United by Faith: The Multiracial Congregation as an Answer to the Problem of Race
by Curtiss Paul Deyoung, Michael O. Emerson, George Yancey, Karen Chai Kim - September 30, 2004
As America grows ever more ethnically diverse, Christian churches remain racially homogeneous. This state of affairs must end, argues this earnest blend of religious moralizing and social science; indeed, church integration is so central both to the Christian mission and to racial equality at large that "the twenty-first century must be the century of multi-racial congregations." The authors, professors either of sociology or "reconciliation studies," base their claims on theology, church history and sociology. They look back to the diversity and cosmopolitanism of the early Church as a model for contemporary Christians, and trace the legacy of racism and segregation in American churches and attempts to overcome them. Drawing on questionnaires, interviews with church members and leaders, and on-site studies of four racially mixed congregations, they probe both the promise and pitfalls of church integration. The authors respond to minority critics who value uniracial churches as hothouses for distinctive worship styles, rallying points for activism and refuges from white social hegemony, and stress that integrated churches can and should guard against assimilationist pressures, preserve the unique cultures of all racial groups and cultivate a racially diverse church leadership. They never quite demonstrate the world-historical centrality of racially mixed congregations, and they concede the aura of awkward dutifulness that accompanies self-conscious attempts at church integration, observing that congregations are not truly integrated until all the racial groups feel somewhat uncomfortable in the resulting milieu. Still, the authors make a good case that this is a cross that Christian churches should take up.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
In the last four decades, desegregation has revolutionized almost every aspect of life in the United States: schools, businesses, government offices, even entertainment. But there is one area that remains largely untouched, and that is the church. Now comes a major new call for multiracial congregations in every possible setting--a call that is surprisingly controversial, even in the twenty-first century. In United By Faith, a multiracial team of sociologists and a minister of the Church of God argue that multiracial Christian congregations offer a key to opening the still-locked door between the races in the United States. They note, however, that a belief persists--even in African-American and Latino churches--that racial segregation is an acceptable, even useful practice. The authors examine this question from biblical, historical, and theological perspectives to make their case. They explore the long history of interracialism in the church, with specific examples of multiracial congregations in the United States. They cite examples ranging from the abolitionist movement to an astonishing 1897 camp meeting in Alabama that brought together hundreds of whites and blacks literally into the same tent. Here, too, is a critical account of the theological arguments in favor of racial separation, as voiced in the African-American, Latino, Asian-American, Native-American, and white contexts. The authors respond in detail, closing with a foundation for a theology suited to sustaining multiracial congregations over time. Faith can be the basis for healing, but too often Christian faith has been a field for injury and division. In this important new book, readers will glimpse a way forward, a path toward once again making the church the basis for racial reconciliation in our still-splintered nation.

Trauma, Stress, and Resilience Among Sexual Minority Women: Rising Like the Phoenix
by Kimberly F., PhD. Balsan (Editor), Kimberly F. Balsam (Editor) - March 1, 2004
Balsam (psychology, University of Washington) collects material on the prevalence, impact, and meaning of traumatic experiences in the lives of sexual minority women. Contributors in psychology, social work, and women's studies incorporate real-life case examples and direct quotes from women interviewed to illustrate the emotional strain these women endure, and describe constructive individual and community responses that promote resilience and healing. Some topics addressed are the impact of sexual abuse history on the coming out process, unique stressors facing African-American lesbians, and gathering data on hate crimes.

Sexual Minorities: Discrimination, Challenges, and Development in America
by Michael J Sullivan (Editor) - November 1, 2004
Examines the stumbling blocks that prevent gays, lesbians, bisexuals and tarnsgenders from living wholesome, healthy lives. This book concentrates on the effects of outside influences on the homosexual psyche from adolescence to mid-life and progarms and services that need to be developed to improve quality of life. While some outside influences can make positive changes - such as Internet-based outreach to educate men in chat rooms about HIV - sexual minority groups face negativity from society in the forms of homophobia and heterosexism. This book uses statistics, charts, graphs, and surveys to reveal a remarkable trend correlating how contemporary American society treats sexual minorities and how it affects their psychological and psychosocial health. This book also reveals how - when internalized - this hurtful discrimination can cause self-hatred and depression. This is an important tool for eveyone in today's society - from students and practitioners of social work, health care, human sexuality, psychology and sociology, to legislators, lawyers, activists and business owners. This book is also vital for every parent, relative or friend of a man or woman labeled as a sexual minority.

Dislocating China : Muslims, Minorities, and Other Subaltern Subjects
by Dru C. Gladney - April 1, 2004
Until quite recently, Western scholars have tended to accept the Chinese representation of non-Han groups as marginalized minorities. Dru C. Gladney challenges this simplistic view, arguing instead that the very oppositions of majority and minority, primitive and modern, are historically constructed and are belied by examination of such disenfranchised groups as Muslims, minorities, or gendered others.
Gladney locates China and Chinese culture not in some unchanging, essential "Chinese-ness," but in the context of historical and contemporary multicultural complexity. He investigates how this complexity plays out among a variety of places and groups, examining representations of minorities and majorities in art, movies, and theme parks; the invention of folklore and creation myths; the role of pilgrimages in constructing local identities; and the impact of globalization and economic reforms on non-Han groups such as the Muslim Hui. In the end, Gladney argues that just as peoples in the West have defined themselves against ethnic others, so too have the Chinese defined themselves against marginalized groups in their own society.
Until quite recently, Western scholars have tended to accept the Chinese representation of non-Han groups as marginalized minorities. Dru C. Gladney challenges this simplistic view, arguing instead that the very oppositions of majority and minority, primitive and modern, are historically constructed and are belied by examination of such disenfranchised groups as Muslims, minorities, or gendered others.
Gladney locates China and Chinese culture not in some unchanging, essential "Chinese-ness," but in the context of historical and contemporary multicultural complexity. He investigates how this complexity plays out among a variety of places and groups, examining representations of minorities and majorities in art, movies, and theme parks; the invention of folklore and creation myths; the role of pilgrimages in constructing local identities; and the impact of globalization and economic reforms on non-Han groups such as the Muslim Hui. In the end, Gladney argues that just as peoples in the West have defined themselves against ethnic others, so too have the Chinese defined themselves against marginalized groups in their own society.

The Quest for Identity: From Minority Groups to Generation Xers
by Donald M. Taylor - November 30, 2002
There are groups in society that experience profound social problems, and there are others that show signs of a growing social malaise. From his research experiences in the United States, Canada, South Africa, and Indonesia, Taylor examines the reasons for such social problems and offers possible solutions.

Meeting the Needs of Ethnic Minority Children
by Richard Williams (Foreword), Kedar Nath Dwivedi (Editor)
Professionals working with ethnic minority children can find themselves at a loss as to how to understand and meet their needs and how to recognize and accept differences among groups. Offering practical guidelines based on sound research and practice, the book provides a focus on some of the most difficult and topical issues in this field of work.
The contributors to this substantially revised edition of an important resource have updated their chapters to reflect developments in the field. Experts from a variety of disciplines, they consider the central importance for professionals of the Lawrence Enquiry; the move to include more public services in the Race Relations Act; increased awareness of institutional racism; and the specific inclusion of ethnic minority children in health improvement programs. New chapters are included on identity work, mixed race children and their families, refugee children, and the issue of language.