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Chapter 19 - Developmental Science, Institutional Structures, and a Scholarly Career in the Discipline: Reflections through a Racial Lens

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 February 2025

By
Vonnie C. McLoyd
Edited by
Frank Kessel
Frank Kessel
Affiliation:
University of New Mexico
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Summary

Race is intricately woven into my personal history and identity, partly because I grew up in Alabama when Jim Crow laws kept a tight grip on institutions and core aspects of daily life. I came of age on the heels of institutional change that outlawed racial segregation and discrimination in public spaces and expanded African Americans’ access to opportunities in higher education. These occurred alongside social change that shifted away from Eurocentric conformity and celebrated Black culture and identity. In this chapter I situate within this broader sociohistorical context my pathway to a career in developmental science and my perspectives, intellectual pursuits, and contributions. I also discuss how these institutional and social changes shaped the discipline through their influence on the racial composition of doctoral programs, ascendant conceptual and ideological perspectives on African American children, adults, and families, and scholars of color engagement in professional organizational leadership and editorial activities.

Keywords

racismrace-comparative paradigmdeficit modelpovertyeconomic stressfamily processesfamily stress modelsocial policy
Type
Chapter
Information
Pillars of Developmental Psychology
Recollections and Reflections
 , pp. 209 - 221
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2025

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References

Suggested Reading

Ceballo, R. & McLoyd, V. C. (2002). Social support and parenting in poor dangerous neighborhoods. Child Development, 73(4), 1310–1321.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gard, A., McLoyd, V. C., Mitchell, C., & Hyde, L. (2020). Evaluation of a longitudinal family stress model in a population-based cohort. Social Development, 29(4), 1155–1175.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McLoyd, V. C. (1990). The impact of economic hardship on black families and children: Psychological distress, parenting, and socioemotional development. Child Development, 61(2) 311–346.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McLoyd, V. C. (1998). Children in poverty: Development, public policy, and practice. In Damon, W. (Series Ed.), Sigel, I., & Renninger, K. A. (Eds.), Handbook of Child Psychology: Vol. 4. Child Psychology in Practice (5th ed., pp. 135–208). New York: Wiley.Google Scholar
McLoyd, V. C., Jayaratne, T., Ceballo, R., & Borquez, J. (1994). Unemployment and work interruption among African American single mothers: Effects on parenting and adolescent socioemotional functioning. Child Development, 65(2) 562–589.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McLoyd, V. C., Kaplan, R., & Purtell, K., & Huston, A. (2011). Assessing the effects of a work-based antipoverty program for parents on youth’s future orientation and employment experiences. Child Development, 82(1), 113–132.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed

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