Roberta L. Coles – författare

The Best Kept Secret studies the often-overlooked group of single, African American custodial fathers. While the media focuses on the increase of single mothers and the decline in marriage in the black community, Roberta Coles paints a nuanced picture of single black dads. Based on qualitative research, the author looks at the parenting experience of these fathers, who may have become single parents through nonmarital births, divorce, widowhood and adoption. The fathers, ranging in age from 20 to 76, discuss their motivations for taking custody of their children, what roles they enact as parents, what they hope for their children, how they socialize their children in a diverse society, how parenting daughters differs from sons, and what parenting has done for them personally. Coles then recommends policy changes to improve the situations for children and single parents-particularly often-unseen fathers. Filled with dynamic interviews and intriguing case studies, The Best Kept Secret shows that single black custodial fathers do exist and looks at the ways raising children has shaped their lives.

The Best Kept Secret studies the often-overlooked group of single, African American custodial fathers. While the media focuses on the increase of single mothers and the decline in marriage in the black community, Roberta Coles paints a nuanced picture of single black dads. Based on qualitative research, the author looks at the parenting experience of these fathers, who may have become single parents through nonmarital births, divorce, widowhood and adoption. The fathers, ranging in age from 20 to 76, discuss their motivations for taking custody of their children, what roles they enact as parents, what they hope for their children, how they socialize their children in a diverse society, how parenting daughters differs from sons, and what parenting has done for them personally. Coles then recommends policy changes to improve the situations for children and single parents-particularly often-unseen fathers. Filled with dynamic interviews and intriguing case studies, The Best Kept Secret shows that single black custodial fathers do exist and looks at the ways raising children has shaped their lives.

"The author provided interesting, original examples which I found engaging. . . . I think the biggest strength is avoiding the 'one ethnicity per chapter' approach found in so many books on family diversity. I like the structural approach."   - Hilary A. Rose, Concordia University "A very useful book as a companion text for courses on race and ethnicity….The chapters are easy to follow for undergraduate students." - Renxin Yang, Northern Michigan University   "I think the book is needed because there are limited choices currently available and this book is moving in the right direction….A strength is that it is not an edited book like so many other books on this topic.  There is a need for detailed study of ethnic minority families, and I am excited about making this book my required text for my Ethnic Families Course."                      - Cheryl Burgan Evans, Miami University   "I find the emphasis on social structure particularly appealing.  To date, I have used Taylor's [edited] book, which depends on the instructor to provide all of the integration."                              - Gretchen Cornwell, Pennsylvania State University    In Race and Family: A Structural Approach, author Roberta L. Coles looks at ethnic minority families in a novel way— through a structural lens. Unlike many texts on race and family, this book offers an approach that illustrates overarching structural factors affecting all families as opposed to examining each ethnicity in isolation from one another. By focusing on various structural factors such as demographic, economic, and historical aspects, this book analyzes various family trends in a cross-cutting manner to exemplify the similarities and distinctions among all racial and ethnic groups.   Key Features:

Establishes commonalities and differences across various cultures within American society in an approach that enables students to better compare and contrast different ethnic groups Covers multiracial families, in addition to traditional ethnic groups such as African American, Native American, Latino American, and Asian American, to provide the most contemporary examination of American families Uses the latest research and Census data to present a relevant assessment of trends in family structure, gender relations, intergenerational relations, family violence, acculturation, interracial marriage, and adoption in an increasingly diverse American context Includes an annotated listing of suggested videos, autobiographies, articles, and Web sites students can explore for further information  

Race and Family is a brief core textbook designed for advanced undergraduate and graduate students studying ethnic minority families and family diversity in the departments of Human Development & Family Studies, Family & Consumer Sciences, and Sociology.  

 

 

 

The second edition of Race and Family maintains the book’s distinctive feature—introducing students to key concepts through a structural lens—while featuring new material throughout. Race and Family focuses on structural factors impacting all families, such as demographic, economic, and historic trends, which illuminate the similarities and distinctions among and within racial and ethnic groups. After introductions to the study of race, ethnicity, and the family, the book explores various issues such as family structure, divorce, non-marital births, gender roles, racial identity formation, intergenerational roles, grandparenting, care of elders, and more. The book offers specific chapters on racial-ethnic groups including African American, Asian American, Latino American, Middle Eastern American, and Native American, while also discussing white families, multiracial families, the acculturation process, and more. Key updates to the second edition include recent census and survey data, a new chapter on Middle Eastern Americans, new material on multiracial and multicultural families, updated resources, and more.The second edition of Race and Family is a comprehensive introduction to race and family through a distinctive structural lens. The book provides structural factors, cross-cultural perspectives, and historical overviews that students can use to analyze the whys and ways of family across races and ethnicities.A complimentary test bank is available to adopters as a Word document or via the free program Respondus. Email textbooks@rowman.com for further details.