Du Boisian Contributions to Phenomenological Variant of Ecological Systems Theory

Abstract W. E. B. Du Bois’s insights on racial embodiment maintain relevance in examining identity development for Black youth in the twenty-first century. This chapter provides an interrogation of Du Boisian theories as they contribute to insights on Black life in the racialized social and cultural milieu of the United States. First, Margaret Beale Spencer’s phenomenological variant of ecological systems theory (PVEST) is explicated as a generative theory that renders an identity-focused, culture-sensitive and ecological framework for understanding Black youth development. This chapter then illustrates the utility of applying Du Boisian theory and PVEST to interrogate social scientific theorizing about Black families, as well as the challenges and opportunities created by important sociohistorical moments, for example, Reconstruction, Brown v. Board of Education, and the Great Recession. The chapter concludes by considering implications for adolescent development of diverse youth.