Children's Ethnic Socialization : Pluralism and Development

How and why does ethnicity affect children? How do children come to understand their own and others′ ethnicity? This valuable volume, published in cooperation with the Society for Research in Child Development, focuses on these important questions. It provides a synthesis of research and theory regarding children′s ethnic socialization, considers the impact of ethnicity within a developmental framework and discusses the implications of findings for education, mental health and community services.

Published in cooperation with the Society for Research in Child Development Most children, whether from majority or minority ethnic groups, have contact with groups other than their own and must learn to live with ethnic diversity. How do children respond to and deal with the differences among groups, in both the observable characteristics and in the less obvious values and norms? How do children come to understand the meaning of their own and others′ ethnic group membership? How does the impact of ethnicity change with development? These are some of the questions that this book addresses. The aim of this edited volume is to provide an integration of existing research and theory about the process by which ethnicity affects children and the ways in which children come to understand their own and others′ ethnicity. Research in this area contributes to the understanding of developmental processes that shape children′s self-concept and self-esteem, their attitudes and behaviors toward their own and other groups, as well as the way they are evaluated by others. Understanding such processes may suggest methods of facilitating a child′s personal development and promoting positive cross-ethnic interactions. This book is an excellent reference source for professionals working in the areas of developmental psychology, education, social work, and ethnic studies. "The development of child ethnic identity and cognizance of ethnic difference is well covered in this collection of seminal essays by psychologists and other professionals concerned with ethnicity and its manifestations. . . . The collection as a whole stresses the conclusions that ethnic group differences have a significant impact on development, and that this impact varies with the age of the child. . . . The collection will serve as a basic source for investigators into childhood ethnicity. . . .Upper-division undergraduates and above." --Choice "The book will benefit therapists and researchers engaged with minority populations. Teachers of developmental psychology and human behavior would also find it useful." --Readings: A Journal of Reviews and Commentary in Mental Health "Phinney and Rotheram provide a valuable summary of ethnic differences along the dimensions of group versus individual orientation; active versus passive coping style; attitudes toward authority; and expressive versus restrained communication. Readers will obtain some valuable insights on children′s ethnic attitudes and identification from this book." --Contemporary Psychology