Department of Human & Community Development, University of Illinois

Robin Jarrett

 

 

 

 

 

Cirruculum vita (pdf)

Education

Ph.D. 1985, University of Chicago, Sociology

M.S. 1978, University of Chicago, Sociology

B.S. 1975, Bradley University, Sociology/Anthropology

Research Interests

Coping strategies of low-income African-American families and children in inner-city neighborhoods; organized youth programs and youth development; health practices among inner-city African-American families.

A key area of research examines how low-income African-American families promote the social mobility prospects of their children-adolescents. This research relies on participant observation and an in-depth interview and explores the following questions: (1) What are the internal dynamics of poor African-American families that live in inner-city neighborhoods? (2) What are the personal strategies that families use to mediate the negative effects of neighborhood and individual impoverishment on child-youth development? (3) What factors account for variability in family patterns and child-youth developmental outcomes? (4) What are the policy and programmatic implications of the research findings?

Additional areas of research focus on organized youth programs and youth development and health issues among African-American mothers and children. The youth research uses multiple methods (i.e., individual and group interviews, observation, surveys) to explore how various types of programs enhance adolescent development in key domains (i.e., motivation, initiative, multi-cultural orientation, social connections to adults, responsibility, and teamwork). The health research uses multiple methods (interviews, observations, GIS) to identify the various factors (i.e., individual, interpersonal, community/neighborhood) that influence dietary practices and weight management among low-income women and their young children. In addition to the substantive and theoretical aims of the two research areas, these studies are concerned with developing insights for youth and health programs that serve these populations.

Selected Publications

Larson, R.W., Pearce, N.D., Sullivan, P.J., & Jarrett, R.L. (2007). Participation in youth programs as a catalyst for negotiation of family autonomy with connection.  Journal of Youth and Adolescence,

36: 31-45

Jarrett, R.L., Sullivan, P., & Watkins, N. (2005). Developing youth social capital in extracurricular programs. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 33: 41-55.

Jarrett, R.L., & Jefferson, S.M. (2004). Women's danger management strategies in a public housing project. Family Relations, 53: 136-147.

Larson, R., Jarrett, R.L., Hansen, D., Sullivan, P., Walker, K., & Watson, N. (2004). Youth programs as contexts of positive development. In A. Linley and S. Joseph (Eds.), Positive psychology in practice. New York; Wiley.

Jarrett, R.L., & Jefferson, S. (2003). “A good mother got to fight for her kids.” Maternal management strategies in an urban housing project. Journal of Children and Poverty, 9: 21-39.

Jarrett, R.L. (2003). Worlds of development: the experiences of low-income African American youth. Journal of Children and Poverty. 9: 21-39.

Jarrett, R.L., Roy, K.M. & Burton, L. (2002). Fathers in the "hood": Insights from qualitative research on low-income, African-American men. In LeMonda, C.T. & Cabrera, (Eds.) Handbook on fatherhood. Interdisciplinary perspectives (pp. 211-248). Earlbaum.

Burton, L.M., & Jarrett, R.L. (2000). In the mix, yet on the margins: The place of families in urban neighborhood and child development research. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 62, 444-465.

Jarrett, R.L. (2000). Neighborhood effects models: A view from the neighborhood. Research in Community Sociology, 10, 305-323.

Jarrett, R.L. (2000). Voices from below: The use of ethnographic research for informing public policy. In J.M. Mercier, S. Garasky, and M.C. Shelley, II (Eds.), Redefining family policy: Implications for the 21st century. Iowa State University Press, pp. 67-84.

Jarrett, R.L. & Burton, L.M. (1999). Dynamic dimensions of family structure in low income African American families: Emergent themes in qualitative research. Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 30, 177-187.

Jarrett, R.L. (1998). African American mothers and grandmothers in poverty: An adaptational perspective. Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 29, 388-396.

Jarrett, R.L. (1998). African American children, families and neighborhoods: Qualitative contributions to understanding developmental pathways. Applied Developmental Science, 2, 2-16.

Jarrett, R.L. (1997). African American family and parenting strategies in impoverished neighborhoods. Qualitative Sociology, 20, 275-288.

Jarrett, R.L. (1997). Bringing families back in: neighborhood effects on child development. In J. Brooks-Gunn, G. Duncan, and J. L. Aber (Eds.) Neighborhood Poverty: Context and Consequences for Children, Vol. 2. Russell Sage, pp. 104-138.

Jarrett, R.L. (1997). Resilience among low-income African American youth: An ethnographic perspective. Ethos, 25, 1-12.

Jarrett, R.L. (1996). Welfare stigma among low-income, African American single mothers. Family Relations, 45, 368-374.

Jarrett, R.L. (1995). Growing up poor: The family experiences of socially mobile youth in low-income African American neighborhoods. Journal of Adolescent Research, 10, 111-135.

Jarrett, R.L. (1994). Living poor: Family life among single parent, African American Women. Social Problems, 41, 30-49.

Jarrett, R.L. (1992). A family case study: An examination of the underclass debate. In J. Gilgun, G. Handel, and K. Daley (Eds.), Qualitative methods in family research. Sage, 99. 172-197.

Honors and Awards

2003-2004 Associate, Center for Advanced Studies, University of Illinois

2001-2002 College of ACES Faculty Award for Excellence in Research

1999-2002 University Scholar, University of Illinois

Courses Taught

HCD 591: Qualitative Methods

HDFS 120: Introduction to Family Studies

HCD 523: Ethnic Families

AARSP 498: The Ethnography of Urban Communities

AARSP 495: African American Families