This research was commissioned by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. The Foundation approached the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development with an invitation to help it define and understand the forces affecting families and children in Indian America. Specifically, the Foundation asked the Harvard Project to identify the primary actors and activities that are effectively addressing the needs of families and children; help the Foundation understand the context in which progress is being made and the reasons why some initiatives and programs are particularly effective; and to draw from these examples implications for the roles of the many actors who contribute to the well-being of children and families--tribal governments, non-tribal governments, Native NGOs, non-native NGOs, and philanthropic foundations. This report is divided into the following sections: (1) Introduction; (2) The State of Children, Families, and Communities in Indian America; (3) Case Studies in Effective Family Strengthening in Indian America; (4) A Framework for Understanding Family Strengthening in Indian America; (5) Observations on Effective Family Strengthening in Indian America; and (6) Recommendations to the Philanthropic Community. Appended are: (1) Consultative Session on Family Strengthening in Indian America; and (2) Case Studies.

By looking at a variety of racial and ethnic groups in society, Social Work, Marriage and Ethnicity examines the conventional knowledge, theories and best practices relating to marriages. Contributors address marriage interventions, female empowerment, parenting, and cohabitation, as well as the variables which impact these situations, such as employment, housing, domestic violence and HIV/AIDS, within appropriate and meaningful cultural contexts. This book will be particularly useful for social workers working in many settings: clinical, community, research, policy implementation, faith-based, and other arenas that are available to couples in need of marital support. Marriage issues need to be addressed by social workers, given its status as a vital element in family strengthening and relationship stability. This book emboldens the case manager, community organizer, or immigration officer to address marital stresses and the demands faced by those couples most impacted by systemic inequality and barriers to cultural interventions. This book was originally published as a special issue of the Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment.

The work of school, family and community partnerships is complex and messy and demands a thoughtful and deep investigation. Currently, parent and community involvement does not draw on school reform and educational change literature and conversely the school change literature often ignores the crucial role that communities play in educational reform. This edited volume focuses on structural considerations regarding education and the school communities, school-level and family culture, and the interrelationships between the agency and actions of school personnel, family members, community citizens and students. This book extends the dialogue on school reform by looking at parent and community engagement initiatives as part of the school reform literature. The contributors illustrate the negative impact on students and their education when assumptions made by school personnel regarding the organization of education, the nature of families, and the contributions they should make to their children’s education are not challenged.

The issue of racial disproportionality in the child welfare system, particularly as it impacts African-American children and families, has long been a concern to practitioners and policymakers. However, disproportionality is not limited to the African-American community. Latino, Native-American, Asian-American, and Pacific Islander populations experience inequities in treatment. From leading voices on culturally-competent care comes a cutting-edge book that examines disproportionalities across all of these racial and ethnic groups. Eliminating Racial Disproportionality and Disparities examines a wide range of systems that often affect and interact with child welfare. Chapters are devoted to the juvenile justice system, mental health, the courts, education, and healthcare, making it the only book to offer a multisystemic approach to disparities and disproportionality. Filled with in-depth case studies, key terms, study questions, and resources, and written to reflect CSWE-mandated competencies, this expansive book gives students, educators, policymakers, practitioners, and administrators new knowledge for providing culturally competent services while simultaneously addressing disproportionality across various systems of care.

Masculinities in Contemporary American Culture offers readers a multidisciplinary, intersectional overview of masculinity studies that includes both theoretical and applied lenses. Keith combines current research with historical perspectives to demonstrate the contexts in which masculine identities have come evolved. With an emphasis on popular culture -- particularly film, TV, video games, and music -- this text invites students to examine their gendered sensibilities and discuss the ways in which different forms of media appeal to toxic masculinity.