THE "TANGLE OF PATHOLOGY" IN THE NEGRO GHETTO AND THE FAMILY'S ROLE IN IT ARE ADAPTATIONS TO CONDITIONS CREATED BY A DOMINANT WHITE CASTE. THE NEGRO "VICTIMIZES" HIMSELF AND OTHER NEGROES, A PROCESS SEEN MOST CLEARLY WITHIN THE FAMILY IN WHICH THE VICTIMIZATION PROCESS BOTH PREPARES THE INDIVIDUAL FOR GHETTO LIFE AND IMPEDES FUNCTIONING IN OTHER ENVIRONMENTS. THE CASTE SYSTEM IS THE MALEFACTOR, NOT THE FAMILY PER SE. MOST NEGRO WOMEN MARRY EARLY, HAVE MORE THAN ONE PERMANENT MATE, AND HEAD THE HOUSEHOLDS OF 47 PERCENT OF POOR, URBAN NEGRO FAMILIES. ALTHOUGH SEEING THEIR OWN FAMILY STRUCTURE AS THE ONLY VIABLE ONE UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES, NEGROES RECOGNIZE ITS DIFFERENCE FROM FAMILY LIFE IN THE REST OF SOCIETY. STUDIES TRACING THE PATTERN OF LIFE FROM ADOLESCENCE TO MATING AND FAMILY FORMATION SHOW THE BASES FOR MALE AND FEMALE ROLE MODELS WITH THEIR INHERENT IDENTITY PROBLEMS. THE PARENTS IN A NEGRO FAMILY VIEW HUMAN NATURE AS BAD, DESTRUCTIVE, AND IMMORAL. THEREFORE, IN THE COURSE OF HIS DEVELOPMENT OF AN IDENTITY, THE CHILD SEES HIMSELF AS BAD IN A HOSTILE, DESTRUCTIVE WORLD. TO SURVIVE IN THE NEGRO GHETTO, INDIVIDUALS DEVELOP A MANIPULATIVE-EXPRESSIVE LIFE STYLE, A STRATEGY OF VIOLENCE, AND A CONSTRUCTION OF LIMITED GOALS. REMEDIES TO INCREASE THE NEGRO'S SELF-ESTEEM AND ENHANCE HIS IDENTITY REQUIRE DRASTIC SOCIOECONOMIC, POLITICAL, LEGAL, AND EDUCATIONAL CHANGES, INITIATED PRIMARILY BY THE WHITE SOCIETY. (NH)