Predictors of Coparenting Relationship Quality in African American Single Mother Families: An Ecological Model

Sterrett, Emma; Jones, Deborah J.; Forehand, Rex; Garai, Emily

doi:10.1177/0095798409353754

Cited by 14 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 56 publications

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“…Coparent and mother income, as well as maternal education, were associated with the outcome of interest; therefore, the authors controlled for these demographic variables in the following analyses. The predictor variables were entered beginning with those most distal to the child and progressing to those most proximal to the child (Jones, Foster et al., ; Sterrett, Jones, Forehand, & Garai, ): Block 1: coparent household income, mother‐household income, and mother education level; Block 2: maternal (or coparent) depression; Block 3: mother–coparent conflict (or coparent–mother conflict); and Block 4: maternal–youth (or coparent–youth) relationship quality and maternal (or coparent) monitoring of youth activities.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Coparenting Experiences in African American Families: An Examination of Single Mothers and their Nonmarital Coparents

2014

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African American youth from single mother homes continue to be overrepresented in statistics on risk behavior and delinquency, a trend that many be attributed to father-absence, socioeconomic disadvantage, and compromises in parenting more typical of single than two-parent families. Yet, this risk-focused perspective ignores a long-standing strength of the African American community, the involvement and potential protective impact of extended family members in childrearing. This study describes the experiences of 95 African American single mothers and their non-marital coparents who participated in a study of African American single mother families with an 11 to 16 year old child. Specifically, the study examines: 1) the extent to which nonmarital coparents are involved in childrearing; 2) the relative levels of risk (i.e., depression, mother-coparent conflict) and protective (i.e., parenting) associated with maternal and coparent involvement; and 3) how similarly and/or differently coparent and mother variables operate with regard to youth externalizing problems. Findings reveal that a range of family members and other adults actively participate in childrearing in African American single mother families, coparents do not differ from mothers on certain study variables (i.e., depression and mother-coparent conflict) but do for others (parenting), and coparent involvement is associated with youth adjustment in ways that are similar to our more established understanding of maternal involvement. The potential clinical implications of the findings are discussed and future research directions are highlighted.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Coparenting Experiences in African American Families: An Examination of Single Mothers and their Nonmarital Coparents

2014

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“…With respect to coparenting, instrumental and emotional supports from neighbors may provide dual-earner parents with resources that allow them to better coordinate their work and parenting responsibilities (Voydanoff, 2004). In contrast, neighborhood disadvantage (i.e., poverty, crime, and disorder), has been found to compromise the quality of interparental relationships (Kiser & Black, 2005) and undermine coparenting quality for single-parent African American mothers (Sterrett, Jones, Forehand, & Garai, 2010). Thus, we expected community cohesion to be positively associated with coparenting support and inversely related to coparenting conflict.…”

Section: Coparenting During Adolescencementioning

confidence: 99%

The trajectory of coparenting relationship quality across early adolescence: Family, community, and parent gender influences.

Riina¹,

Feinberg²

2018

Journal of Family Psychology

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This study examined longitudinal change in coparenting support and conflict for married parents during their child's adolescence, and the links between financial, work, and community factors and coparenting support and conflict. We utilized an ecological perspective, drawing on five waves of data from 635 dual-earner families with adolescents (M = 11.29, SD = .48 years old at Time 1). Applying a multilevel modeling approach and using reports from mothers and fathers we examined: (a) change in coparenting support and conflict over six years; (b) correlated change in contextual factors (financial strain, work hours and satisfaction, and community cohesion) with change in coparenting; and (c) differences in associations for mothers versus fathers. Findings revealed a decline over six years in perceptions of partner coparenting support for mothers and fathers, but no significant change in perceived coparenting conflict. Changes in financial strain, work characteristics, and community cohesion were associated with change in coparenting support and conflict in expected directions; interactions by parent gender suggest that mothers' reports of coparenting quality are more closely linked to some contextual influences than fathers' reports. Discussion centers on the implications of social contexts for coparenting at a critical period in youth development. (PsycINFO Database Record

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“…Given the role of stressors and supports in other features of family functioning, and the significance of coparenting for individual and family well-being, researchers have recently started to explore socioeconomic factors as predictors of coparenting among African American single mothers (Sterrett, Jones, Forehand, & Garai, 2010) and nonresident fathers (Arditti & Kelly, 1994; Bronte-Tinkew & Horowitz, 2009). In research on coparenting evaluations of nonresident fathers, Arditti and Kelly (1994) found that education was positively related to coparenting evaluations, and, among primarily African American nonresident fathers, higher income and education were related to more perceived coparenting support (Bronte-Tinkew & Horowitz, 2009).…”

Section: The Sociocultural Contexts Of Coparenting: Stressors and Sup...mentioning

confidence: 99%

The trajectory of coparenting satisfaction in African American families: The impact of sociocultural stressors and supports.

Riina¹,

McHale²

2012

Journal of Family Psychology

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Based in family systems and ecological perspectives, this study expands the scope of coparenting research by: (a) charting the trajectory of coparenting satisfaction for mothers and fathers in two-parent African American families during their offspring's adolescence, and (b) examining the role of sociocultural stressors and supports for coparenting satisfaction. Participants were 192 African American mothers and fathers who reported on their coparenting satisfaction and both economic and cultural stressors (economic strain and racial discrimination), and supports (socioeconomic resources and religiosity). Longitudinal growth curves revealed declines in coparenting satisfaction for fathers but not mothers over the course of offspring's adolescence. Findings were generally consistent with hypotheses that stressors were negatively, and supports, positively, related to average levels of coparenting satisfaction. Findings for racial discrimination and income differed by parent and highlighted gender dynamics within couple relationships. We discuss implications for understanding of normative family processes in African American families as these unfold within both family and broader sociocultural contexts.

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Predictors of Coparenting Relationship Quality in African American Single Mother Families: An Ecological Model

Cited by 14 publications

References 56 publications

Coparenting Experiences in African American Families: An Examination of Single Mothers and their Nonmarital Coparents

Coparenting Experiences in African American Families: An Examination of Single Mothers and their Nonmarital Coparents

The trajectory of coparenting relationship quality across early adolescence: Family, community, and parent gender influences.

The trajectory of coparenting satisfaction in African American families: The impact of sociocultural stressors and supports.

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