Promotions - Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles 2022 -

This is a first-rate overview of Black identity by Cross (emer., Univ. of Denver), a leading psychologist and major developer of Nigrescence theory and the Cross Racial Identity Scale measuring Black self-identity. Here, he thoroughly analyzes his and other leading Black psychologists' lifespan models of Black consciousness. Developing critical evaluations of W. E. B. du Bois's concept of "double consciousness" (as articulated in The Souls of Black Folk) central to Black identity choices, Cross critiques the still omnipresent, century-old concept many white (e.g., Robert E. Park, Daniel P. Moynihan) and some Black (e.g., E. Franklin Frazier, Kenneth Clark) scholars emphasize, asserting that major cultural deficiencies among Black communities, as compared to white communities, resulted from slavery and its aftermath. Instead, Cross offers much data and analysis indicating great Black cultural strength and shows that recurring structural and discriminatory deindustrialization, not slavery-derived cultural deficiency, is the main cause of Black Americans' major social problems (e.g., crime rates) and economic problems (e.g., impoverishment), just as it has been the main cause of the same problems white (e.g., Irish, Italian) Americans faced over the centuries. A good index and bibliography conclude the volume.Summing Up: Highly recommended. General readers through faculty; professionals.

Intersectionality currently seems to be on everyone's mind as a newly useful construct. Yet, this fine new book presents a deeply enlightening view of a type of intersectionality that has been around for a long time, one that has been the object of considerable--but still not enough--scholarly interest: the intersection of spirituality, religion, and mental health. Focusing on these in cross-cultural perspective, the editors present the 25 contributions in three parts. Chapters in part 1, "Theory," explore definitions of key terms, such as spirituality, considering whether and how the subject of spirituality may be approached from an empirical or scientific perspective. Part 2, "General Principles," examines different religious and spiritual practices, drawing specific examples from, e.g., Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, African religions, Buddhism, and atheism/nonreligion to illustrate how such practices can intersect with believers' mental health issues. Part 3 deals with matters of interest to practicing clinicians. Contributors offer various views on how to integrate religion into a therapy session. In addition to clinicians in practice and those in training, mature general readers will likely find certain chapters of part 3 most compelling. For this reviewer, the chapter on spirituality and clinical practice at the end of life was particularly rewarding.Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower- and upper-division undergraduates. Graduate students, faculty, and professionals. General readers.