Adelbert Jenkins facts for kids

Adelbert H. Jenkins is an African American psychologist. He is known for his humanistic approach to Black psychology. This approach focuses on people's strengths and choices. He helped start the field of Black psychology in the early 1970s.

Jenkins was also one of the 28 people who founded the National Association of Black Psychologists. Other important psychologists like Robert V. Guthrie and Joseph White were also founders. Today, he is a professor of psychology at New York University.

Early Life and Family Background

Adelbert Jenkins grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. His parents were both social workers. They raised him in the northern United States.

When he was young, his family moved to a mostly White, Jewish neighborhood. This was so he could go to better public schools. But he still stayed connected to the African American community. He did this through his mother's family. His parents first suggested he study psychology in college.

Jenkins got married in 1969 and has one son. His humanistic ideas also shaped his personal life. They inspired him and his wife to go to church more often. They wanted to give their son a spiritual education.

Education and Learning

Jenkins went to Antioch College for his first degree. He studied psychology and also philosophy. He was inspired by the writer Ralph Waldo Emerson. Emerson's ideas about human potential and independent thinking really interested him.

Later, in graduate school, Jenkins became interested in ego psychology. This idea suggests that people are born with basic mental skills. These skills help them deal with reality. He liked how it focused on how humans cope and become independent.

He earned his Master's and Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Michigan. He then received more training at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

Career and Research

Today, Adelbert Jenkins is a psychology professor at New York University. His main research looks at how different cultures affect mental health. He also studies the ideas behind these topics.

Jenkins is famous for his humanistic ideas. He was influenced by Joseph Rychlak's "logical learning theory." Jenkins's work highlights the strength and unique culture of minority groups, especially African Americans. He believes people are active and can make their own choices. They are not just passive actors who only react to outside forces.

His ideas about self-power are similar to Wade Noble's "extended self" model. Both models aim to support Black racial identity. Noble's model says that a Black person's identity is strongly linked to a group Black identity. But these group traits are often misunderstood when seen through a Western way of thinking.

Jenkins's research has helped clinical psychology a lot. It helps therapists understand African American communication styles. It also shows the importance of understanding power differences in therapy. Being culturally aware is key for good therapy with African American patients.

Before joining New York University, Jenkins worked at Bellevue Psychiatric Hospital. He was a co-director of their clinical psychology internship program. He has also worked as a consultant for mental health centers, schools, and groups like the Veterans Administration.

Jenkins is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association. He is also a Fellow for the Society for Personality Assessment. He is part of the New York State Psychological Association. He is also linked with the National Association of Black Psychologists. He used to lead its New York Chapter.

Understanding the Historical Context

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the Black Power movement was strong. Jenkins was part of a group of Black psychologists during this time. They actively questioned traditional Western psychology.

Jenkins and other Black psychologists criticized how Western psychology was studied. They also pointed out how its ideas often negatively described African American behavior. Historically, it was thought that due to unfair treatment, African Americans had negative self-views. This was believed to stop them from achieving things.

Jenkins's work changed this understanding. It shifted to a positive view of Black self-concept. It celebrated the strength and ability of African Americans to overcome challenges.

Black psychologists wanted to create African American psychology as its own field. It would be different from traditional psychology. It would use the real experiences of African American people. Its goal would be to improve the lives of African American people.

In 1968, Jenkins was one of 28 psychologists who officially started the Association of Black Psychologists. This group aimed to support Black psychologists' careers. It also worked to help the Black community with its ignored needs. The Association later started the Journal of Black Psychology. This was the first academic journal just for African American-focused psychology.

In 1972, Reginald L. Jones published Black Psychology. This was a very important book for African American psychology. It brought together ideas from leading Black psychologists. Jenkins's article, "A Humanistic Approach to Black Psychology," was one of three main ideas in the book.

In his article, Jenkins explained how humanistic approaches are different from mechanical ones. He showed how humanism offers a deeper understanding of African Americans' unique strength and cultural endurance.

A Humanistic Approach to Black Psychology

In his article "A Humanistic Approach to Black Psychology," Jenkins criticized Western psychology. He felt it had a "mechanistic" (like a machine) view of human behavior. He argued for a humanistic approach to truly understand the African American experience.

Jenkins compared mechanistic and humanistic views on three points:

• Outside vs. Inside Focus: Early psychology often looked only at outside actions to describe behavior. But humanism says we also need to understand a person's inner thoughts and reasons. These are just as important.
• Single vs. Multiple Meanings: Mechanical thinking looks for one clear explanation. Humanism, however, accepts that things can have many meanings. For example, some research tried to say Black people were less capable. A mechanical view might say Black people would feel bad about themselves. But this misses their amazing strength in staying positive, even when facing unfairness.
• Passive vs. Active Mind: Jenkins argued that mechanical views wrongly see people as "blank slates." This means they think a person's growth depends only on what happens to them from the outside. Instead, he believes people have an active mind. They build meaning from their environment. This view is more accurate.

Jenkins also suggested how humanism could improve education and therapy for African Americans. He said that intelligence tests often don't show students' true abilities. From a humanistic view, all groups have equal potential. There are also many kinds of intelligence, not just one. He believes educators should help students find and develop their different skills.

Finally, Jenkins offered advice for therapy with African American patients. He noted that African Americans might use less verbal communication. They might also be wary of mental health places. They might see their therapist relationship as more personal than just professional. To help with this, Jenkins suggested using empathy. This helps build a stronger connection between the patient and therapist.

Influence of Cultural Models on College Success

Jenkins also co-wrote an article in 2004. This article looked at why some Black college students stay in school longer than others. It found that a student's family cultural background played a role.

The research used John Ogbu's cultural model. It looked at students whose fathers were "voluntary" immigrants (came to the U.S. by choice). It also looked at "involuntary" immigrants (descendants of people brought to the U.S. unwillingly). The study found that Black students whose fathers were voluntary immigrants were more likely to stay in college. They were more likely to stay for six semesters (60%) than those whose fathers were involuntary immigrants (36%).

However, the grades of the two groups were similar. This suggests that their general academic ability was the same. The study's results suggest that something other than school ability made the difference.

The researchers thought the two groups might have different cultural views. They believed involuntary immigrants might be more aware of unfair treatment. Voluntary immigrants might ignore these experiences. They might still believe American schooling leads to success.

Jenkins and his co-authors warned against using this idea too broadly. They said it's wrong to assume things about individuals just because they belong to a certain group. They concluded by encouraging colleges to recognize the diversity within the Black community. They should also adjust their teaching to fit the different cultural backgrounds of students.

Honors and Awards

• President, Division 24, Theoretical and Philosophical Psychology, American Psychological Association, 2003-2004
• "Golden Dozen" Award for excellent teaching, New York University Faculty of Arts and Science, 1988
• Martin Luther King, Jr./Rosa Parks Visiting professor in psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 1987
• "Scholar of the Year" Award, National Association of Black Psychologists, 1983
• "Psychologist of the Year", National Association of Black Psychologists, 1976

Selected Publications

• Jenkins, A.H. (2005). Creativity and resilience in the African American experience. The Humanistic Psychologist, 33, 25–33.
• Jenkins, A.H. (2004). A humanistic approach to Black psychology. in R. Jones (Ed.), Black Psychology, 4th ed, (pp. 135–155). Hampton, VA:Cobb & Henry.
• Jenkins, A.H. (2001). Individuality in cultural context: The case for psychological agency. Theory and Psychology, 11, 347–362.
• Jenkins, A.H. (2001). Humanistic psychology and multiculturalism: A review and reflection. In K. Schneider, J. Bugental, & J. Pierson (Eds.), The Handbook of Humanistic Psychology (pp. 37–45). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
• Jenkins, A.H. (1997). The empathic context in psychotherapy with people of color. In A. Bohart and L. Greenberg (Eds.), Empathy reconsidered: New directions in psychotherapy. APA Books: Washington, DC.
• Jenkins, A.H. (1997). Free will and psychotherapy. Journal of Theoretical and Philosophical Psychology, 17, 1–13.
• Jenkins, A.H. (1995). Psychology of African Americans: A humanistic approach. Needham, MA: Allyn & Bacon. (Also published as Turning corners: The psychology of African Americans. Needham, MA: Allyn & Bacon.)
• Jenkins, A.H. (1992). Hermeneutics versus science in psychoanalysis: A "rigorous" humanistic view. Psychoanalytic Psychology.
• Jenkins, A.H. (1990). Self-disclosure and the non-White ethnic minority patient, in G. Stricker and M.N. Fisher (Eds.), Self-disclosure in the therapeutic relationship. New York: Plenum.
• Jenkins, A.H. (1989). Psychological agency: A crucial concept for minorities. Theoretical and Philosophical Psychology, 9, 4–11.

See also

• Humanism
• Teleology
• Joseph Rychlak (psychologist)
• John Ogbu (anthropologist)