Working with Families of African Caribbean Origin

Acknowledgements. Foreword by Gill Gorell-Barnes. Introduction. 1. Historical Background of African Caribbean Life. 2. African Caribbean Families' Immigration to Britain. 3. Attachment Theory, Separation and Loss. 4. Narratives of African Caribbean Mothers Separated and Reunited with theirChildren. 5. Mothers and Children Reflecting on Relationships with Fathers. 6. African Caribbean Women Reflecting on Separation in Early Years and Reunion with Mothers. 7. Implication for Work with African Caribbean Families and Others who Experience Separation and Loss. References. Index.

I celebrate the arrival of this book because it is a testimony to the resilience of the human spirit surviving against sometimes terrible odds. It links the socio-historical dimensions of Caribbean family life with the importance of a psychological underpinning of attachment and commitment of family members to one another, for good mental health and a sense of identity. Dr. Arnold gives testimony to the many ways in which families struggled to keep connections in the face of long absences and also looks at the cost for many mothers and children of their separation from one another.