The term socialization, in sociology and social psychology, almost always denotes the process whereby individuals learn to behave willingly in accordance with the prevailing standards of their culture. Although occasionally used synonymously with learning, it is usually reserved for the type of learning that bears on future role performance, which particularly involves group approval. In this work, the black men interviewed talk of their early life experiences, and set the stage for a critical examination of the conventional interpretations of black male socialization. Only through the recollections and perceptions of early life experiences can black American males accurately be defined. This book responds to those experiences.