title: Skin color in the development of identity: a biopsychosocial model.
abstract: The role of skin color in the development of identity has been studied by a variety of paradigms. This paper applies the biopsychosocial model to this problem, with the hope that systems hierarchies offer a way to understand how many variables have an impact on a single point. This model postulates that complex social interactions are the life setting for the individual whose development also reflects biological endowment, including the contributions of heredity and nurturance. The final personal integration of an adult understanding of skin color requires an active assertion by the individual. This model is explored through the writings of Jessie Fauset, a leading participant in the literary movement known as the Harlem Renaissance.
mesh_terms: D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007062:Identification, Psychological; D008091:Literature; D008960:Models, Psychological; D012880:Skin Pigmentation