"Studies of the experience of Caribbean childhood have, in the past, been undertaken almost exclusively from the perspective of adults rather than that of the children themselves. In this work, Christine Barrow departs from that tradition by focusing on the views of children as participants. The result is a fresh perspective on childhood and growing up that is different from those of parents, guardians and adults in general. The core of the study is based on the childhood narratives of 28 men and women organised around a range of themes including migration, informal adoption and abandonment. These narratives provide fresh insights into the complex lives of children as well as alternative views of commonly accepted notions such as the two-parent family being the ideal, in comparison to the reality of families not purely formed by blood relation. Caribbean Childhoods adds a new dimension to our understanding of the rich diversity of Caribbean families and the context in which many children are raised. It is a useful guide for social workers, teachers and anyone else seeking to understand Caribbean youth. "

Understanding and responding to the epidemic of HIV in the Caribbean context requires a multidimensional approach. Drawing together and impressive array of academics, activist scholars, educations specialists and frontline service providers, Sexuality, Social Exclusion and Human Rights examines some of the key drivers of HIV and AIDS by exploring risk, vulnerability, power, culture, sexuality and gender. The primary challenge is first to recognise and come to grips with the circumstances in which HIV is transmitted in order to construct the policies and practices in response. Divided into four sections: Human Rights, Citizenship and Social Exclusion; Rethinking Communication; Reconceptualizing Sex; and Policy and Macro-Perspectives, the contributors to this volume raise controversial issues not formally discussed in the Caribbean context but which require confrontation to arrest the spread of HIV. This volume provides a unique perspective and analysis of the Caribbean response and how the inclusion of many different sectors in society and an interdisciplinary, rather than segregated multidisciplinary approach, can effectively address the spread of HIV and AIDS in the region.

There is now a significant body of Caribbean sociological literature much of which is either scattered, difficult to access or out of print. Caribbean Sociology: Introductory Readings addresses the problem by bringing the literature together in single volume. This comprehensive collection is divided into 12 sections beginning with a general introduction which reviews Caribbean sociological development. Following this a section exploring Caribbean social theory comprising classic pieces by founding fathers of Caribbean sociology as well essays examining the contribution of Caribbean scholars to the emergence of an indigenous sociology ad social science. Ensuing sections delve into traditional themes such as social stratification, ethnicity, culture and identity, women and gender and education, as well as emerging discussions on domestic violence, child and sexual abuse, labour market conditions, population and demographic change and indigenous African derived religions. The final section deals with the broad area of social change and development which encapsulates the debate on modernisation and development in the region. This Reader is primarily intended for undergraduate sociology students but will prove useful for courses in Caribbean sociology at several different levels.

"Family in the Caribbean provides a comprehensive review of the extensive literature on family, household and conjugal unions in the Caribbean. The book is constructed around six themes prominent in Caribbean family studies, namely definitions of the family, plural and creole society, social structure, gender roles and relationships, methodology, history and social change. Part I critically assesses theoretical trends and interpretations from the perspectives of African heritage, colonial social welfare, structural functionalism, adaptive responses to poverty and kinship ideology and practice. Concepts such as matrifocality, male marginality, female headed household and kinship network are examined. Part II reviews substantive topics of slave family structure, East Indian family patterns, childhood socialisation and social policy. An added feature is the inclusion of selected readings from works by the main contributors to Caribbean family theory which provide a handy reference for readers. These readings are conveniently placed at the end of each section. The author s objective is to pave the way for future investigations which study Caribbean families in their own right, and in the process help to bury the ethnocentric images of deviant and disorganised families. "

This edited collection explores policing in America in regards to minority groups. The essays discuss how the relationship between police and minority groups affects politics, the economy, and minority groups' daily lives and success. The contributors explore the Black Lives Matter movement, the Detroit, Los Angeles, and Atlanta Police Departments, immigration, incarceration, community policing, police violence, and detail causes, theories, and solutions to this important phenomenon.

This edited collection explores policing in America in regards to minority groups. The essays discuss how the relationship between police and minority groups affects politics, the economy, and minority groups' daily lives and success. The contributors explore the Black Lives Matter movement, the Detroit, Los Angeles, and Atlanta Police Departments, immigration, incarceration, community policing, police violence, and detail causes, theories, and solutions to this important phenomenon.

Researchers have been grappling with finding an adequate means of defining poverty since the nineteenth century, yet no universal consensus exists today. Much of the debate has been concerned with whether poverty should be defined in absolute or relative terms. Today, most countries use income as a measure of poverty, and the extent of poverty in a country is assessed on the basis of a poverty line, as is the case in Barbados. Human deprivation cannot be accurately portrayed purely by of a lack of financial resources; however, a variety of factors, including unemployment, violations of human rights, increased migration, weakening of family ties, and reduced social and political participation may combine to severely reduce the quality of living conditions for large sectors of Caribbean society. Corin Bailey, Jonathan Lashley and Christine Barrow propose the use of a more comprehensive measure of deprivation, one that takes into consideration the range of resources or assets necessary to maintain an acceptable standard of living. They argue that the absence of critical physical, human, social and environmental assets leaves individuals and groups vulnerable to social exclusion and they offer a framework that provides a unique contemporary approach to the study of poverty in the Caribbean. Rather than relying solely on statistical data, the authors use qualitative data in the form of testimony from the excluded to allow them to explain, in their own words, the realities of exclusion that they face and the manner in which the absence of the assets described leaves them vulnerable to deprivation. This use of mixed methodology includes a survey of living conditions as well as qualitative participatory poverty assessments designed to adequately capture the experience of exclusion in Barbados and an institutional assessment that seeks to determine what government and civil society organizations have done to reduce poverty. Rethinking Poverty is a refreshingly innovative analysis of poverty in the region.