Children and Families "At Promise": Deconstructing the Discourse of Risk

Shows how the labeling of children as "at-risk" actually perpetuates the inequities, racism, and discrimination facing many families in America.

This book critiques the currently popular "at-risk" construct, drawing from historical, contextual, critical, and personal perspectives. It provides an alternative context for viewing children and their families as "at-promise." A basic premise of the book is that the generalized use of the "at-risk" label is highly problematic and often implicitly racist and classist-a 1990s version of the cultural deficit model that locates problems in individuals, families, and communities, rather than in institutional structures that create and maintain inequality. This book provides a needed interrogation and alternative context for viewing children and families caught in the extreme conditions facing many families in the United States.

Beth Blue Swadener is Associate Professor of Education, Kent State University. Beth Blue Swadener is Associate Professor of Education, Kent State University.