SC 596/BK 596 – Black Families & Society
Spring 2010
Professor: C. Shawn McGuffey, Ph.D.
Office: McGuinn 509
mcguffey@bc.edu
Office Hours: T, Th 11 a.m. - noon
and by appointment
Classroom and Time: McGuinn Hall 415, Th 4:30 – 7:00
This course will examine Black families within the United States. Although we will pay careful
attention to the historical foundations for many of the contemporary issues now facing families of
African descent, we will primarily focus on modern-day dynamics and debates within and outside
of Black families. This course will center on the following guiding questions: Are Black
families dysfunctional or are they more functional than other families? How has racism
impacted Black family life? How does socio-economic class and/or gender influence intraracial family dynamics? How has society shaped Black families? And conversely, how have
Black families shaped society?
To help tackle these questions, this reading and participation intensive seminar will not assume a
uniform Black family experience and will analyze family dynamics from a critical race feminist
perspective. Four central themes of critical race feminism (CRF) are:
1) Social identities are historically and culturally specific and change over time.
2) Race, class, gender, and sexuality are not separate identities that are easily
distinguishable from one another. These social identities intersect and reinforce each
other. For example, one cannot talk about race without examining its implications for
gender and vice versa.
3) CRF acknowledges the importance of laws, policies, and institutions in the
perpetuation of inequalities.
4) Finally, CRF is skeptical of concepts such as objectivity, neutrality, and meritocracy.
Therefore, ideas of equality must be critically examined.
Course Expectations and Evaluation:
1) This is a reading and participation intensive course. Readings are due on the date they are
listed. Come to class ready to discuss them.
2) If you miss class, you are responsible for getting notes from a classmate. Missing three classes
will constitute failing the course. A doctor, school administrator, or other certified official must
verify an absence in order for it to be excused. Notes from parents or legal guardians will not be
accepted.
3) You will be evaluated in four areas.
a. Class Participation (15%): This includes contributing to class discussions, respecting the
views of others, and a presentation of your final paper at the end of the semester (which will be
discussed more below). I have found that students often have a tendency to over generalize their
own personal experiences to the overall population. This tendency is especially striking in
courses that address race, gender, and family dynamics. These topics seem to elicit statements
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such as: “Well, where I’m from it’s not like that” or “That’s not how I was raised.” This course
is positioned firmly in C. Wright Mills’ “sociological imagination” which highlights the
connections between history, social structure, and personal biography. The organization of this
course nurtures the sociological imagination through its socio-historical foundations, emphasis on
multiple perspectives, and how history and social structure converge to impinge on the life
chances of different types of people. Class participation should do so as well.
To help us achieve this goal, discussions will focus on the readings and pertinent current events.
Personal anecdotes should be kept to a minimum. Personal experience should only be used to
illuminate theoretical points. Relying too heavily on your own experience of family life or
straying too far from the topic of conversation will negatively impact your participation grade.
Students are encouraged to critique all the assigned readings and to dissect the debates within
them. Also, the guiding questions posed in the first paragraph of this syllabus should be
addressed, in one form or another, in every class discussion.
b. Class Presentation (25%): You will also lead a class presentation based on a particular day’s
assigned readings. You are encouraged to include outside material, but this is not required. Class
presentations can take a variety of forms and can incorporate a range of presentation aids (e.g.,
film, interpretive dance, lecture, poetry, posters, etc.) Leave approximately 20 minutes at the end
of class to allow the professor to highlight key points. Your presentation will be evaluated based
on the following rubric:
Class Presentation Rubric
Is the class session well organized?
Relates material to previous readings
Provides internal summaries and transitions
Maintains continuity in the discussion/presentation
Summarizes main points at end of presentation
Paces class session appropriately
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How is the content presented?
Presentation aids are useful
Presents background information for ideas
Explains difficult terms and concepts
Integrates readings and discussion/presentation
Helps clarify material
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Is the presenter credible?
Appears well-prepared
Understands the material
Is able to admit insufficient knowledge
Speaks audibly and clearly
Communicates enthusiasm
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How is the presenter’s rapport with the other class members?
Encourages participation
Responds constructively to class members
Treats members equitably
Recognizes when others are confused
Shows respect for other’s view points
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NOTE: I recognize that some class sessions require a heavier reading load and/or involve more
complex ideas and concepts. I will take this into consideration when evaluating class
presentations.
c. Weekly Statements (25%): A weekly statement will be due every Monday by 11:59 p.m. via
email to the professor and/or class presenter (which will be discussed more below). These
statements should be focused on the assigned readings and address one or more of the guiding
questions in the first paragraph of the syllabus. Although it is not imperative to directly mention
each reading, statements should at least tackle the ideas presented in all of them.
Statements will be evaluated based on the following criteria: (a) an introduction that distinctly
states your topic and why it is important; (b) responses should have a logical flow with supporting
evidence from the readings and lecture; (c) a succinct critique of the pertinent issues; (d) and all
papers should be typed, double spaced, and NO MORE than two pages. Your final evaluation of
your weekly statements will come at the end of the semester and will be based on improvement
over time. At the end of the semester you will neatly organize and hand-in a portfolio including
each of your statements and a final paper (which will be discussed more below) in a portfolio.
d. Final Paper (35%): The last fraction of your final grade will consist of an 18-25 page paper
(12 point font, double spaced, one-inch margins). The page limits include text, end/footnotes,
charts and graphs, and references. The paper should focus on a particular aspect of Black family
life, incorporate outside sources, and should heavily draw from the course readings. Sample
topics include, but are not limited to: Black motherhood; African-American fathers; gender and
class differences in African-American parenting strategies; ethnic differences in Black family
patterns (e.g., African-American v. Caribbean-Americans, and/or native-born Africans); how
sexuality impacts Black family functioning; Black families and social policy; and Black families
and inter-racial marriage. The last two days of the course will be dedicated to presenting your
final papers to the other class members. Plan to spend about 15 minutes on these presentations.
Although the topic of the paper is of your own choosing, the paper must address two or more of
the course’s guiding questions. You can also incorporate your weekly statements into the final
paper. In fact, once you’ve decided on your topic you should start to craft your weekly
statements with your final paper in mind. This will greatly assist in completing the final paper.
Topics, a rough outline, and a tentative reading list must be submitted to the professor by March
9th. The final paper is due May 4th at 4:30 p.m. Late papers will not be accepted.
Grading Scale:
94-100= A
90-93= A86-89= B+
82-85= B
78-81= B74-77= C+
70-73= C
66-69= C62-65= D+
58-61= D
54-57= D53-00= F
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Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is a standard of utmost importance in this course. Guidelines for academic
integrity in written work are posted on the Boston College website at:
www.bc.edu/integrity
If you have any questions pertaining to the academic integrity guidelines, please come and talk
with me for more clarification. If you are caught violating Boston College’s policies on academic
integrity, you will receive a failing grade for the assignment and the appropriate Dean will be
notified in accordance to the rules set forth by Boston College.
Required Readings:
Ferguson, Ann Arnett. 2001. Bad Boys: Public Schools in the Making of Black Masculinity.
University of Michigan Press.
McAdoo, Harriette Pipes. Black Families (fourth edition). Sage Publications.
Patillo-McCoy, Mary. 1999. Black Picket Fences: Privilege and Peril among the Black Middle
Classs. University of Chicago Press.
Roberts, Dorothy. 2002. Shattered Bonds: The Color of Child Welfare. Basic Books.
Stack, Carol. 1970. All Our Kin. Basic Books.
Ereserve Readings: To access e-reserve readings (a) go to the libraries home page; (b) click on
“more catalog search options;” (c) click on “Course/On-line Reserves;” and (d) Search by my last
name, McGuffey.
The professor reserves the right to incorporate additional readings throughout the
course.
Reading Schedule:
Are Black Families Dysfunctional or Super-Functional?: Assessing the Debates
Jan. 19: First Day of Class – Introductory Concepts. No Assigned Readings.
Jan. 26: U.S. Department of Labor (The Moynihan Report). 1965. The Negro Family: The
Case for National Action. Office of Policy Planning and Research.
Taylor, Ronald L. 2000. “Diversity Within African American Families,” In Handbook of Family
Diversity, edited by David Demo. Oxford University Press.
Allen, Walter R. 1995. “African American Family Life in Societal Context: Crisis and Hope.”
Sociological Forum, v.10 (4)
Sarkisian, Natalia and Naomi Gerstel. 2004. “Kin Support among Blacks and Whites: Race and
Family Organization.” American Sociological Review, v.69
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Social and Historical Understandings of Black Families
Feb. 2: From the Black Families Reader –
Introduction to Part I;
Ch. 1 “African American Families: A Historical Note”;
Ch. 3 “Interpreting the African Heritage in African American Family Organization”;
Introduction to Part II;
Ch. 4 “Conceptualizations and Research of African American Family Life in the U.S.;
Ch. 5 “African American Family Life: An Instrument of Culture”
Roberts, Dorothy. 1997. Ch. 1, “Reproduction in Bondage,” in Killing the Black Body: Race,
Reproduction, and the Meaning of Liberty. New York: Vintage Press.
Families and Kinship among the Poor and Working Class
Feb. 9: Stack, Carol. 1970. All Our Kin. Basic Books.
Ruggles, Steve. 1994. “The Origins of African-American Family Structure.” American
Sociological Review v.59 (1)
Feb. 16: From the Black Families Reader – Ch. 12 “African American Female-Headed
Households”
Jarrett, Robin. 1994. “Living Poor: Family Life Among Single Parent, African-American
Women.” Social Problems 41(1): 30 – 49.
Dominguez, Silvia and Celeste Watkins. 2003. “Creating Networks for Survival and Mobility:
Social Capital Among African-American and Latin-American Low-Income Mothers.” Social
Problems 50(1): 111-135.
Roy, Kevin. 2004. “Three-Block Fathers: Spatial Perceptions and Kin-Work in Low-Income
African American Neighborhoods.” Social Problems 51 (4): 528–548.
Newman, Katherine. 1999. No Shame in My Game, Ch.7 “Family Values,” pp.186-205. New
York: Russell Sage.
Families and Kinship among the Middle Class
Feb. 23: Patillo-McCoy, Mary. 1999. Black Picket Fences. Introduction – Ch. 5
March 2: NO CLASS – Have A Good Break!
March 9: [DUE: Paper Topic, outline, and working bibliography]
McCoy, Mary. 1999. Black Picket Fences. Ch. 6 – Conclusion
Francis Windance Twine. 1997. “Brown-Skinned White Girls: Class, Culture, and the
Construction of White Identity in Suburban Communities” in Displacing Whiteness.
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Raising Children
March 16: From the Black Families Reader –
Introduction to Part V;
Ch. 14 “Parenting of Young Children in Black Families: A Historical Note”;
Ch. 15 “The Roles of African American Fathers in the Socialization of Their Children”;
White, Aaronette. 2006. “African American Feminist Fathers’ Narratives of Parenting.” Journal
of Black Psychology v.32 n.1
Uttal, Lynet. 1998. “Racial Safety and Cultural Maintenance: The Child Care Concerns of
Employed Mothers of Color.” In K. Hansen and A. Garey (eds), Families in the U.S. Temple
University Press.
Jarrett, Robin. 1997. African American Family and Parenting Strategies in Impoverished
Neighborhoods. Qualitative Sociology 20(2): 275-288.
Hill, Shirley. 2001. “Class, Race, and Gender Dimensions of Child Rearing in African American
Families.” Journal of Black Studies v.31 (4)
Lareau, Annette. 2002. “Invisible Inequality: Social Class and Childrearing in Black Families
and White Families.” American Sociological Review v.67 (5)
Children, Youth, and Education
March. 23: Ferguson, Ann. 2001. Bad Boys: Public Schools in the Making of Black
Masculinity. University of Michigan Press. Ch.1 – 5
March 30: Ferguson, Ann. 2001. Bad Boys: Public Schools in the Making of Black Masculinity.
University of Michigan Press. Ch.6 - 8
Tyson, Karolyn. 2003. “Notes from the Back of the Room: Problems and Paradoxes in the
Schooling of Young Black Students.” Sociology of Education v.76
Carter, Prudence. 2003. “ ‘Black’ Cultural Capital, Status Positioning, and Schooling Conflicts
for Low-Income African American Youth,” Social Problems, v.50 n.1, pp. 136-155.
Social Policy
April 6: Schram, Sanford, Joe Soss, Richard Fording, and Linda Houser. 2009. “Deciding to
Discipline: Race, Choice, and Punishment at the Frontlines of Welfare Reform.” American
Sociological Review 74: 398-422.
Bonds, Michael. 2006. “The Continuing Significance of Race: A Case Study of the Impact of
Welfare Reform.” Journal of African American Studies 9(4): 18 – 31.
Haney, Lynne and Miranda March. 2003. “Married Fathers and Caring Daddies: Welfare Reform
and the Discursive Politics of Paternity.” Social Problems: 50(4): 461- 481.
Brush, Lisa. 2001. “Poverty, Battering, Race and Welfare Reform: Black – White Differences in
Women’s Welfare-to-Work Transitions.” Journal of Poverty 5(1): 67 – 89.
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Brown, Annie Woodley and Barbara Bailey-Etta. 1997. “An Out-of-Home Care System in Crisis:
Implications for African American Children in the Child Welfare System.” Child Welfare LXXVI
(1): 65 – 83.
April 13: Roberts, Dorothy. 2002. Shattered Bonds: The Color of Child Welfare. Basic Books.
Introduction and Part One
April 20: Roberts, Dorothy. 2002. Shattered Bonds: The Color of Child Welfare. Basic Books.
Part Two and Part Three
Class Presentations
April 27: Project Presentations
May 4: Project Presentations Continued / Final Papers Due at 4:30!!!
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Health Service Resources
Boston College Resources
Health Services, 119 Cushing Hall
552-3225
Emergency (24 hours): 552-3227
Counseling Services, 108 Gasson Hall
552-3310
Women’s Resource Center, 213 McElroy Hall
552-3489
Sexual Assault Network
552-BC11
BC Police Dept.
Emergency: 552-4444
Non-emergency: 552-3475
Boston Area Resources
Boston Area Rape Crisis Center
617-492-7273
Battered Women’s Hotline
617-661-7203
Casa Myrna Vazque
English/Spanish Hotline
617-521-0100
Gay Men’s Domestic Violence Project
Serves gay and bisexual men, men who
have sex with men & transgendered men
Hotline: 1-800-832-1901
Office: 617-354-6056
Mass. Coalition for Battered Women
1-800-799-SAFE
617-248-0922
The Network/ La Red
English/Spanish Hotline
Serves lesbians and bisexual women,
women involved with other women, and
transgendered individuals (MTF &
FTM)
Hotline/Linea de Crisis: 617-742-4911
TTY: 617-227-4911
Victim Rights Law Center
617-399-6720
New England Area Resources
New England Learning Center for Women in Transition
413-772-0806
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