: Contemporary Social Trajectories of African American Males Across the Life Course, Waldo E. Johnson, Jr. Part I. African American Males' Individual and Family Roles 2. Making Room for Daddy: The Unmarried Adolescent Father's Role in Pregnancy, Constance M. Dallas and Karen Kavanaugh 3. Intergenerational Support and Reciprocity Between Low-Income African American Fathers and Their Aging Mothers, Kevin M. Roy, Omari L. Dyson, and Ja-Nee Jackson 4. Life after PRWORA: The Involvement of African American Fathers With Welfare-Reliant Children and the Child Support Enforcement System, David J. Pate 5. Men Do Matter: The Socially Supportive Role of the African American "Uncle" in the Lives of Single-Female Headed Households and At-Risk African American Male Youth, Joseph B. Richardson, Jr. 6. Academic Achievement, Peer Influences, and Sexual Behaviors Among High School African American Adolescent Boys, Dexter R. Voisin and Torsten B. Neilands Part II. Educational Issues Facing African American Males 7. Promising Practices: The Positive Effects of After-School Programs for African American Male Development and Educational Progress, Reginald Clark, Alexes Harris, Kimberly A. White-Smith, Walter R. Allen, and Barbara A. Ray 8. Academic Engagement of Black Male Student Athletes: Implications for Practice in Secondary and Postsecondary Schooling, Eddie Comeaux Part III. Mental and Physical Health Statuses and Challenges to African American Male Development and Social Functioning 9. What are Depressed African American Adolescent Males Saying about Mental Health Services and Providers?, Michael A. Lindsey and Fatima Mirza 10. Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope: Stress, Coping, and Problem Behaviors Among Young African American Males, M. Daniel Bennett, Jr. and Finake Olugbala 11. Health and Young African American Men: An Inside View, Joseph E. Ravenell 12. Health and Health Care Service Use Among Middle-Class Black Men, Sherrill L. Sellers, Vence Bonham, Harold W. Neighbors, and Shuntay McCoy 13. At the Intersection of HIV/AIDS Disparities: Young African American Men who Have Sex With Men, Brian Mustanki, Amy Stauffer, and Robert Garofalo 14. Suicide Among African Americans: A Male's Burden, Sean Joe Part IV. Life Chances: Violence and Incarceration Among African American Males 15. Cultural Interventions for Reducing Violence Among Young, African American Males, Lance Williams 16. Incarceration and Family Formation, Charles E. Lewis, Jr. 17. Understanding the Economic Costs of Incarceration for African American Males, Mark L. Joseph Part V. Conclusion 18. The African American Male: The Social Policy Challenge of the 21st Century, Earl S. Johnson, III and Waldo E. Johnson, Jr.