Abstract
The research reveals that African Americans are the least likely to marry, when they marry, they do so later and spend less time married than White Americans, and they are the least likely to stay married. Factors contributing to the marriage status of African Americans include structural, cultural, individual and interactive factors. Structural factors include the disparity in sex ratios between African American males and females and employment instability among African American males. Cultural factors include changing cultural trends such as marriage not being a perquisite for sex, the independence of women, the shift from familism to individualism, cohabitation as an increasing option, and the promotion of the values of materialism and patriarchy through popular culture. Individual factors stem from an internalization of cultural values that affects people’s perceptions of marriage and their expectations of potential mates, their willingness to commit to a relationship that can lead to marriage, and, once they marry, their willingness to sustain the marriage through the challenges it will face. Added to this is the fact that, until recent federal funding in 2006, there was little or no education to help couples sustain relationships to marriage or sustain the marriage after they are married. In addition, all members of US society are expected to conform to the dominant group’s idea of the monogamous, nuclear family. This forces those who opt for other life styles e.g., gay and lesbian, polygynous, etc., to stay in cohabitating relationships. All of these factors contributes to African Americans being less likely to marry and more likely to divorce.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Center for the Study of Social Policy (1999). World without work: Causes and consequences of black male joblessness. In R. Staples (Ed.), The black family (pp. 291–311, 6th ed.). New York: Wadsworth.
Chadiha, L. A. (1992). Black husbands’ economic problems and resiliency during the transition to marriage. Families in Society, 73, 542–552.
Chadiha, L. A., Veroff, J., & Doublas, L. (1998). Newlywed’s narrative themes: Meaning in the first year of marriage for African American and White couples. Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 29(1), 115–130.
Cherlin, A. J. (1998). Marriage and marital dissolution among black Americans. Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 29(1), 147.
Coombs, R. H. (1991). Marital status and personal well-being: A literature review. Family Relations, 40(1), 97–102. doi:10.2307/585665.
Crohan, S. E. (1996). Marital quality and conflict across the transition to parenthood in African American and White couples. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 58(4), 933–944. doi:10.2307/353981.
Davis, L. E., Williams, J., Herbert, E., & Shirley, H.-B. M. (2000). Factors contributing to partner commitment among unmarried African Americans. Social Work Research, 24(1), 4, 12.
Dixon, P. (2007). African American relationships, marriages and families: An introduction. New York: Routledge.
Dobson, C., & Houseknecht, S. K. (1998). Black and white differences in the affect of women's educational attainment on age at first marriage. Journal of Family Issues, 19(2), 204–223. doi:10.1177/019251398019002005.
Du Bois, W. E. B. (1908). The Negro American family. Atlanta, GA: The Atlanta University Press.
Fine, M. A., McKenry, P. C., & Hyunsook, C. (1992). Post-divorce adjustment of black and white single parents. Journal of Divorce & Remarriage, 17(3/4), 121–134.
Flaherty, M. J., Facteau, L., & Garver, P. (1999). Grandmother functions in multigenerational families: An exploratory study of black adolescent mothers and their infants. In R. Staples (Ed.), The black family (pp. 223–231, 6th ed.). New York: Wadsworth.
Ganong, L. H., Coleman, M., Thompson, A., & Goodwin-Watkins, C. (1996). African American and European American college student's expectations for self and for future partners. Journal of Family Issues, 17(6), 758–775. doi:10.1177/019251396017006002.
Goodwin, P. Y. (2003). African American and European American women's marital well-being. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 65(3), 550. doi:10.1111/j.1741-3737.2003.00550.x.
Haynes, F. E. (2000). Gender and family ideals: An exploratory study of black middle-class Americans. Journal of Family Issues, 21(7), 811–837. doi:10.1177/019251300021007001.
Hill-Collins, P. (1999). The meaning of motherhood in black culture. In R. Staples (Ed.), The black family (pp. 157–166, 6th ed.). New York: Wadsworth.
Hochschild, S. (1989). The second shift: Working parents and the revolution at the home. New York: Viking.
Kamo, Y., & Cohen, E. L. (1998). Division of household work between partners: A comparison of black and white couples. Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 29(1), 131–145.
Kiecolt, K. J., & Fossett, M. A. (1995). Mate availability and marriage among African Americans: Aggregate-and individual-level analyses. In M. B. Tucker, & C. Mitchell-Kernan (Eds.), The decline in marriage among African Americans (pp. 121–135). New York: Sage.
King, A. E. O. (1999). African American females’ attitudes toward marriage: An exploratory study. Journal of Black Studies, 29(3), 416–437.
Knox, D., & Schacht, C. (2008). Choices in relationships. New York: Thomson/Wadsworth.
Koball, H. (1998). Have African American men become less committed to marriage? Explaining the twentieth century racial cross-over in men's marriage timing. Demography, 34(2), 251–258. doi:10.2307/3004056.
Lawson, E. J., & Thompson, A. (1995). Black men make sense of marital distress and divorce: An exploratory study. Family Relations, 44(2), 211–218. doi:10.2307/584811.
Lempert, L. B. (1999). Other fathers: An alternative perspective on African American community caring. In R. Staples (Ed.), The black family (pp. 189–201, 6th ed.). New York: Wadsworth.
McAdoo, H. P. (2007). African American demographic images. In H. P. McAdoo (Ed.), Black families (pp. 157–171, 4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Nobles, W. W. (1974). Africanity: Its role in black families. The Black Scholar, 5, 10–17.
Oggins, J., Leber, D., & Veroff, J. (1993). Race and gender difference in black and white newlyweds’ perceptions of sexual and marital relations. Journal of Sex Research, 30(2), 152–160.
Orbuch, T. L., & Custer, L. (1995). The social context of married women’s work and its impact on black husbands and white husbands. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 57(2), 334–345. doi:10.2307/353687.
Orbuch, T. L., Veroff, J., Hasan, H., & Horrocks, J. (2002). Who will divorce: A 14-year longitudinal study of black couples and white couples. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 19(2), 179–202. doi:10.1177/0265407502192002.
Pinderhughes, E. B. (1998). African American marriage in the 20th century. Family Process, 41(2), 269–282. doi:10.1111/j.1545-5300.2002.41206.x.
Porter, M. M., & Bronzaft, A. L. (1995). Do the future plans of educated black women include black mates. The Journal of Negro Education, 64(2), 162–170. doi:10.2307/2967239.
Rank, M. R., & Davis, L. E. (1996). Perceived happiness outside of marriage among black and white spouses. Family Relations, 45(4), 435–441. doi:10.2307/585173.
Schoen, R. (1995). The widening gap between black and white marriage rates: Context and implications. In M. B. Tucker, & C. Mitchell-Kernan (Eds.), The decline in marriage among African Americans (pp. 103–120). New York: Sage.
Scott, J. W., & Black, A. (1999). Deep structures of African American family life: Female and male kin networks. In R. Staples (Ed.), The black family (pp. 232–240, 6th ed.). New York: Wadsworth.
South, S. J. (1993). Racial and ethnic differences in the desire to marry. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 55(2), 357–370. doi:10.2307/352807.
Staples, R. (1999a). Sociocultural factors in black family transformations: Toward a redefinition of family functions. In R. Staples (Ed.), The black family (pp. 18–23, 6th ed.). New York: Wadsworth.
Staples, R. (1999b). Patterns of change in the postindustrial black family. In R. Staples (Ed.), The black family (pp. 281–290, 6th ed.). New York: Wadsworth.
Sudarkasa, N. (2007). Interpreting the African heritage in Afro-American family organization. In H. P. McAdoo (Ed.), Black families (pp. 29–47, 4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Tucker, M. B., & Mitchell-Kernan, C. (1995). Trends in African American family formation: A theoretical and statistical overview. In M. B. Tucker, & C. Mitchell-Kernan (Eds.), The decline in marriage among African Americans (pp. 3–26). New York: Sage.
Tucker, B., & Mitchell-Kernan, C. (1998). Psychological well-being and perceived martial opportunity among single African American, Latina and White women. Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 29(1), 57.
U.S. Census Bureau (1975). Historical statistics of the United States: Colonial times to 1970, part 1. Washington, DC: US Department of Commerce.
US Census Bureau (2004). Marital status of the population 15 years and over by sex, for black alone or in combination and alone, not Hispanic: March, 2004. Retrieved 26 June 2006 from http://www.census.gov/population/socdemo/race/black/ppl-186/tab2ic.txt.
US Census Bureau (2005). Table 3, Annual estimates of the population by sex, race and Hispanic or Latino origin for the United States: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2005. Retrieved 1 September 2006 from http://www.census.gov/popest/national/asrh/NC-EST2005-sa.html.
US Census Bureau (2006). Table A1. Marital status of people 15 years and over, by age, sex, personal earnings, race, and Hispanic origin/1, 2006. Retrieved from http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/hh-fam/cps2006.html.
US Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2006a). Work table 291F. Deaths for 113 selected causes, alcohol-induced, drug-induced causes, and injury by firearms by 5 year age groups, race, and sex: United States, 1999–2003. Retrieved 4 September from http://www.cdc.gov/search.
US Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, Data Warehouse (2006b). Table 290 A. Deaths for 72 selected causes by 10 year age groups, race, and sex United States, 1979–98. Retrieved 4 September 2006 from http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/datawh/statab/unpube/mortabs/gmwk290a.htm.
US Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics. (2006a). Correctional Populations in the United States, [1993, p. 8; 1996, p. 4]. Retrieved 1 September 2006 from http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/prisons.htm.
US Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics. (2006b).Prisoners in [1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003]. Retrieved from 1 September 2006 from http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/prisons.htm.
US Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics. (2006c). Prisoners in 2003, Bulletin, (NCJ 205335). Retrieved 1 September 2006 from http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/prisons.htm.
Wilson, W. J. (1996). When work disappears. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Dixon, P. Marriage Among African Americans: What Does the Research Reveal?. J Afr Am St 13, 29–46 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12111-008-9062-5
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12111-008-9062-5