Racial/ethnic variation in family support: African Americans, Black Caribbeans, and non‐Latino Whites

Abstract

Objective: This study examined racial and ethnic differences in the receipt and provision of instrumental family support. Background: Extended families provide significant levels of emotional and instrumental support across the life course. Despite their importance, extended family relationships and the assistance they provide are largely neglected in the literature. Further, questions remain concerning cultural variation in family support relationships and inconsistent findings on racial differences in family support in prior investigations. Method: This study relied on data from the National Survey of American Life-Reinterview (n = 3483) to investigate the provision and receipt of instrumental support from extended family among African Americans, Black Caribbeans, and non-Latino Whites and within high-and low-income categories for each group. Eight key measures of instrumental family support are examined: receiving and providing transportation, help with chores, financial assistance, and help during an illness. Results: African Americans and Black Caribbeans share similar profiles of providing and receiving instrumental family support. Both populations receive and provide assistance more frequently than do non-Latino Whites. Similarly, analyses stratified by income indicated that for low-income and high-income groups, African American and Black Caribbeans are similar to one another, and at each income category, both groups received and provided support more frequently than non-Latino Whites. Conclusion: Study findings are discussed in relation to conceptual and methodological differences in assessing Black-White differences across studies of family support. Attention to these issues and the specific contexts for receiving/

Black adolescents’ support to the family and educational outcomes: Differences by household income

“…Finally, this study revealed important heterogeneity by household income within the Black adolescent sample, such that the link between providing support and educational outcomes emerged primarily (although not exclusively) in low‐income households. As such, the findings underscore the importance of investigating within‐group heterogeneity in family processes among Black adolescents (Cross, Taylor et al., 2018; Gaylord‐Harden et al., 2018; Taylor et al., 2022), particularly with attention to household socio‐economic status. In sum, this study points to family support as an important factor that relates to educational experience and outcomes of Black adolescents in the United States.…”

“…Supporting the family is a nearly universal feature of adolescents’ daily lives (Fuligni, 2019), including among Black adolescents in the United States (Cross, 2021; Cross, Nguyen et al., 2018; Taylor et al., 2022). Grounded in a strengths‐based approach (Fergus & Zimmerman, 2005) and drawing on a large, nationally‐representative sample, this study investigated how Black adolescents’ provision of different types of support to the family related to their educational outcomes, and whether this association differed for those living in low‐income compared to high‐income households.…”

“…Given this socioeconomic diversity, there is a need to investigate within-group heterogeneity among Black adolescents and their families (Cross, 2021;Gaylord-Harden et al, 2018;Syed et al, 2018;Taylor et al, 2013;Taylor et al, 2022).…”

“…Initial research among Black families focused on adults’ provision of support, and conceptualized adolescents as the recipients of support (Sarkisian & Gerstel, 2004). However, more recent work has emphasized that Black adolescents also provide significant amounts of support to the family (e.g., Cross, Nguyen et al., 2018; Cross, Taylor et al., 2018; Taylor, 2016; Taylor, Forsythe‐Brown et al., 2017; Taylor, Skipper et al., 2022). It is particularly helpful to understand Black adolescents’ provision of support to the family via the strengths‐based conceptual framework (Fergus & Zimmerman, 2005).…”

“…Black adolescents and families in the United States are a socioeconomically diverse group (Census Bureau, 2020). Given this socioeconomic diversity, there is a need to investigate within‐group heterogeneity among Black adolescents and their families (Cross, 2021; Gaylord‐Harden et al., 2018; Syed et al., 2018; Taylor et al., 2013; Taylor et al., 2022). Indeed, the association between Black adolescents’ provision of support to the family and educational outcomes may vary by household income level.…”