Ivy Forsythe-Brown
Associate Professor of Sociology, UM-Dearborn; Director, Center for Ethnic and Religious Studies; Co-Director, African and African American Studies; Faculty Research Associate, Program for Research on Black Americans, Institute for Social Research
Dr. Forsythe-Brown’s research focuses on the incorporation of racial/ethnic minority groups into the U.S., Canada, and Britain. In particular, she is interested in the paths of upward social mobility and the overall well-being of these groups associated with kinship networks, social support and transnational connections. Also of interest are the challenges they face such as, discrimination, exclusion, acculturative stress and negative health outcomes. Her research projects have examined racial discrimination among Black Caribbean immigrants, transnational immigrant family relations and patterns of kin support, the health of Black Caribbeans in the U.S. and Jamaica, the socioeconomic status and religious affiliations of second generation South Asian Muslims, and the intersection of family relations, gender, and educational attainment among second generation, Arab American young adults. Overall, Dr. Forsythe-Brown’s work contributes to the understanding of variability in socioeconomic success and health outcomes within minority populations. The findings of her work suggest that sociodemographic correlates such as, gender, marital status and age, influence the frequency of everyday discrimination, types of extended family networks, and the risk for poor network relations and social support.
Ph.D. University of Maryland, College Park; M.A. Eastern Michigan University; B.A. Eastern Michigan University
