DOROTHY SMITH RUIZ is Associate Professor of African American and African Studies and Sociology at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte. She is also the author of Mental Health and Mental Disorder among Black Americans (Greenwood Press, 1990).

• PrefaceIntroductionHistorical Roles of Older African American WomenSlavery, Family, and Religion: The Traditional Roles of Older African American Women in the Ante-bellum South during the 19th CenturyRelated ResearchGrandparent Caregiving: A ReviewThe Custodial African American Grandmother StudyMethodologyQuantitative AnalysisSocial and Demographic CharacteristicsFactors Influencing Life Satisfaction among African American Grandmothers Raising GrandchildrenSocial Factors, Health Status, and DepressionQualitative Analysis: Voices of Custodial GrandmothersDominant ThemesSummary and Implications for ResearchReferencesIndexAbout the Author

DOROTHY SMITH RUIZ is Associate Professor of African American and African Studies and Sociology at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte. She is also the author of Mental Health and Mental Disorder among Black Americans (Greenwood Press, 1990).

• PrefaceIntroductionHistorical Roles of Older African American WomenSlavery, Family, and Religion: The Traditional Roles of Older African American Women in the Ante-bellum South during the 19th CenturyRelated ResearchGrandparent Caregiving: A ReviewThe Custodial African American Grandmother StudyMethodologyQuantitative AnalysisSocial and Demographic CharacteristicsFactors Influencing Life Satisfaction among African American Grandmothers Raising GrandchildrenSocial Factors, Health Status, and DepressionQualitative Analysis: Voices of Custodial GrandmothersDominant ThemesSummary and Implications for ResearchReferencesIndexAbout the Author