E. Franklin Frazier
Edward Franklin Frazier was a pioneering African-American sociologist. Frazier received his B.A. from Howard University, his M.A. from Clark University, and his doctorate from the University of Chicago, with which he is most famously affiliated. He was a member of the first Chicago School of sociology, focusing on urban sociology, as well as the intersection of social structures and physical environments in shaping the lives of individuals.
Frazier is best known for his study of African-American family structure in the United States. He argued that the Black family was severely fractured by slavery, a condition which persisted to the present. Frazier also criticized the ways in which middle class African-Americans, as well as the institutions they supported, internalized and emulated mainstream ideas about social structures, class and achievement, while resisting identification with the majority of African-Americans.
Frazier is best known for his study of African-American family structure in the United States. He argued that the Black family was severely fractured by slavery, a condition which persisted to the present. Frazier also criticized the ways in which middle class African-Americans, as well as the institutions they supported, internalized and emulated mainstream ideas about social structures, class and achievement, while resisting identification with the majority of African-Americans.
