The results of an ethnographic study of black middle class families in Atlanta, Georgia, are presented in this 10-chapter book. Chapter 1 describes the author's reasons for conducting research in Atlanta and how she acquired contacts for reaching the specific population during the fieldwork stage (which occurred between September 1969 and July 1970). Chapter 2 discusses the research site and sample (a neighborhood consisting of 71 males and 91 females, with average household income of slightly over $25,000). The methods used for collecting private and public data are also described. Chapter 3 presents an overview of Negro residential patterns in Atlanta from 1860 to 1983, and analyzes their impact on public school mixing. Chapter 4 focuses on church activities within Atlanta's black subsociety. It compares the functions of two churches, several social organizations, and the Coordinating Council of Northwest Clubs, and relates them to the adaptation of blacks in society. Chapter 5 discusses social interactions within one neighborhood (called "Golden Towers"). Chapter 6 focuses on life within homes. Findings on home styles and furnishings, and their relationship to family life, are reported. Chapter 7 deals with the function of food patterns and ritual in Golden Towers. Chapter 8 assesses marital roles in the neighborhood, and Chapter 9 focuses on the interrelationships of parents and children, stepparents and stepchildren, siblings, and grandparents and grandchildren. Finally, Chapter 10 provides a general interpretation of the fieldwork. A six-page bibliography concludes the document. (KH)