Paul C. Rosenblatt

African American Grief is a unique contribution to the field, both as a professional resource for counselors, therapists, social workers, clergy, and nurses, and as a reference volume for thanatologists, academics, and researchers. The classic edition includes a new preface from the authors reflecting on their work and on the changes in society and the field since the book’s initial publication.This work considers the potential effects of slavery, racism, and white ignorance and oppression on the African American experience and conception of death and grief in America. Based on interviews with 26 African Americans who have faced the death of a significant person in their lives, the authors document, describe, and analyze key phenomena of the unique African American experience of grief. The book combines moving narratives from the interviewees with sound research, analysis, and theoretical discussion of important issues in thanatology, as well as topics such as the influence of the African American church, gospel music, family grief, medical racism as a cause of death, and discrimination during life and after death.

African American Grief is a unique contribution to the field, both as a professional resource for counselors, therapists, social workers, clergy, and nurses, and as a reference volume for thanatologists, academics, and researchers. The classic edition includes a new preface from the authors reflecting on their work and on the changes in society and the field since the book’s initial publication.This work considers the potential effects of slavery, racism, and white ignorance and oppression on the African American experience and conception of death and grief in America. Based on interviews with 26 African Americans who have faced the death of a significant person in their lives, the authors document, describe, and analyze key phenomena of the unique African American experience of grief. The book combines moving narratives from the interviewees with sound research, analysis, and theoretical discussion of important issues in thanatology, as well as topics such as the influence of the African American church, gospel music, family grief, medical racism as a cause of death, and discrimination during life and after death.

In spite of the existence of statistics and numerical data on various aspects of African American life, including housing, earnings, assets, unemployment, household violence, teen pregnancy and encounters with the criminal justice system, social science literature on how racism affects the everyday interactions of African American families is limited. How does racism come home to and affect African American families? If a father in an African American family is denied employment on the basis of his race or a wife is demeaned at work by racist slurs, how is their family life affected? Given the lack of social science literature responding to these questions, this volume turns to an alternative source in order to address them: literature. Engaging with novels written by African American authors, it explores their rich depictions of African American family life, showing how these can contribute to our sociological knowledge and making the case for the novel as an object and source of social research. As such, it will appeal to scholars and students of the sociology of the family, race and ethnicity, cultural studies and literature.

In the extensive literature on couples and intimacy, little has been written about knowing and not knowing as people experience and understand them. Based on intensive interviews with thirty-seven adults, this book shows that knowing and not knowing are central to couple relationships. They are entangled in love, sexual attraction, trust, commitment, caring, empathy, decision making, conflict, and many other aspects of couple life. Often the entanglement is paradoxical. For example, many interviewees revealed that they hungered to be known and yet kept secrets from their partner. Many described working hard at knowing their partner well, and yet there were also things about their partner and their partner's past that they wanted not to know. This book's qualitative, phenomenological approach builds on and adds to the largely quantitative social psychological, communications and family field literature to offer a new and accessible insight into the experience of intimacy.

Written for researchers and graduate students writing dissertations, this unique book offers detailed advice and perspective on many issues that can stall a research project and reveals what can be done to successfully resume it. Using a direct yet conversational style, author Paul C. Rosenblatt draws on his decades of experience to cover many diverse topics. The text guides readers through challenges such as clarifying the end goal of a project; resolving common and not-so-common writing problems; dealing with rejection and revision decisions; handling difficulties involving dissertation advisers and committee members; coping with issues of researcher motivation or self-esteem; and much more.

In spite of the existence of statistics and numerical data on various aspects of African American life, including housing, earnings, assets, unemployment, household violence, teen pregnancy and encounters with the criminal justice system, social science literature on how racism affects the everyday interactions of African American families is limited. How does racism come home to and affect African American families? If a father in an African American family is denied employment on the basis of his race or a wife is demeaned at work by racist slurs, how is their family life affected? Given the lack of social science literature responding to these questions, this volume turns to an alternative source in order to address them: literature. Engaging with novels written by African American authors, it explores their rich depictions of African American family life, showing how these can contribute to our sociological knowledge and making the case for the novel as an object and source of social research. As such, it will appeal to scholars and students of the sociology of the family, race and ethnicity, cultural studies and literature.

In the extensive literature on couples and intimacy, little has been written about knowing and not knowing as people experience and understand them. Based on intensive interviews with thirty-seven adults, this book shows that knowing and not knowing are central to couple relationships. They are entangled in love, sexual attraction, trust, commitment, caring, empathy, decision making, conflict, and many other aspects of couple life. Often the entanglement is paradoxical. For example, many interviewees revealed that they hungered to be known and yet kept secrets from their partner. Many described working hard at knowing their partner well, and yet there were also things about their partner and their partner's past that they wanted not to know. This book's qualitative, phenomenological approach builds on and adds to the largely quantitative social psychological, communications and family field literature to offer a new and accessible insight into the experience of intimacy.

A fascinating look at the social experience of sharing a bed with another person.Millions of adults sleep with another adult, but what does it mean to share a bed with someone else, and how does it affect a couple's relationship? What happens when one partner snores? Steals the sheets? Prefers to sleep in the nude? To address these and other questions, Paul C. Rosenblatt asked couples to describe the struggles, challenges, and achievements of their bed-sharing experiences. Two in a Bed includes interviews with more than forty bed-sharing couples as they candidly discuss winding down and waking up, cold feet and tucked sheets, who sleeps near the door and who gets pushed to the edge, snoring, spooning, sleep talking, sleep walking, and the myriad other behaviors we negotiate in falling asleep, staying asleep, and waking up each morning beside a partner. In addition to exploring the routines and realities of sharing a bed with another person, these interviews reveal important information about sleep, relationships, and American society. Stressing the intricacy and importance of a previously unremarked activity, Rosenblatt's Two in a Bed shows that sleep should no longer be viewed solely as an individual phenomenon.

A fascinating look at the social experience of sharing a bed with another person.Millions of adults sleep with another adult, but what does it mean to share a bed with someone else, and how does it affect a couple's relationship? What happens when one partner snores? Steals the sheets? Prefers to sleep in the nude? To address these and other questions, Paul C. Rosenblatt asked couples to describe the struggles, challenges, and achievements of their bed-sharing experiences. Two in a Bed includes interviews with more than forty bed-sharing couples as they candidly discuss winding down and waking up, cold feet and tucked sheets, who sleeps near the door and who gets pushed to the edge, snoring, spooning, sleep talking, sleep walking, and the myriad other behaviors we negotiate in falling asleep, staying asleep, and waking up each morning beside a partner. In addition to exploring the routines and realities of sharing a bed with another person, these interviews reveal important information about sleep, relationships, and American society. Stressing the intricacy and importance of a previously unremarked activity, Rosenblatt's Two in a Bed shows that sleep should no longer be viewed solely as an individual phenomenon.

African American Grief is a unique contribution to the field, both as a professional resource for counselors, therapists, social workers, clergy, and nurses, and as a reference volume for thanatologists, academics, and researchers. This work considers the potential effects of slavery, racism, and white ignorance and oppression on the African American experience and conception of death and grief in America. Based on interviews with 26 African-Americans who have faced the death of a significant person in their lives, the authors document, describe, and analyze key phenomena of the unique African-American experience of grief. The book combines moving narratives from the interviewees with sound research, analysis, and theoretical discussion of important issues in thanatology as well as topics such as the influence of the African-American church, gospel music, family grief, medical racism as a cause of death, and discrimination during life and after death.

African American Grief is a unique contribution to the field, both as a professional resource for counselors, therapists, social workers, clergy, and nurses, and as a reference volume for thanatologists, academics, and researchers. This work considers the potential effects of slavery, racism, and white ignorance and oppression on the African American experience and conception of death and grief in America. Based on interviews with 26 African-Americans who have faced the death of a significant person in their lives, the authors document, describe, and analyze key phenomena of the unique African-American experience of grief. The book combines moving narratives from the interviewees with sound research, analysis, and theoretical discussion of important issues in thanatology as well as topics such as the influence of the African-American church, gospel music, family grief, medical racism as a cause of death, and discrimination during life and after death.

Explores what couple and individual stories say and do not say about the child's dying and death and about parent grief. The author uses narratives as his tool for the introduction and exploration of the many facets of parental grief.

Explores what couple and individual stories say and do not say about the child's dying and death and about parent grief. The author uses narratives as his tool for the introduction and exploration of the many facets of parental grief.

This innovative book probes the language of family systems theory, demonstrating how metaphors shape our understanding both of families themselves and of the goals and process of therapy. The author shows how a deeper understanding of standard theoretical metaphors--and the development of alternatives--can help clinicians and students identify hidden assumptions, incorporate perspectives that may otherwise have been overlooked, and forge creative new meanings in clinical practice.

In Multiracial Couples, 21 couples in which one partner is black and the other is white talk about their experiences. The book offers a comprehensive and insightful analysis based on extensive quotations. It discusses the fact that these couples see their relationships as ordinary, as well as their encounters with racism. It also provides a pioneering exploration of how they became a couple, their relationships with families of origin and with the community, how partners dafine themselves as individuals and as a couple, the ways they defend against racism, their parenting experiences, what the partners learn from each other, and the blessings of being an interracial couple. The authors of Multiracial Couples provide a first-person account that will be equal value to professionals and scholars in family studies, race and ethnic studies, family psychology, and sociology. "Multiracial Couples is the result of a well-conducted study of 21 black/white couples and their experiences. It focuses strongly on the words of the participants themselves, rather than on a psychological interpretation of their words, and that is its great strength. Chapters cover topics from identity to societal racism, and although there is background material with each topic, the primary voices are the couples'. The authors then provide an interesting, comprehensive analysis with each chapter. These conclusions do not attempt to sum up, but instead offer additional ideas for thought. In essence, the authors provide a very sound framework and guidance for the discussion without being judgmental, and they do achieve the delicate balance necessary to the completeness of this text." --Interracial Voice "Multiracial Couples is a detailed look at a phenomenon that many individuals would like to see disappear. This cogent presentation of the issue is must reading. It is informative, written from a dispassionate but critical viewpoint, and reader-friendly. First addressing, in the authors' words, 'the most corrosive form of white opposition to interracial couples--racism,' the authors subsequently guide readers like a diary of an interracial relationship. . . . Family therapists, scholars, and practitioners will find this an invaluable resource. Highly recommended for all levels." --Choice "This is an unusual and unique book. . . . The issues, problems, perceptions and solutions have wide applicability. Therapists dealing with couple problems in multiracial countries will find these pages fascinating and instructive." --Kalyana Rodrigo in Sexual and Marital Therapy

In Multiracial Couples, 21 couples in which one partner is black and the other is white talk about their experiences. The book offers a comprehensive and insightful analysis based on extensive quotations. It discusses the fact that these couples see their relationships as ordinary, as well as their encounters with racism. It also provides a pioneering exploration of how they became a couple, their relationships with families of origin and with the community, how partners dafine themselves as individuals and as a couple, the ways they defend against racism, their parenting experiences, what the partners learn from each other, and the blessings of being an interracial couple. The authors of Multiracial Couples provide a first-person account that will be equal value to professionals and scholars in family studies, race and ethnic studies, family psychology, and sociology. "Multiracial Couples is the result of a well-conducted study of 21 black/white couples and their experiences. It focuses strongly on the words of the participants themselves, rather than on a psychological interpretation of their words, and that is its great strength. Chapters cover topics from identity to societal racism, and although there is background material with each topic, the primary voices are the couples'. The authors then provide an interesting, comprehensive analysis with each chapter. These conclusions do not attempt to sum up, but instead offer additional ideas for thought. In essence, the authors provide a very sound framework and guidance for the discussion without being judgmental, and they do achieve the delicate balance necessary to the completeness of this text." --Interracial Voice "Multiracial Couples is a detailed look at a phenomenon that many individuals would like to see disappear. This cogent presentation of the issue is must reading. It is informative, written from a dispassionate but critical viewpoint, and reader-friendly. First addressing, in the authors' words, 'the most corrosive form of white opposition to interracial couples--racism,' the authors subsequently guide readers like a diary of an interracial relationship. . . . Family therapists, scholars, and practitioners will find this an invaluable resource. Highly recommended for all levels." --Choice "This is an unusual and unique book. . . . The issues, problems, perceptions and solutions have wide applicability. Therapists dealing with couple problems in multiracial countries will find these pages fascinating and instructive." --Kalyana Rodrigo in Sexual and Marital Therapy