Ethcaste is a theoretical analysis and interpretation of one of the most complex and controversial groups in U.S. society--the black middle class. While this group has received accolades from the liberal journalistic press as well as academia, it has also been highly criticized and oftentimes ridiculed by radical black political activists and intellectuals. This analysis represents an effort to clarify the larger black community as an oppressed group constrained by the capitalist racial dynamics of the dominant white society. In so doing, it summarizes and critiques the major theoretical approaches to the study of social class in U.S. sociology as well as the dominant theories of race and ethnic relations. Noting that most of this preceding scholarship has studied the black community from the perspective that blacks constitute a racial (thus non-cultural) group as opposed to an ethnic (distinct cultural) group, the author presents compelling evidence of the vitality of black American culture and argues persuasively that any analysis of the black middle class must locate it within the cultural dynamics of the larger black community. The core argument in the text is that the so-called racial struggle must be re-defined as a cultural struggle where the core values, norms, and beliefs of the black community have been and continue to be in an intense struggle for dominance with the core values, norms, and beliefs of the white community. In essence, the book offers an alternative model for describing and interpreting the historical and contemporary racial dynamics between the black and white communities.

This book is about a system of public policy within public-school education that has scarred the lives of many young Black students with school suspension, expulsion, and/or police arrest. Many will have received roughly three criminal charges on their police records well before they will ever receive a diploma. The two key perpetrators of this public policy called zero tolerance are the weak School Principal and the over zealous School Resource Officer.

Mollenkott is a pioneer in the endeavors to integrate feminism with Christian theology, specifically evangelical theology. This book considers her personal development alongside her theological development to provide insight into her contributions in the scholarly arena, and includes a response by Mollenkott as the foreword.

The U.S. military can be thought of as a microcosm of American society, bringing in people from diverse backgrounds and history to defend one nation. Military leaders must address the same issues and concerns as those found in the civilian world, including exclusion, segregation, and discrimination. In some cases, the military has led the nation by creating policies of inclusion before civilian laws required them to do so. In other causes, the military has lagged behind the larger society. The goal of this book is to provide an overview of the ways in which diversity has been addressed in the military by providing information about particular forms of diversity including race, ethnicity, religion, gender, and sexuality. Subject matter experts provide their insights into the roles that each of these groups have played in the U.S. armed services as well as the laws, rules, and regulations regarding their participation. Ultimately, the authors utilize this information as a way to better understand military diversity and the unique ways that individuals incorporate the military into their sense identity.

Yezidis in Syria: Identity Building among a Double Minority traces the development of Yezidi identity on the margins of Syria’s minority context. This little known group is connected to the community’s main living area in northern Iraq, but evolved as a separate identity group in the context of Syria’s colonial, national, and revolutionary history. Always on the bottom of the socio-economic hierarchy, the two sub-groups located in the Kurdagh and the Jezira experience a period of sociological and theological renewal in their quest for a recognized and protected status in the new Syria. In this book, Sebastian Maisel transmits and analyzes the Yezidi perspective on Syria’s policies towards ethnic and religious minorities.

Culture Shock for Asians in U.S. Academia: Breaking the Model Minority Myth discusses the unique cultural challenges that Asians face in U.S. academia. The issues facing Asians in academia are worthy of our attention for two major reasons: the numerical significance of Asians in U.S. academia and the fact that their problem has been largely eclipsed due to their visible success and status as model minority. Asian immigrants are often called the “model minority” because of their Confucianist work ethic and emphasis on “ye," or social order, as well as the high value placed on education. Additionally, Asians generally have often been stereotyped as excelling in academics. However, they face serious problems in adjusting to the U.S. academic system. These problems are due to cultural patterns and variables that are largely invisible, yet nonetheless have an undeniable impact on academics. The issues that affect students ranging from kindergarten through graduate school, and that also affect scholars in academic careers beyond the formative process, are reviewed systematically in this book. Analysis of issues is based on intercultural communication theories and suggestions for overcoming these challenges are suggested. Becoming aware of and addressing the roadblocks for Asians is important not only for Asian students and scholars, but also for educators, education administrators, and institutions. Additionally, helping Asians to overcome the challenges in academia not only helps academia to become a more inclusive place where all students can learn and all scholars can work in academia successfully, it also benefits society by producing a more literate, educated, and qualified workforce overall. By promoting understanding of this important topic in a systematic and theoretic fashion, valuable resources can be realized to their full potential.

A highly readable overview of the rich past of historically black colleges and universities, and how their role in higher education is evolving for the future. Historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have influenced African American lives and communities since 1837. Historically Black Colleges and Universities provides a past and present look at their role in higher education. This volume addresses why these institutions exist, how effective they've been, and if today's 103 HBCUs are still necessary. Special attention is given to the years since 1954 and to desegregation cases such as Brown v. Board of Education, United States v. Fordice, and other judicial decisions. The volume highlights government relations, leadership, and philanthropy as they apply to HBCUs. Also, a chapter provides a case study of the Historically Minority Universities Bioscience and Biotechnology Program Initiative, and a final chapter suggests research agendas for the 21st century.

Colorism is defined as "discriminatory treatment of individuals falling within the same 'racial' group on the basis of skin color." In other words, some people, particularly women, are treated better or worse on account of the color of their skin relative to other people who share their same racial category. Colorism affects Asian Americans from many different backgrounds and who live in different parts of the United States. Is Lighter Better? discusses this often-overlooked topic. Joanne L. Rondilla and Paul Spickard ask important questions such as: What are the colorism issues that operate in Asian American communities? Are they the same issues for all Asian Americans—for women and for men, for immigrants and the American born, for Chinese, Filipinos, Koreans, Vietnamese, and other Asian Americans? Do they reflect a desire to look like White people, or is some other motive at work? Including numerous stories about and by people who have faced discrimination in their own lives, this book is an invaluable resource for people interested in colorism among Asian Americans.

Although the human genome exists apart from society, knowledge about it is produced through socially-created language and interactions. As such, genomicists’ thinking is informed by their inability to escape the wake of the ‘race’ concept. This book investigates how racism makes genomics and how genomics makes racism and ‘race,’ and the consequences of these constructions. Specifically, Williams explores how racial ideology works in genomics. The simple assumption that frames the book is that ‘race’ as an ideology justifying a system of oppression is persistently recreated as a practical and familiar way to understand biological reality. This book reveals that genomicists’ preoccupation with ‘race’—regardless of good or ill intent—contributes to its perception as a category of differences that is scientifically rigorous.

The South African-born Chinese community is a tiny one, consisting of 10,000-12,000 members in a population of approximately 45 million. Throughout much of the history of this race-conscious country, this community has been ignored or neglected and officially classed along with people of mixed race or with Indians in the South African category of "Asiatic." Shaped by both external and internal forces, Chinese identities in South Africa are beginning to receive more media and scholarly attention as China's aid, trade, and investment in Africa grow and large numbers of new Chinese immigrants stream into South Africa and other African states. A Matter of Honour examines the shifting social, ethnic, racial, and national identities of Chinese South Africans over time. Using concepts of identity, ethnicity, race, nationalism, and transnationalism, and drawing on comparisons with other overseas Chinese communities, it explores the multilayered identities of the South African group and analyzes the ways in which their identities have altered with each generation. Yoon Jung Park's study breaks away from the often-narrow inquiries into ethnic and national identity in South Africa, offering valuable new perspectives on this shifting terrain of study. Book jacket.