UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.—The role families play in the well-being of African-American males is the focus of Penn State’s 23rd annual National Symposium on Family Issues, taking place Oct. 26-27 at the Nittany Lion Inn.
“The unique issues, challenges and opportunities facing minority youths are very much understudied,” said Susan McHale, director of Penn State’s Social Science Research Institute and one of the event’s organizers. “When it comes to African-American boys and men, this is especially so. The symposium is designed to stimulate research that will have an impact on their family lives and their well-being.”
The symposium includes four sessions over two days, with 18 leading researchers in sociology, demography, psychology, human development and public health. Topics range from boys’ development in childhood and adolescence to the health of African-American men. The major goal of these sessions is to translate scientific findings into policy, prevention and intervention programs by families and professionals.
“The symposium has an interdisciplinary mix of scholars and practitioners,” McHale said. “By including community members who are working on the ground, we hope to motivate a continuing conversation. Such university-community collaborations can advance knowledge and practice on how to promote the well-being of these men and boys and their families.”
Linda Burton, dean of Social Sciences at Duke University and symposium co-organizer, said the symposium is unique because they are taking a serious look at how problems associated with African-American males can often be related to the narrative others develop about them.
“We want to broaden the perspective of black men and boys, and give the voice back to them,” Burton said.
Penn State employees and students can attend the symposium at no cost. Online registration information can be found on the symposium’s website. For more information, visit the Population Research Institute’s website.
The symposium series was funded in part by a grant from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.