The Divergence of Black and White Marriage Patterns

Abstract

Standard-Nutzungsbedingungen:Die Dokumente auf EconStor dürfen zu eigenen wissenschaftlichen Zwecken und zum Privatgebrauch gespeichert und kopiert werden.Sie dürfen die Dokumente nicht für öffentliche oder kommerzielle Zwecke vervielfältigen, öffentlich ausstellen, öffentlich zugänglich machen, vertreiben oder anderweitig nutzen.Sofern die Verfasser die Dokumente unter Open-Content-Lizenzen (insbesondere CC-Lizenzen) zur Verfügung gestellt haben sollten, gelten abweichend von diesen Nutzungsbedingungen die in der dort genannten Lizenz gewährten Nutzungsrechte. Our purpose in this paper is first, to examine patterns of first marriage among black and white women in the United States, and then, to assess the various factors that underlie these patterns. Three major differences exist between the first marriage patterns of black and white women: lower proportions of blacks marry than whites, the proportion of women who ever marry has declined substantially across cohorts of black women but comparatively modestly across cohorts of white women, and increased education is associated negatively, if only slightly, with the probability of ever marrying among white women, but is associated positively among black women. The observed racial divergence of marriage patterns is demonstrated to be consistent with three factors differentially experienced by blacks and whites: the marriage squeeze, labor market success, and out-of-wedlock childbearing. Terms of use: Documents inOur a.nalysis of the marriage squeeze indicates that, given the traditional range of age differences between spouses, there is a greater mismatch in terms of sheer numbers of women and men among blacks than among whites for cohorts born prior to the late 1950s. Along economic lines, we find that an individual's employment status is positively associated with the propensity to marry and that the labor market situation of less-educated young black men and women is generally poor and has deteriorated significantly with the passage of time in comparison to other groups in the United States. Last, we provide evidence that having an out-of-wedlock child at an early age is strongly negatively associated with the likelihood that a woman will ultimately marry.

Marital Status and Fertility in the United States: Welfare and Labor Market Effects

“…ff4 (Bennett, 1989), evidence was found that with increases in women's wages, the probability of being currently married increases, although fertility may be expected to continue to decline among both black and white women as their labor market opportunities improve.…”

“…The median age at marriage has been increasing, and a growing proportion of women are not marrying, particularly among blacks (Bennett et al, 1989). The fraction of births out of wedlock had increased to 56 percent for blacks by 1979 and to 18 percent for whites (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1982Census, , 1991.…”

Race Differences in Cohort Effects on Non-Marital Fertility in the United States

“…Thus, for white cohorts, there is some indication of support for our hypothesis that education in young adulthood represents an investment in human capital that results in delaying childbearing and possibly marriage, as well. It may also be related to whites' greater probability of marriage over the life span and after giving birth without being married (Bennett, et al, 1989;Harknett and McLanahan 2004). For black cohorts, the dynamics appear different, with greater investment in education perhaps resulting in a greater probability to be financially independent and thus making childbearing outside of marriage more economically feasible.…”

“…A second possible influence, however, is the "independence effect," where women with more education (and, hence, likely greater potential earnings) are less reliant on a marriage partner in order to bear and raise children (Becker 1981;Bennett et al 1989;Espenshade 1985: 222-225). Thus, a cohort's higher enrollment in education during the late teens and early adult years could be positively, negatively or not associated with NFRs throughout a cohort's primary childbearing years, contingent on the relative magnitudes of the "discouragement/delay effect" versus the "independence effect."…”

Toward a Deeper Understanding of the Meaning of Marriage Among Black Men

“…It seems critical to reflect on social, psychological, and cultural factors at the micro-level that play a role in Black marriages (Bennett, Bloom, & Craig, 1989;Cherlin, 1992;Tucker & Mitchell-Kernan, 1995). With regard to social and psychological factors, similarities in couples' interpersonal resources contribute to compatibility in marriage (Gibson-Davis, Edin, & McLanahan, 2005;Marks, Hopkins, Chaney, Monroe, Nesteruk, & Sasser, 2008;Smock, Manning, & Porter, 2005).…”