Religion and Suicide in the African-American Community - (Contributions in Afro-American and African Studies: Contempo) by Kevin Early (Hardcover)
About this item
Highlights
- Suicide among African Americans occurs at about half the rate with which it occurs among white Americans.
- About the Author: KEVIN E. EARLY is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan.
- 160 Pages
- Religion + Beliefs, General
- Series Name: Contributions in Afro-American and African Studies: Contempo
Description
About the Book
Suicide among African Americans occurs at about half the rate with which it occurs among white Americans. Why is the black rate of suicide so much lower, particularly when one considers the effects of racism and other socio-economic factors on African Americans? One answer that has been offered is that churches within the African-American community have a greater influence than among white Americans and that they provide amelioration of social forces that would otherwise lead to suicide.
To date no other book has provided an in-depth ethnographic study of the buffering effect of the black church against suicide. Findings from Early's study indicate that there is a consensus within the black community in terms of its attitudes and beliefs toward suicide. Early concludes that suicide is alien to underlying African-American belief systems and a complete denial of what it means to be black. This important study will be invaluable to sociologists and others studying contemporary race relations and social problems.
Book Synopsis
Suicide among African Americans occurs at about half the rate with which it occurs among white Americans. Why is the black rate of suicide so much lower, particularly when one considers the effects of racism and other socio-economic factors on African Americans? One answer that has been offered is that churches within the African-American community have a greater influence than among white Americans and that they provide amelioration of social forces that would otherwise lead to suicide.
To date no other book has provided an in-depth ethnographic study of the buffering effect of the black church against suicide. Findings from Early's study indicate that there is a consensus within the black community in terms of its attitudes and beliefs toward suicide. Early concludes that suicide is alien to underlying African-American belief systems and a complete denial of what it means to be black. This important study will be invaluable to sociologists and others studying contemporary race relations and social problems.About the Author
KEVIN E. EARLY is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan. He specializes in criminology and the study of deviance and social control.
