African-American family structure
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
|
Related e |
|
Featured: |
The family structure of African-Americans has long been a matter of national public policy interest. A 1965 report by Daniel Patrick Moynihan, known as The Moynihan Report, examined the link between black poverty and family structure. It hypothesized that the destruction of the Black nuclear family structure would hinder further progress toward economic and political equality.
When Moynihan wrote in 1965 on the coming destruction of the Black family, the out-of-wedlock birth rate was 25% among Blacks. In 1991, 68% of Black children were born outside of marriage. In 2011, 72% of Black babies were born to unmarried mothers.
Black male incarceration and mortality
Racial inequality in the American criminal justice system
Structural barriers are often listed as the reason for the current trends in the African American family structure, specifically the decline in marriage rates. Imbalanced sex ratios have been cited as one of these barriers since the late nineteenth century, where Census data shows that in 1984, there were 99 black males for every 100 black females within the population. 2003 census data shows there are 91 Black males for every 100 females.
Black male incarceration and higher mortality rates are often pointed to for these imbalanced sex ratios. Although black males make up 6% of the population, they make up 50% of those who are incarcerated. This incarceration rate for black males increased by a rate of more than four between the years of 1980 and 2003. The incarceration rate for African American males is 3,045 out of 100,000 compared to 465 per 100,000 White American males. The chance that black males will be arrested and jailed at least once in their lifetime in many areas around the country is extremely high. For Washington, D.C., this probability is between 80 and 90%.
Because black males are incarcerated at six times the rate of white males, the skewed incarceration rates harm these black males as well as their families and communities. Incarceration can affect former inmates and their future in society long after they leave prison. Those that have been incarcerated lose masculinity, as incarceration can affect a man's confirmation of his identity as a father. After being released from prison, efforts to reestablish or sustain connections and be active within the family are often unsuccessful. Incarceration can be damaging to familial ties and can have a negative effect on family relations and a man's sense of masculinity. In 34 states, those who are on parole or probation are not allowed to vote, and in 12 states a felony conviction means never voting again. A criminal record affects one’s ability to secure federal benefits or get a job, as one Northwestern University study found that blacks with a criminal record were the least likely to be called back for a job interview in a comparison of black and white applicants. Also, incarceration has been associated with a higher risk of disease, increased likelihood of smoking cigarettes, and premature death, impacting these former inmates and their ability to be normalized in society.
This further impacts social structure, as studies show that paternal incarceration may contribute to children’s behavioral problems and lower performance in school.
Also, the female partners of male inmates are more likely to suffer from depression and struggle economically. These effects contribute to the barriers impacting the African American family structure.
The mortality rates for African American males are also typically higher than they are for African American females. Between 1980 and 2003, 4,744 to 27,141 more African American males died annually than African American females. This higher incarceration rate and mortality rate helps to explain the low marriage rates for many African American females who cannot find black partners.
See also
