African-American Children at Church: A Sociocultural Perspective

Cover......Page 1
Half-title......Page 3
Title......Page 5
Copyright......Page 6
Dedication......Page 7
Contents......Page 9
Tables......Page 11
Acknowledgments......Page 13
PART ONE OVERVIEW......Page 15
CHAPTER ONE Introduction......Page 17
GOALS OF THE BOOK......Page 18
A SOCIOCULTURAL PERSPECTIVE ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF RESILIENCY......Page 20
THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN CHURCH AS A CONTEXT OF SOCIALIZATION......Page 24
THE CASE: FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH......Page 26
AN OVERVIEW OF THE BOOK......Page 27
CHAPTER TWO The African-American Church and the Socialization of Children’s Resiliency......Page 33
THE CHURCH AS A CONTEXT OF PARTICIPATION FOR AFRICAN-AMERICAN CHILDREN......Page 34
THE CHURCH AS A CONTEXT FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN ALTERNATIVE BELIEF SYSTEM......Page 35
SOME GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN THEOLOGY......Page 38
SPIRITUAL BELIEFS AS A PROTECTIVE FACTOR......Page 40
SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT THROUGH STORY TELLING......Page 43
CONCLUSION......Page 44
CHAPTER THREE Research Strategy......Page 46
The Pastor......Page 48
The Superintendent......Page 49
The Teachers......Page 50
Sunday School Classes......Page 51
Junior Class......Page 52
Entering and Sampling the Sunday School Classes......Page 54
Sunday School Observations......Page 55
Interviews......Page 56
Observations of Other Contexts......Page 57
Sustained Community Involvement......Page 58
Multiple Data Collectors......Page 59
CONCLUSION......Page 60
PART TWO PATTERNS OF SOCIALIZATION AND PARTICIPATION......Page 63
A BRIEF HISTORY OF AFRICAN-AMERICANS IN UTAH......Page 65
THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN UTAHN COMMUNITY TODAY......Page 68
THE MORMON CHURCH AND THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY......Page 69
MEETING THE CHALLENGES......Page 71
CONCLUSION......Page 72
CHAPTER FIVE The Teachers......Page 73
THE TEACHERS......Page 74
Sister Katherine......Page 75
Sister Patrice......Page 77
Sister Justine......Page 79
Sister Ima......Page 80
CONCLUSION......Page 82
CHAPTER SIX Adults’ Perspectives on Spiritual Socialization......Page 83
THE INTERVIEWS......Page 84
African-American Children Develop within a Racist Society......Page 85
Interpersonal Relationships Are Key to Effective Socialization......Page 88
The Church Is a Haven......Page 90
Spirituality Is Protective......Page 91
The Role of Sunday School Is to Help Children to Learn and Then to Apply Biblical Texts......Page 94
Storytelling Is an Effective Context for Socialization......Page 96
CONCLUSION......Page 98
CHAPTER SEVEN Narratives Related during Sunday School......Page 100
DATA SET AND RELIABILITY......Page 101
EVENTS NARRATED......Page 102
Background......Page 103
First Baptist Church......Page 104
Background......Page 105
First Baptist Church......Page 107
Background......Page 110
First Baptist Church......Page 111
CONCLUSION......Page 114
CHAPTER EIGHT Socialization and Participation through Storytelling......Page 119
TEACHERS’ AND CHILDREN’S PARTICIPATION IN NARRATIVES......Page 120
Children Actively Participated in Narratives......Page 121
Call-and-Response Sequences......Page 122
Spontaneous Contributions......Page 123
SOCIALIZATION STRATEGIES FOR LINKING NARRATIVE EVENTS TO EVERYDAY LIVES......Page 125
Direct Connections Regarding the Text’s Relevance......Page 126
Generalizations......Page 127
Figurative Speech......Page 128
Play with Roles......Page 130
Device Used Primarily with Young Children......Page 133
Code Switching......Page 134
Historical Present......Page 136
CONCLUSION......Page 137
CHAPTER NINE Adult–Child Verbal Conflicts......Page 143
Background......Page 144
Background......Page 145
Background......Page 146
First Baptist Church......Page 147
Background......Page 149
First Baptist Church......Page 150
CONCLUSION......Page 155
KEY WEEKLY EVENTS: THE CHILDREN’S STORY......Page 158
Animal Tales......Page 159
Famous African-Americans......Page 161
Church Etiquette and Christian Behavior......Page 164
KEY MONTHLY EVENTS: YOUTH EMPHASIS DAY......Page 168
The Christmas Program......Page 169
Easter Program......Page 170
Vacation Bible School......Page 171
SPECIAL EVENTS: BAPTISMS AND BLESSINGS......Page 173
OTHER WAYS OF RECOGNIZING CHILDREN......Page 174
CONCLUSION......Page 175
PART THREE RELATIONSHIPS OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE......Page 177
CHAPTER ELEVEN The Computer Club......Page 179
The Goals of the Intervention......Page 180
The Physical Context and Logistics......Page 181
The Social Context......Page 182
Conducting the Intervention......Page 183
CONCLUSION......Page 184
CHAPTER TWELEVE Enhancing University Students’ Understanding and Appreciation of Cultural Diversity......Page 186
CROSS-RACE HELPING RELATIONSHIPS......Page 187
A FRAMEWORK FOR FACILITATING UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ UNDERSTANDING AND APPRECIATION OF DIVERSITY......Page 189
Service-Learning......Page 191
Overview of the Course......Page 192
University Students’ Responses to Service-Learning......Page 196
Emotional Valence......Page 197
Specific Negative Emotions and the Role of Context......Page 201
The Role of Development......Page 202
CONCLUSION......Page 203
PART FOUR CONCLUSION......Page 207
BELIEF SYSTEMS CAN BE PROTECTIVE FACTORS......Page 209
RELIGIOUS SOCIALIZATION AND PARTICIPATION ARE CHILD-SENSITIVE AND GROWTH-ORIENTED......Page 212
CHILDREN’S PARTICIPATION AT FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH IS STABLE AND CHANGING......Page 214
RESEARCH AND PRACTICE ARE INTIMATELY RELATED......Page 215
“RESILIENCY” HAS LIMITATIONS......Page 216
References......Page 219
Index......Page 233