Significant barriers to the labor market often relegate black women to marginal positions within the labor force that not only threaten their own well-being, but that of Black America. Inadequate attention has been paid to the impact of barriers to the labor market on mental health. Since employment status may significantly influence the tone of one's self-esteem, personality integration, and capacity to positively contribute to society, the integration of psychotherapy with vocational interventions seems to be one very relevant way to address some of the needs of black women more effectively.Until the 1960s, psychology overlooked the needs of culturally and economically disenfranchised populations within American society. Even though more effort is now directed toward addressing their needs, attention to the impact of pernicious social problems on the psychological well-being of these populations still seems inadequate.Even though Freud himself observed that "love and work are the two great focuses of meaning (and neurosis), psychology has given almost all its attention to love and related matters" (quoted in Dantzer-Rosenthal, 1983), while work has been almost completely overlooked. Hodgins (1983), a vocational therapist in the Boston area contends, "The field is like sex, pre-Kinsey . . . it's so damn important and nobody knows anything about it" (p. 6). Indeed, very little attention has been Requests for reprints should be sent to

This paper presents the simple but successful Literature Circles model at St Andrew's Cathedral School within the context of the importance of developing reading as a foundation for building knowledge. It covers crucial factors for success of the program, practicalities and procedures, the selection of books, and strategies for substantive discussion and a book list of the most successful titles.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract