UM Partners

Race, Deflective Coping and Depression

Department of Psychology

This project refers to the development and utilization of a measure of deflective coping as a distinct cultural cognitive coping style among African Americans and examines the relationship of race, deflective coping and depression. Deflective coping refers to the conscious recognition of negative group stereotypes and the cognitive and/or behavioral process of resisting the internalization of these stereotypes. It is hypothesized that utilization of deflective coping prevents psychological insult and prevents the interruption of one's functional goals. Further, it is possible that use of deflective coping, along with other strategies, may help explain the lack of racial disparities in mental health, despite evidence for significant physical health disparities by race. Other researchers have linked physical health disparities to race differences in socioeconomic conditions including racism and discrimination. Despite these factors, however, African Americans enjoy equivalent mental health, and at certain age groups, lower rates of disorder in comparison to White Americans. Therefore, this project helps elucidate deflective coping as a specific factor in promoting positive mental health and decreasing dysfunction despite disparate socioeconomic conditions.

The Detroit Project

Political Science

"We, The Detroit Project, exist to unite the University of Michigan and greater community with the Detroit community, to create lasting change, and to maintain fulfilling partnerships by addressing social issues surrounding Detroit through active service learning." The Detroit Project is a program focused on service learning in Northwest and Southwest Detroit neighborhoods. This organization is an initiative to support and make a real contribution to the revitalization efforts of Detroit, to involve a diverse student population in service learning, and to create partnerships between campus and community groups that will extend far into the future. Volunteers will impact neighborhoods of Detroit by serving in a variety of ways - The Detroit Project is essentially a resource available to any Detroit community organization that serves in Northwest and Southwest Detroit Communities.

The Economics Department

The Economics Department

The Economics Department is submitting a $1.8 million proposal to the Technology Opportunity Program in the Federal Commerce Department this year to build an online food distribution network for all of Detroit public housing. The Detroit Housing Commission is a partner, as are Resident Councils of a number of public housing communities.