Elizabeth A. Thompson – författare

In a field dominated by deficiency and deviance models for minority families, Resiliency in African American Families breaks that mold by focusing on the strengths and resources of minority families. Taking an in-depth look at family resources and coping strategies of African Americans, this book pays particular attention to the role that culture and ethnicity play in minority families' development. Divided into two major sections, the book first examines the context in which the family unit lives and the effects of the community and cultural resources on the family's resilient adaptation to stressful life events, then shifts its focus to issues of resiliency within the context of family relationships. Compiled by a distinguished group of contributors, this edited volume explores the following topics:

- Extended family resources

- Racial socialization strategies

- Health care

- Religious supports

- Marital relations

- Parent-child relations

- Adolescent pregnancy

Social workers, counselors, and scholars in family studies, African American studies, ethnic studies, gender studies, and sociology will find this unique approach to African American families a valuable resource.

Stress, Coping, and Health in Families: Sense of Coherence and Resiliency, the first volume in the new Resiliency in Families series, has an unusual sociological focus. Rather than focusing on pathology, the authors of this volume study individuals, families, and ethnic groups moving toward health. In Part I, scholar Aaron Antonovsky's landmark work in salutogenesis lays the foundation for a new approach to family studies. His work provides insight as to why some families manage life events with relative ease and recover from adversity with renewed strength, harmony, and purpose. Health is redefined, not as a static norm, but as a process of coping with a myriad of external stress factors. Part II examines how culture and family influence the creation and maintenance of the sense of coherence, which seems to be key in promoting health and well-being. It draws on studies of families facing serious illness, single parenthood, homelessness, or culture shock.

The sense of coherence is also vital to the study of aging and immunology: Parts III and IV examine those links and their wide-ranging implications. This book will appeal to social workers, clinical practitioners, and scholars in ethnic studies, family studies, sociology, counseling, and psychology.