How Is Marital Dissolution Different for Black and White Mothers?

2001 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. W. McKelvey ◽  
P. C. McKenry
2000 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 4-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary W. McKelvey ◽  
Patrick C. McKenry

This study proposed that African American cultural, social, and economic experiences would positively influence the psychosocial adjustment to marital dissolution of Black mothers as compared to White mothers. The study sample consisted of 235 Black and 662 White divorced or separated mothers from the National Survey of Families and Households. The mothers were not remarried and reported having at least one or more biological or adopted children, 18 years of age or younger, living in the home. Discriminant analysis (stepwise), after controlling for socioeconomic status and time since divorce or separation, indicated that Black mothers had higher levels of personal mastery and economic well-being and received greater formal support after divorce. Contrary to the hypotheses, White mothers received more informal support and evidenced earlier entry into dating than Black mothers. The findings document cultural variations in marital dissolution and the strengths of Black families in coping with this transition.


2003 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick C. McKenry ◽  
Mary W. McKelvey

A subsample of divorced/separated Black and White mothers from the National Survey of Families and Households was followed over a five-year period to determine cultural differences in psychosocial well-being. Discriminant analysis, with education and time since divorce/separation controlled, indicated that White mothers at Time 2 differed from Black mothers in terms of higher levels of personal mastery, informal support, and economic well-being. Also, White mothers evidenced significant improvement in five of the six psychosocial domains: informal support, self-esteem, happiness, economic well-being, and depression, whereas Black mothers indicated improvement in informal support and happiness, and evidenced a marginal decline in personal mastery. Cultural differences also were noted in the greater income of White mothers at Time 2 as well as a greater likelihood for White mothers to remarry.


1983 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 323 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonya Burgess Rowland ◽  
Karen Smith Wampler

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 393-394
Author(s):  
Yifei Hou ◽  
J Jill Suitor ◽  
Megan Gilligan ◽  
Destiny Ogle ◽  
Catherine Stepniak ◽  
...  

Abstract The cost of raising grandchildren on grandmothers’ mental and physical health has been well-documented; however, little is known about whether raising grandchildren also has a cost on grandmothers’ relationships with the adult children whose children the grandmothers have raised. Drawing from theories of exchange and affect, stress process model, and racial differences in intergenerational solidarity, we tested how raising grandchildren affects grandmother-adult child relations. Further, we explored the extent to which these patterns differed by race. To address this question, we used mixed-methods data collected from 553 older mothers regarding their relationships with their 2,016 adult children; approximately 10% of the mothers had raised one or more of their grandchildren “as their own.” Data were provided by the Within-Family Differences Study-I. Multilevel analyses showed that raising grandchildren was associated with greater closeness in grandmother-adult child relationship in Black families; however, in White families, raising grandchildren was associated with greater conflict in the grandmother-adult child relationship. Further, the differences by race in the effects of raising grandchildren on closeness and conflict were statistically significant. Qualitative analyses revealed that race differences in the association between raising grandchildren and relationship quality could be explained by mothers’ reports of greater family solidarity in Black than White families. Our findings highlight the ways in which race and family solidarity interact to produce differences in the impact of raising grandchildren on Black and White mothers’ assessment of the quality of their relationships with their adult children, consistent with broader patterns of racial differences in intergenerational cohesion.


1995 ◽  
Vol 51 (2) ◽  
pp. 21-25
Author(s):  
S. H. Irwin-Carruthers

The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between fetal movement and neonatal behaviour, as well as to compare the fetal movement patterns and neonatal competencies of black and white infants.The sample for the pilot trial consisted of 12 mothers and their infants, selected at between 10 and 12 weeks of gestational age. The black sample and part of the white sample was drawn from the low-risk population attending the booking clinic of St Monica’s Hospital; the rest of the white mothers were drawn from the private sector. Nine mothers satisfied the criteria throughout the trial. Two had to be excluded when their pregnancies were terminated and a third was excluded due to epilepsy.Fetal movement was recorded by ultrasound scanning at 20/52 gestational age, recorded on videotape. All infants were born at full term by normal vertex delivery. The Brazelton neonatal behavioural assessment scale (BNBAS) was performed between 12 and 36 hours post-birth. This assessment was also videotaped.Test-retest reliability for counting and classifying fetal movements was established at 99,45(SF=1.05). Sequential and isolated movements predominated and the proportion of sequential and isolated movements was related to the total number of fetal movements. Higher FM scores were also related to more optimal scores on the BNBAS in the neonatal period. The black infants tended to show more mature patterns of fetal movement than white infants. The black infants also scored better on the BNBAS in relation to optimal postural tone, motor maturity and good orientation/alertness. The number of subjects in the pilot trial was too small for statistical analysis, but the results justify continuation of the main trial.


2015 ◽  
Vol 22 (13) ◽  
pp. 1246-1254 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles Barrett ◽  
George J. DuPaul

Objective: Examine the influence of maternal and child race on ADHD symptom ratings. Method: Participants were Black ( n = 63) and White ( n = 68) mothers randomly assigned to view a 13-min videotape of either a Black or White boy displaying similar levels of ADHD-related behaviors during free play and meal situations. Mothers then completed an ADHD rating scale. Results: With maternal age and socioeconomic status (SES) as covariates, Black mothers provided significantly higher ratings of inattentive and hyperactive–impulsive symptoms than did White mothers regardless of child race. The effect of child race was not statistically significant. Conclusions: Maternal race appears to be more important than child race in accounting for differences in ADHD symptom ratings between Black and White boys. It is critical to understand variables related to these differences and develop assessment measures that lead to equivalent, accurate diagnostic decisions across racial subgroups.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sundari Balan ◽  
Gregory Widner ◽  
Hsing-Jung Chen ◽  
Darrell Hudson ◽  
Sarah Gehlert ◽  
...  

Rates of alcohol use disorders (AUD) are generally low among women who have ever had children (mothers) compared to women who have never had children (nonmothers), presenting a motherhood advantage. It is unclear if this advantage accrues to “Black” and “White” women alike. Using National Epidemiological Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC) wave 2 cross-sectional data that is rich in alcohol use and psychological measures, we examined the following: (a) if motherhood is protective for past-year AUD among Black (N=4,133) and White women (N=11,017); (b) potential explanatory psychological mechanisms; and (c) the role of race. Prevalence of a past-year DSM-IV AUD was lower among White mothers compared to White nonmothers, but this same advantage was not observed for Black women. Perceived stress was a risk for all women, but race-ethnic segregated social networks and perceived discrimination predicted current AUD for Black mothers. Unlike White mothers, current psychological factors but not family history of alcohol problems predicted AUD for Black mothers. Future prospective studies should address the mechanisms by which race, motherhood, and psychological factors interactively affect AUD in women.


1991 ◽  
Vol 164 (5) ◽  
pp. 1299-1302 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas C. Hulsey ◽  
Abner H. Levkoff ◽  
Greg R. Alexander

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