Single Parenting in the African American Community
Single parenting is becoming a big issue in the African American families today, and the problem that arises from this is, that there is a big concern that many children are being conceived out of wedlock. Marriage is not an options anymore because the family structure is not a factor in society today. So much that, Fathers are no longer taking on the responsibility of being in there children lives, and the women are head of the household in these single family’s homes. As a result, children experience many social problems because of the lack of support of the father. “There’s a great deal of concern about the absence of fathers from African-American families and the negative effect this
…show more content…
may have on the development of young African-American males”.( Paschall) The world is changing with divorce rates on the rise, death of a spouse, gays and lesbian couples taking on roles as mother and fathers. For this reason, violence is on the rise because of the outcome of no strong family values. Depression in women has resulted from the lack of financial support and emotional problems by not having fathers around. To put it another way, “depression symptoms were associated with mother’s not having a relationship with the father’s and the father not having contact with their children”. (Jackson 2005) in other word, It’s time for changes to this new way of living because the children’s in these single family homes are the ones that’s being affected the most in these situations. Functionalism perspective, notes that the family and its members perform certain functions that facilitate the prosperity and development of society. For many centuries the traditional family consists of the mother, the father and the children. Woman and men had more value in marriage; it was once sacred and ordained by God. The mother was the nurture for the family and the father was the breadwinner, this was considered the norm for many centuries. Culture in the family is important because it provides rules, proper behavior, and incentive. In other word; the sociological term for culture is a learned set of beliefs, values, norms, and material goods shared by group members. Family culture gives us a representation of who we are and what kind of goals we are here to achieve. For this reason, Conflict theorist acknowledges that all families have an important role in the development of a child's life.
In the 21st century, more women are becoming more and more independent because of divorce, the loss of a spouse through death, and many are single unwed mother. Marriage is not an option anymore and father is no longer reflected in the life of a child, therefore the functionalism aspect is unrecognizable. Considering, In Baltimore there is a crisis in the black community with marriage and families. There are seventy-two percent of children being born out of wedlock. There has also been a great deal of concern about the absence of the father in the African-American family that has a negative effect on the development of young African-American males. When in fact, fathers are absent from the family and young mothers are children themselves. Many boys in these circumstances are likely to be influenced by negativity in the street. Instead of getting an education many are turning to a life of crime and instead of employment, they prefer to hustle. Also, girls in these circumstances become young mothers themselves when they come of age, which has become a trend not just in Baltimore but in the United States. “According to the U.S. Census Bureau, for example, children living without fathers have a 400 percent increased chance of being poor”.(Vatz
2017) Not to mention, the sociological theory, symbolic interactionism perspective on society and individual social interaction provides meaning to behavior of mothers who raises children without fathers. The mother normally turns to government assistance for help or some must take on a low-income job to make ends meet. “The U.S. government plays a role in the development of the American family and the impact on the evolution of the families in the future”. (Wiseman 2008) In these circumstances, the mother must leave the child to fin for themselves; leaving older children to take care of the younger one. Mothers are more depressed due to lack of assistance and provision from the father. Therefore, the conflict between the parents is recognizable to the children, which bring a dysfunctional effect within the family. Some emotional issues that affect the children are stress, depression, lack of involvement in education and drug-related activities. However, single African-American mothers often have limited financial resources, greater social isolation, and fewer resources than mothers in a two-parent family, limiting their ability to monitor, supervise, and communicate effectively with their children. To conclude, In the United States peoples’ concept of marriage is changing. It important to realize single mother, unwed mother is changing our notion of what it mean to be a family. For fear that, mothers in a single-family home whose sole income in welfare will experience some financial hardship as they continue in the workforce. Therefore, the minimum wage should be increased to help assist families to live independently instead of living in poverty. Programs like “fragile family’s focus on the characteristics that complicate getting good jobs, forming stable families, and performing successfully as parents”. (McLanahan 2010) and by making educational opportunities that enhances human capital development more accessible to mothers. As a result, these are some solutions that might reduce underprivileged single mother's financial strain, enhance their psychological functioning and, decrease the likelihood of problem behaviors in their children.
This article dives deeper into the issue of black incarcerated women by going one step deeper and examining another dynamic of this issue, which is black incarcerated mothers specifically. I appreciate this article because it recognizes that this corrupt and unjust system is also the result of heteropatriarchy, that insists women be dependent on men, and punishes those who defy this standard. It is important to also recognize that traditional notions of family are invoked in these ideals and punishments, constructed by Eurocentric patriarchy. Although I will only briefly discuss how foster systems are connected with this issue because this is nevertheless an important dynamic to identify, I will mostly focus on the mothers themselves and how they are affected by the maintenance of black incarcerated
In David Blankenhorn’s book written in 1995, he brings to light what he calls “America’s fundamental problem”: our culture of fatherlessness. Our modern day view of fathers is that they are unnecessary both in society and in the upbringing of a child. Blankenhorn argues the contrary: the only way to solve the multitude of social problems present in America is to address the common denominator, the decline of fathers and the shrinking importance of fatherhood. Blankenhorn’s book is split into three parts: Part I: Fatherlessness, Part II: The Cultural Script and Part III: Fatherhood. In Fatherlessness, he provides the history of fatherhood and includes statistics that help to illustrate the transition of the father from head of the household to being “almost entirely a Sunday institution” (pg. 15).
After reading “Invisible Inequality: Social Class and Childrearing in Black families and White Families,” by Annette Lareau, it was evident that she collected much data from her study of different types of families. In this study with the help of other sociologists, Lareau went into the lives of both black and white middle class and working class/ poor families. In her study she observed the behavior of children at home, school, and in the public eye. She observed the parenting methods the adults chose to use and the child’s reaction to them. Lareau and her team were able to see what influences certain factors such as income, race, family size, home location, schooling, and career choices had on each family and their children. The purpose of this study as well as the central argument is very well addressed by Lareau in the text and leads to many well supported conclusions.
"The Final Call." Black America's Painful Epidemic: Children without Fathers. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Apr. 2014.
Perhaps more importantly, the average black teenager is raised within a single parented home, typically with their father being absent. Not only does the absence of father’s affect the home financially, but also emotionally and socially destruct the family. Although most single mothers do a great job in raising their kids, 71% of all high school dropouts come from fatherless homes. For children who live only with a mother, a male teacher may be the only positive male role model in their lives. Most black teens attend urbanized schools in the city or in low budgeted areas. In most cases, these schools does not always function at it’s full potential, due to the high number of students. The average high school graduation rate in the nation’s 50 largest cities was 53 percent, compared with 71 percent in...
Keeping with the legacy of American history, the African American family is a topic of controversy and concern. While other aspects of the family are studied, it could be argued that the area of African American motherhood receives the most attention. Unequivocally, African American mothers are depicted as matriarchs, crack-mothers, and welfare queens. In addition, Black mothers are often portrayed as lazy, irresponsible, destructive, and even worthless. These stereotypical images of African American mothers are important because they have powerful implications for African American moms, and for their families at large.
Black men in Jail are having drastic effects upon the black community. The first and arguably most important effect is that it intensifies the problem of single parent households within the black community. When these men are sentenced to prison, they, many times, leave behind a wife/girlfriend and/or children. If they have already have had children, that child must spend multiple years of his/her early life without a primary father figure. In addition, that male's absence is even more prominently felt when the woman has to handle all of the financial responsibilities on her own. This poses even more problems since women are underpaid relative to men in the workforce, childcare costs must be considered, and many of these women do not have the necessary skills to obtain a job, which would pay a living wage, which could support her and the children. Black male incarceration has done much to ensure that black female-headed households are now equal with poverty.
According to results, a parent’s approach to parenting is highly influenced by a family’s social and economic status and condition. The popularity of the disciplinary approach is mostly due to the challenges that a black family faces on a daily basis such as racism, discrimination, and poverty.
Sigmund Freud nailed it when he said “I cannot think of any need in childhood as strong as the need for a father’s protection.” There are numerous Consequences regarding the issue of fatherlessness in America today, many of which have lasting impacts. Poverty is one major issue that can result from a fatherless home; a recent study showed that children in father-absent homes are almost four times more likely to be poor. In addition as of 2011, 12 percent of children in married-couple families were living in poverty, compared to 44 percent of children in mother-only families. That means that children
African American motherhood differs from White and privileged motherhood because of slavery and the standards society holds for African- American’s. During slavery, Black women took care of their own children until they were taken from them, and care for other’s children that were sold into slavery and separated from their families. Although slavery is over, the effects of slavery linger in various forms, the most surprising: motherhood. I will draw my research from Patricia Hill Collins, the author of Black Women and Motherhood, and Shifting the Center: Race, Class, and Theorizing about Motherhood. In this paper, I will briefly highlight the history of black motherhood whilst weighing on the lasting trauma that affects these women today.
American families are becoming more diverse every day. The merging ethnic diversity in our country is becoming more apparent daily as we see different people of different cultures becoming involved with each other. America is a melting pot. The influx of immigrants and with their varied cultural backgrounds was essential in molding America’s identity. The United States became a refuge for all those suffering persecution for political or personal beliefs. America has become a shelter for a wide variety of faiths and beliefs.
African Americans are incarcerated at nearly six times the rate of whites, it is projected that one in every three African Americans born are expected to go to prison. The consequences for black men have radiated out to their families. By 2000, more than 1 million black children had a father in jail or prison"(Coates pg.2). Men going to prison at such high rates has left many women to fend for themselves.
The African American family may consist of a mother, father, children, and a number of extended family members. African Americans are least likely to marry before childbirth. In 2011 it was reported that 72% of black babies were born to unwed mothers(Washington, Jesse). Although the African American family can take many shapes, on average the African American family consist of the mother and the child or a grandparent and a child, making it a single parent home.According to kidcount.org, 72% Of black children are raised by single parent .In many cases, the father is absent. The father's absence is usually related to the males age at the time of fatherhood, fear of responsibility, substance abuse, addiction, death, prior family commitment, and incarceration.
Divorce for Caucasians and African Americans seems to be a lot more accepted than it once had been. There are so many struggles with divorce like role confusion, behavioral, depression, and psychological issues. These issues are often magnified through a certain race, culture, or socioeconomic class. Lower classes or races struggle even more with single parenthood because of lack of opportunities and the cycle they keep falling into. It makes us wonder why divorce is becoming more common and what the underlying factors are. Through doing this research it helps put into place how African American single parent households are struggling, and what little room for improvement they are provided with. This research has shown more negative outcomes of African American single mother’s compared to the dominant culture single family households. It really seems like a circle that continues through each
The Family structure has changed significantly in the last fifty years. With higher percentages of marriage ending in divorce, and higher rates of childbearing out of wedlock, single parent families are increasing rapidly. “Seventy percent of all the children will spend all or part of their lives in a single-parent household.” (Dowd) Studies have shown that the children of these families are affected dramatically, both negatively and positively. Women head the majority of single- parent families and as a result, children experience many social problems from growing up without a father. Some of these problems include lack of financial support, and various emotional problems by not having a father around, which may contribute to problems later in life. At the same time, children of single-parent homes become more independent because they learn to take care of themselves, and rely on others to do things for them.