Citation

Burton LM, Winn DMC, Stevenson HC, Clark SL. J. Marital Fam. Ther. 2004; 30(4): 397-410.

Affiliation

Center for Human Development and Family Research in Diverse Contexts, The Pennsylvania State University University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA. burton@pop.psu.edu

Copyright

(Copyright © 2004, American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

15532249

Abstract

In this article, we discuss perspectives on the "homeplace" that are important to consider in marriage and family therapy involving African American clients. The homeplace comprises individual and family processes that are anchored in a defined physical space that elicits feelings of empowerment, rootedness, ownership, safety, and renewal. Critical elements of the homeplace include social relationships that shape individuals' and families' sense of social and cultural identity. We draw on our ethnographic and clinical research with African American families in urban and rural settings to describe typical schisms between therapists and African American clients when communicating about the homeplace. We also explore the impact of homeplace disruptions on experiences of "yearning." Recommendations for integrating a homeplace perspective into therapy practices are provided.

Language: en