Racial and Ethnic Identity

Identity development is one of the principal themes of the human life cycle and is influenced by a number of characteristics, including race and ethnicity. This book brings together original essays by researchers, scholars, educators and clinicians to elucidate the psychological processes leading to the development of racial and ethnic identity and to examine how this identity influences creative expression. The contributors challenge commonly held notions of racial and ethnic identity as fixed and homogeneous, instead exploring the development of these characteristics as a longitudinal and psychologically dynamic process. They also address how race and ethnicity influence the creative expressions of members in a particular group as well as members of society at large. Although the essays focus primarily on African Americans, they are relevant to members of any group which differs significantly from the group invested with power within a society.