Autism is a group of severe developmental disorders with impairments beginning before 30 months of age and characterized by a qualitative disturbance of social development and of language for communication, a stereotyped behaviour, and a lack of a broad set of interests. The expression of autism varies from one individual to the next. It is a…

Improving structural racial equality for historically-disadvantaged Black South Africans, including low-skilled and unemployed adults and youths, is a pertinent challenge for the South African government during the ongoing transition from apartheid capitalism to post-apartheid capitalism. Within the framework of the National Skills Development…

Stumbling blocks remain on the road to a fully equitable culture in higher education in South Africa. Between 2003 and 2006, the author conducted two research studies that probed the nature of the transformation of higher education institutions in the country. The first study focused specifically on institutional culture; the second examined the…

The demographic profile of American Blacks reveals a phenomenal rise in longevity between 1900 and 1970 not matched by healthier living. This is attributable to higher incidence of cardiovascular disorders and certain cancers among non-Whites. This racial differential is statistically correlated with Black peoples' residence, work, and dietary…

The backlash theory in mental health is discussed in terms of its cultural antecedents and its contemporary applications to mental health research. (Author/RLV)

This annotated bibliography includes selected alcohol-related studies with findings pertaining to Black Americans. There is a paucity of information and research on alcohol and Black Americans and a critical shortage of information which can be used in policymaking, education and prevention, and program planning. Research should emphasize…

Contemporary Black sociologists are more liberal and more politicized than their predecessors. They argue that major differences exist between themselves and their white colleagues and they emphasize norms, theories, and methods different from those of traditional sociology. (Author/MJL)

Compares the predictors of marital well-being for African American and European American women by focusing on the influences of individual, interpersonal, and social and economic resources. Emotional health, trusting one's spouse, and feeling underbenefited in the relationship were significant predictors of marital well-being for both groups.…

Discusses Jensen's research and writings on genetic v environmental determinants of intelligence. Reviews professional response to his 1969 "Harvard Educational Review" article, and briefly considers the work of other researchers on the relationship between race and intelligence. (GC)

Using data from the current population survey, this article examines patterns of unemployment and employment among Black youth and compares the employment and unemployment patterns of Black teenagers to those of Black young adults (20 to 24 years old). (LRA)

Data from 18 studies were reviewed to investigate the relationship between ethnicity and eating disturbances, focusing on the relationship between African American and white women. Although white women had more risk of eating disturbances, the effect size was small. White women had slightly more risk for all eating disturbances combined. African…

Among both races, there has been a shift away from traditional living arrangements. Changes have been more significant among Blacks and, thus, racial differences are now greater than at the time of the Moynihan report. Economic consequences are described by analyzing trends in per capita income for types of families. (Author)

Research on transracial adoption indicates that most minority children in transracial placement adjust very well to their mixed-race environments. Most transracial adoptees have a sense of identity with their racial heritage, but the strength of this identity depends, to a large degree, on the commitment of the adoptive parents to foster it.…

Reviews J. P. Rushton's data in "Race Differences in Behavior: A Review and Evolutionary Analysis" (1988), and suggests that aggregating large cohorts of methodologically weak studies results in misleading conclusions. A reanalysis of Rushton's data shows that cranial size is not a feasible indicator of intelligence and is similar in…

While research has shown that both black and white children can clearly discriminate (usually through the use of dolls or puppets) with respect to ethnic identification by the age of 3-4 years, findings regarding ethnic preference are more complex. Researcher W.C. Banks has implied that research designs that compare ethnic preferences across…