Running head: EXAMINATION 1 1

Examination 1

Alanna Mendoza

California State University of Dominguez Hills

PSY 351-01

March 1, 2018
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2. Many of the elders of Black Psychology experienced similar barriers throughout their

educational and professional career developments. The time frame in which each elder began

their career focus within psychology also was a factor in the variations of obstacles they were

faced with. Many of the elders highlighted in the reading have made significant impact on Black

Psychology from Dr. Robert Williams’ Ebonics to Dr. Janet Helms and her work on black and

white racial identity development. The elders including Dr. Linda J. Meyers, Dr. Joseph White,

Dr. Daniel Williams; all experienced limitations based on racism/oppression, absence of models,

limited support, and insufficient validation or acknowledgement of their contributions.

Issues of racism and oppression were very much prevalent in the lives of many of the

elders, especially those who were pursuing their degrees during the early stages of the civil rights

movement. Racism was an issue not only at the individual level but at the institutional level as

well​. ​The deficit models of the mainstream psychology were models that proposed that black

individuals were deficit in areas of intelligence and achievement. These racists based models

were not founded on scientific fact but on racist assertions and biases. These biases and racists

beliefs of inferiority affected the elders within their career development as it undermined their

achievements in education which were based on merit. Instead their advancements would be

defined as luck or other factors not addressing their intelligence as a reason for their success by

some peers and professors. Other oppressions placed on elders who were women added another

set of barriers alongside the number of other factors already limiting black psychologist. This

intersectionality that women like Dr.Helms and Dr.Meyers faced created difficulties in the ability
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to receive similar aid from male counterparts that white women had access to and willingness of

peers to work with them. Oppressive notions of inferiority of first being African American and

then inferiority placed on women made making strides within the field of psychology even more

challenging.

The absence of models in the field of mainstream and black psychology made it difficult

for many of the elders and many of them were the only person of color within their field. This

absence of models placed further pressure on these individuals as well as highlighted them as

spokesmen for their racial group as a whole. When the riots took place in California Dr. White

who had obtained his PHD leveled license in psychology was an individual who was probed for

his opinion on the cause of the riots. While white women psychologist had an array of male

psychologist to turn to for guidance and partnership, the limited number of black male

psychologist to model after made it difficult for them to do the same. This obstruction of

mentorship made it more difficult to feel confident in research date and or implications since

there was little to none in the field to turn to. Due to the lack of models within the new branch of

black psychology the elders had little help in navigating themselves within their field and no

mentors to ask for guidance.

Alongside the lack of models within the field of Black Psychology early on, there was

also limited support in their professional development. There were very few allies that the elders

came across throughout their graduate studies and professional careers. The barriers that this

posed to the elders was that their interest in biased testing and other topics centered around

people of color was often dismissed and support from the institutions to pursue such research

was simply not there or infrequent.

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The lack of validation and acknowledgement was only another barrier that the elders had

to face. Issues of validation were prominent with research and work that often questioned

whether mainstream or western psychology was appropriate to treat African Americans​.​ This

criticism on the methods used within the field of psychology was difficult and a different

viewpoint not familiar to many psychologists of the time. The extra effort many of the elders had

to put into reasoning for such viewpoints added increased difficulty and chance for publishing of

work they had put so much effort into. Acknowledgement for such ideas like Ebonics, were not

as readily accepted due to the fact that their work was often undermined. When the term was

presented by white linguists in a different fashion it was finally given recognition and

acceptance.

For many of the elders there was more than one barrier that they had to deal with in their

own career development. Being the first of many contributing to the field of Black Psychology

was difficult in many aspects as with being the first in anything is. There perseverance and huge

strides within the field despite the limitations placed in there way is a reason they are so highly

regarded as well as their contributions they have made throughout their careers. Due to the

difficulties and hardships they faced they advocated for mentorships and students to become

interested in expanding the number of black psychologist.

3. Within the black family there are a variety of alternative structures that vary differently

from simply the nuclear family commonly found within other groups in society. The dynamics of

the family are not as simple or clear cut as mother, father, and two children. Although the nuclear

family is seen as beneficial, especially due to the number of parents, the different structures of
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the black family work in line with their values and cultural norms. Although each family is

different some common characteristics that many families of African descent have in common is

that many of them are extended in form, have fictive kin, have supportive family patterns,

include flexible family boundaries as well as gender roles within rearing practices. The family

structure is also communalistic in nature and mothers play a strong role within this structure as

head of household in most cases.

The inclusion of the extended family and the expansion of who lives within the home is a

positive contribution within the black family. These new members rather than simply the

immediate family provide resources for children and parents. Parents benefit from the added

income or male models in the home if a biological father is not readily part of the everyday

family or home structure. With the inclusion of more family members including aunts and

uncles, the children are able to gain social capital that influences their growth and overall

development into adult​.​ The extra hands within the family structure aids in implementing child

rearing practices. The flexible family boundaries included allows for adults within the home to

help with children’s behavior, whether they are the parent of the child or not. This power given

to other members of the family creates a sense of involvement in the upbringing of children and

may be more connected in their wellbeing out development as a person. The fictive kin found

within this structure are often not blood related nor related by marriage but the connectedness

and acceptance of these people into the family are regarded as no different. Members categorized

as fictive kin can be family friends, neighbors and god parents. The fictive kin can also be

regarded as positive influences and also contribute to the home financially and socially.
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The extended family often includes grandparents that live within the home as well​.

Whether the home is of the grandparent-headed household type or not ,the presence of the elders

in the home is beneficial to both parties involved. The intergenerational dynamics taking place

can benefit the elderly in feeling valuable as well as curbing depression and loneliness often

experienced by the elderly who live alone or separate from their children and grandchildren.

Some negative impacts of these grandparent-headed households are that the responsibility for

care of grandchildren in place of parents adds stress that may be harmful to individuals of older

age. The alternate role of the women or mothers in the black family is different than the

mainstream patriarchy​.​ The mothers play a very protective role as well due to the

institutionalized racism within the society. Within the family theres is no divide of gender roles,

every member whether male or female contributes and does their part.

The impact that the alternative structures of the black family are that because they are

communalistic in nature the entire group benefits. Everyone involved in the family whether

related or not comes together and works mutually in a symbiotic relationship​. ​The swapping of

patriarchal norms and gender roles within the black family impacts how women are empowered.

The daughters develop independence, strength, and become self reliant which helps them in the

future when developing their own families. The skills learned in the home come not only from

parents whether single or co parents, but from other members of the family. This variety of

people within the home and family provides children with various resources and mentors to gain
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knowledge from. These alternative structures benefit and work well for many families including

those who are struggling financially.

4. The analyzation of the roles that parenting, school, and neighborhoods have in African

American children’s learning are not independent of one another. These aspects of child’s life

are connected within four systems: the microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, and macrosystem.

The succeeding systems as they get larger and farther away from the individual child has less of

a direct impact.

The role of the parent and parenting is part of the microsystem of the child’s life in which

there is close connection and the most direct influence on development. Parenting plays a

significant role in preparedness for success for the child. The roles of parenting are to equip

children with the tools needed to work successfully in the school and society as a whole. The

different parenting styles utilized in the home plays a part on what is taught. There is also some

correlation between lower socioeconomic status and the type of parenting style exhibited. Most

low SES parents turn to harsher punishments and authoritarian types of parenting styles. The

lower SES African American parents or mothers were less likely to use helpful dialogic practices

where children were asked questions and free to comment. Many of those parents felt provided

that freedom it might interfere with parental authority. While African American parents of higher

SES often employed diagnostic practices on a daily basis, as well as understood the benefits of

authoritative practices, possibly due to their own level of education.

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The role of the school and teachers in African American children’s learning is to readily

cooperate with parents and make regular communication with them. The home-school

partnership allows parents and teachers to connect with one another and become allies in helping

the child succeed. The role of the school is to also create culturally inclusive curriculum that is

reflective of the community they are located in and the people they are serving. Schools should

also be aware of factors that may be causing parents to become unwillingness to participate in

relationships with educational institutions. Teachers need to be culturally responsive in order to

help African American children learn and be willinging to understand the lack of parent

involvement and find other ways to keep the home-school partnerships working.

The role that the neighborhood has on African American children's learning and

educational development is they provide communities that employ local services. The inclusion

of parks, recreational centers, libraries and other public resources. When communities are filled

with unemployment or crime and violence this limits the positives that the community can

provide. If violence and crime is popular in a community this keeps people from socializing or

allowing children to use the public parks for example because safety becomes an issue. When

unemployment in an area is prevalent children may view that to be a norm that is acceptable and

may view education negatively. The roles that the neighborhood plays is significant in provided

places where African American students may spend their time when not in school or at home.

These locations allow for postive distractions rather than allowing students to fall into negative

lifestyles that may harm them, neighborhoods need to be safe places for learning to aid in the

educaional development.
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The different roles of three aspects of a students life all as a unit play a significant part.

Parents knowledge and use of parenting styles that are favored in the schools may better prepare

African American students for success. Receiving similar authoritative practices socializes the

student into norms of the classroom allowing them to come to school better prepared on what is

expected of them​. ​Being aware that the systems despite their distance from the individual are as

relevant as the preceding or succeeding one is important in making sure those system provide

quality relationships with the child.

6. The variations of African American English from Standard American English stems

form two differing views of origins of its development. The Creolist view roots AAE as

stemming from African languages especial those from Niger-Congo language systems. The

second theory of the development of AAE is the English hypothesis which described AAE as a

dialect of English only. The two views influence whether each one is classified as its own

language or simply a slang derived from English.

The Lexical variations or addition of new words is one of the prominent features of AAE.

The vocabulary of African American English has even added lexical variation to the extent that

they were now classified within Standard American Lexicon. Some of these lexical variations

include relational terms that are used to describe time, space, quantity, or logic are different than

the lexicon of schools that practice Standard English. The phonological variation in African

American English are often referred to as accents and some share dialects of American English.

Consonantal variations may include the deletion of consonants of a word or rearrangement, ie​.
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changing I ask him to I aks him. Similar variations involving vowels also is what males AAE

different than SAE. An example of vowel variation may be ten pronounced as tin.

The grammatical variation prevalent is African American English include negative

concord or multiple negation, irregular verbs regularized,done as mark of distant past tense, ain’s

used as an auxiliary verb, and double modals just to name a few types. Some examples of

grammatical variation are:he don’t see nothing and i bin finished. The prosodic variations

includes the way the rhythm of AAE is spoken. Some different variations classified within AAE

that differentiate it from SAE is lack of intonation within the end of a sentence particularly

involved with asking a question. Within AAE there is use of flat questions of little voice

variation and rather more monotone that often may be misinterpreted as boredom.

Another variation is the pragmatic variation of African American English include the

discourse-level or the use of spoken or written language in a social setting. One type of variation

includes the use of direct commands within AAE. When SAE is used within the school that

includes commands that make recommendations to an action many students who use AAE will

not readily obey them because of their understanding of direct commands and what those sound

or look like.

The differences among Standard American English and African American English

creates an misunderstanding at many times similar to students who come to the United States

only speaking German. The different language that AAE is classified as can cause some

disruption with shifting to what is expected for students to use within the classroom. Teachers

should be educated about the forms of AAE and what it may consist of to better understand their

students whose primary of preferred language is something different that SAE. The classification
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of African American English should be regarded as a language in and of itself not simply slag or

a dialect. This may help those students who struggle to shift their AAE to Academic English to

complete writing assignments and other tasks. Implementation within the schools to provide

resources that EL students receive can greatly benefit African American students and groups of

students that readily use AAE.