Researching Black Communities

Experts from a range of disciplines offer practical advice for conducting social science research in racial and ethnic minority populations. Readers will learn how to choose appropriate methods—longitudinal studies, national surveys, quantitative analysis, personal interviews, and other qualitative approaches—and how best to employ them for research on specific demographic groups. The volume opens with a brief introduction to the difficulty of defining a population and designing a research program, then moves to illustrative examples drawn from the contributors' own studies of blacks in the United States, the Caribbean, and South Africa. Case studies cover research on the media, mental health, churches, work, marital relationships, education, and family roles.   

"We believe that successfully overcoming methodological challenges researchers face in studies of black populations not only furthers the social scientific knowledge base, it also provides the evidence foundation needed for building a more just society."
—from the Editors' Introduction

"This volume is a much needed and valuable contribution to the literature on conducting research in Black communities. It fills a gap and provides great insights based on actual research experience, careful conceptualization, and documented evidence."
—Diane R. Brown, University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey School of Public Health

Contributors: Jewell F. Brazelton; Nikeea Copeland Linder; Letha Chadiha; William Darity Jr.; Bambi Haggins; Darrick Hamilton; Michelle Harris; Julia F. Hastings; Andrea G. Hunter; Deborah J. Johnson; Heidi T. Kromrei; Amanda E. Lewis; Jennifer Mueller; Dolores G. Norton; Carla O'Connor; Terri L. Orbuch; Lonnie Snowden; Catherine Squires; Julie Sweetman; Myriam Torres; Joseph Veroff; Jacquelyn Vincson; Monique L. Ward; Melissa Joan Wilhelm; Colwick Wilson; Monica Wolford

James S. Jackson is the Daniel Katz Distinguished University Professor of Psychology, Professor of Health Behavior and Health Education, and the Director and Research Professor at the Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan.

Cleopatra Howard Caldwell is Associate Professor of Health Behavior and Health Education and Co-Associate Director of the Program for Research on Black Americans at the Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan.

Sherrill L. Sellers is Associate Professor in the Department of Family Studies and Social Work at Miami University in Ohio.