The Love Jones Cohort

"The Love Jones Cohort Drawing from stratification economics, intersectionality, and respectability politics, The Love Jones Cohort centers the voices and lifestyles of members of the Black middle class who are single and living alone (SALA). While much has been written about both the Black middle class and the rise of singlehood, this book represents a first foray into bridging these two concepts. In studying these intersections, The Love Jones Cohort provides a more nuanced understanding of how race, gender, and class, coupled with social structures, shape five central lifestyle factors of Black middle-class adults who are SALA. The book explores how these Black adults: define family and friends, and decide on whether and how to pursue romantic relationships; articulate the ebbs and flows of being Black and middle class; select where to live and why; accumulate and disseminate wealth; and maintain overall health, well-being and coping mechanisms. Kris Marsh is Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Maryland. Previously, Professor Marsh was a visiting researcher at the University of Southern California, and Fulbright Scholar in South Africa at the University of Witwatersrand and the University of Johannesburg. Dr. Marsh's areas of expertise are the Black middle class, demography, racial residential segregation, and education"--

Introduction; 1. Scholarly debates on defining the Black middle class; 2. How the Love Jones Cohort define the Black middle class; 3. The Love Jones Cohort and Black middle-class identity; 4. The rise of never-married Black singles; 5. Choice, circumstance, or both?; 6. Lifestyle ebbs and flows; 7. Intergenerational mobility and disseminating wealth; 8. Homeownership and the accumulation of wealth; 9. Neighborhood decisions and interactions; 10. Health, mental well-being, and coping strategies (with Courtney Thomas); Conclusion; Afterword.