scholarly journals The "Black box" Identity Development and the Crisis of Connection among Black Adolescent Boys

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
leoandra onnie rogers

The Black box in American culture is imposed upon Black boys and girls regarding what they can and cannot do, and who they should and should not be. In the case of Black boys, they can be athletes and thugs, but they cannot be scholars and scientists or engaged fathers and partners. They should be tough, independent, and aggressive, but they should not be vulnerable, relational, and sensitive. The Black box, in other words, constrains the humanity of Black people; it splits Blackness from goodness, and embeds homophobia into the Black male identity. These impositions are not simply about race, as Marcus reveals, but also about gender, sexuality, and social class. When Black boys and young men accommodate to society’s box of intersectional stereotypes, they disconnect from what they know about themselves—that they are thinking and feeling human beings—and disconnect from others within and outside of their communities as well. Over the next few pages, I first describe identity development and then reveal the pathways through which Black boys construct their identities, and conclude with ways to foster resistance to help Black boys stay connected to themselves as well as to others.

Author(s):  
Yao Chiachen ◽  
Ya-huei Wang

<p class="AbstractText">All human beings seek certain identities in order to understand their existence and position in society, the groups to which they belong, and the unique characteristics they have. This paper examines how, in <em>Jane Eyre</em>, Charlotte Bronte examines socially constructed institutionalism in Victorian England. This paper also explores how the protagonist, Jane Eyre, oppressed due to her social class and gender, struggles to live with equality, dignity, and freedom, and finally reaches independence and self-fulfillment. Jane successfully completes the stages of identity development, and, after acquiring a sense of competence, achieves happiness and intimacy in an equal partnership with her true love, Mr. Rochester.</p>


Author(s):  
Keisha L. Goode ◽  
Arielle Bernardin

Abstract Background Structural racism mediates all aspects of Black life. The medicalization of pregnancy and childbirth, and its detrimental impacts on Black birth, is well documented. The Black Lives Matter movement has elevated the national consciousness on all aspects of Black life, but significant attention has been directed toward the murder and dehumanization of Black men and boys. Black midwives, caring for Black people, using the Midwives Model of Care© which consistently demonstrates its efficacy and better outcomes for Black people, are uniquely positioned to witness the physical and psychosocial experiences of birthing Black boys in America. Methods Between 2011 and 2013, the first author conducted interviews with 22 Black midwives to understand their perceptions of, and experiences in, predominantly white midwifery education programs and professional organizations. Convenience and snowball sampling were used. This paper investigates previously unreported and unexamined data from the original study by focusing on the witness and insight of nine midwives who provided care for Black mothers of boys during pregnancy and childbirth. Findings The data presented three themes: It’s a Boy: On Restlessness and Complicated Uneasiness; Desensitization of Black Death; and, Physiological Impacts of Toxic Stress. Conclusions The findings demonstrate that caring for Black people must be simultaneously theorized and executed within an anti-racist, relationship-centered, reproductive justice framework. Black midwives are uniquely positioned to do this work. Greater attention, in practice and in research, is needed to investigate the birth experiences of Black mothers of boys.


2014 ◽  
Vol 77 (1) ◽  
pp. 4-9
Author(s):  
Alicia L. Moore ◽  
La Vonne I. Neal

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 99-110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathaniel Bryan ◽  
Christopher C. Jett

PurposeMuch of the extant research literature on the initiatives to attract, inspire and recruit Black males to the teaching profession has focused on middle and high school students. Black boys’ socialization into dominant narratives regarding who can and cannot become teachers occurs as early as in early childhood classrooms; however, little attention has been given to ways to attract, inspire and recruit them to the professional teaching ranks where a paltry 2 per cent are Black men.Design/methodology/approachThis paper explores the concept of imaginative play experiences with respect to Black boys and unearths possibilities for future Black male teachers through culturally relevant play.FindingsBased on findings from the literature, this conceptual paper makes connections between the early childhood play literature and the Black male teacher recruitment and retention literature to create possibilities to inspire Black boys to enter the teaching profession.Originality/valueThis paper presents a nuanced integration of imaginative play and culturally relevant pedagogy with specific attention to Black males.


Author(s):  
Ahmad Izudin

This article will examine how progressive Islam’s reasoning can be a reference to free human beings from the exploitation and domination of social class? So what social movements can we do in the midst of crush the nation’s problems related to the exploitation of natural resources that increasingly vine? From this point on, I hope to get a meta-theory regulation that can be implied entirely for the benefit of society, in order to be free from exploitation and domination. To answer this important position, the discourse of social movements can be mapped into two, namely old social movement and new social movement. While Islam as a universal religion, there is no need to discuss theological-transcendental issues, but how the theology should create a new, more applicable avenue of dialectics to answer the question the rulers of powers domination. In the hope of a progressive, inclusive, open-minded, and pluralist theological doctrine. The results of this study may contribute to the development of science and the movement that became a turning point and reference in social change.[Artikel ini hendak mengkaji bagaimana nalar Islam progresif yang dapat menjadi acuan untuk membebaskan manusia dari eksploitasi dan dominasi kelas sosial? Lantas gerakan sosial apa yang dapat kita lakukan di tengah himpitan persoalan bangsa terkait eksploitasi sumber daya alam yang kian menggurita? Dari titik ini, maka saya berharap mendapat satu regulasi metateori yang bisa diimplikasikan sepenuhnya untuk kepentingan masyarakat, agar bisa terbebas dari ekspolitasi dan dominasi. Untuk menjawab posisi penting ini, maka diskursus gerakan sosial dapat dipetakan menjadi dua, yakni old social movement dan new social movement. Sementara Islam sebagai agama universal, tidak perlu lagi membahas persoalan teologis-transendental, tetapi bagaimana teologi itu harus menciptakan ruang dealektika baru yang lebih aplikatif menjawab persoalan dominasi kekuasaan para penguasa. Dengan harapan munculnya doktrin teologis yang progresif, inklusif, open-minded, dan pluralis. Hasil kajian ini semoga memberikan kontribusi bagi perkembangan ilmu pengetahuan dan gerakan yang menjadi titik balik dan acuan dalam perubahan sosial.]


Author(s):  
Guven Buyukbaykal ◽  
Yildiray Kesgin

Modern entertainment is defined as the experience that is marketed to entertain a large and heterogeneous group of human beings. Products might be evaluated in different ways by those who have different cultural and historical backgrounds. The meanings evoked by a particular branch of sports may differ according to the demographic aspects and experiences of individuals, and even the history of their counties along with their cultures. On that note, the sports branch intertwined with American culture is undoubtedly American football. The Super Bowl, which might be considered an ordinary sports activity, has turned into a huge organization that is discussed for days and experienced as a festive occasion. In this chapter, the Super Bowl is analyzed with a literature review through the ideas of intellectuals as well as the figures and examples within the context of the concurrence between the sports and entertainment industries.


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