Reviewed 283 data-based articles containing material about Black Americans in the "Journal of Marriage and Family" from 1939-87 using a sociohistorical framework of analysis. Results indicated that focus on the culture-of-poverty thesis has been a prominent and obvious source of distortion in substantive research on Black families in America.…

Reviews J. P. Rushton's data in "Race Differences in Behavior: A Review and Evolutionary Analysis" (1988), and suggests that aggregating large cohorts of methodologically weak studies results in misleading conclusions. A reanalysis of Rushton's data shows that cranial size is not a feasible indicator of intelligence and is similar in…

Examined in this essay are theoretical propositions and empirical evidence that have been used to generate support for the notion that Black people harbor feelings of self-rejection and self-hatred. It is argued that few studies actually show that the majority of their Black subjects exhibit self-hatred responses. (Author/EB)

Argues the historical reference group orientation and personal identity study material done on blacks in the United States are flawed because they made inappropriate assumptions about the link between these two measures. Further, conclusions drawn from these materials constitute a major obstacle to the accurate understanding of the processes of…

This paper makes three arguments reaffirming the overwhelming complexities inherent in any real history of the language of blacks in North America. (1) Although the study of black English, however that term may be defined, is desirable in itself and was profitable for white linguists during the 1960s and early 1970s, it did not and never will do…

Briefly describes types of studies included in this special issue on minority children. Discusses issues in research on minority children and ways in which this research can be encouraged. (PCB)

Introduces the special issue on minority children and briefly discusses what it means to be a member of a minority group in the United States. (PCB)

Presents a synthesis and overview of literature on identity development in the childhood and adolescence of young people in ethnic and minority groups in the United States. (PCB)

Argues that Jensen's article contains an inaccurate and misleading account of Spearman's work and distorts the basic concepts of factor analysis. The target article has failed in all its main objectives; its major failing is a result of the irrelevance of factor analysis to the study of group differences. (SLD)

Examines secular trends in research on Afro-American children appearing in CHILD DEVELOPMENT between 1936 and 1980. A statistical analysis revealed dramatic changes in the frequency and type of research on this population, and identified some of the changing social issues and perspectives that are reflected in the research. (Author/BB)

This critical review of the literature on transracial adoption and placement begins with a brief discussion of policy decisions and court rulings, and then provides information on characteristics of adoptees and transracial adopters, a discussion of racial prejudice, and an interpretation of the findings. It is concluded that given the small…

The underclass model used to describe the situation of inner-city Blacks cannot legitimately be employed to understand the social and economic status of Hispanic Americans. A comprehensive theory of Hispanic poverty must consider diversity of Spanish-origin groups; race; residential segregation; immigration; and role of the Spanish language.…

Throughout history, attempts have been made to use "science" to justify white European and American domination of other racial/ethnic groups and inequities of gender and class. Points out the lack of science and objectivity in the research of Linnaeus, Agassiz, Morton, Broca, Jensen, and Lynn. Suggests implications for antiracist…

A review of literature relevant to equal educational opportunity is presented in order to support an argument for the use of normative models in educational research. The literature review shows that confusion over the 1966 Coleman Report was due to a mismatch between the implied reform objective of the report and its statistical approach. The…

The word "underclass" has become popular, but it is nebulously defined. The focus of discussions on the underclass is not on economics but behavior. The poor are scapegoats for drug problems and the crime rate. The concept of "underclass" ignores the conflict between the dynamic of tokenism and the reality of capitalism. (BJV)