Low Marriage Rates, Research Paper Example

Low Marriage Rates among 1950 to 2000 for African American Women

The modern African American society faces a huge demographic, social and cultural problem – it is the dramatic decline of married women that continues to be evident from 1950s to the present moment of time. The percentage of women who are likely to never get married approaches a half of the whole African American female population. Together with these figures, the rate of marriage age also continues to rise disproportionately quickly as compared to white males and females. This drama is evident in the increase of single mother families from 1950 to 2000, negative family experiences for young African American women and men and unwillingness to get involved in the family relationships seen in the overwhelming majority of African American men, which inevitably causes either the necessity of producing interracial marriages or remain single for African American women.

The recognized factors that have been producing a long-term impact on the reduction of African American women marriage rates are classified into structural, cultural, economic and individual (Dixon, 2006). Thus, taking into consideration the eternal struggle of African Americans for equality with the white population of the USA and racial discrimination revealing itself in various forms for centuries, it has been decided to choose the sociological paradigm of social conflict for the analysis of the low marriage rates for African American women. The conflict theory is usually applicable to a social group that is unequal with others in terms of social, cultural or other issues. The theory is the most applicable for the present case because the initial presupposition of African American inferiority in the USA (especially in the 1950s, before the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement); more than that, women have always been considered a more vulnerable category than men, so African American women can be considered unequal to other groups in many areas.

The first issue that can explain the low marriage rate from the point of view of conflict theory is the poorer educational and employment opportunities that have always been available to African Americans as compared to their white peers. The situation did not change until the 2002 Bush initiative linked poverty, absence of educational opportunities and non-engagement in marriages; it began to provide African Americans with additional federal funding policies, which helped improve the situation with economic stability of African American men, and consequently helped them think more seriously about marriage. As O’Connor (2006) noted, all men initially want to marry; however, they may decide to marry only in case they have enough funds to provide for the family. Similarly, African American women are apt to think of a man as a potential provider, so they do not consider marriages with men who have no opportunities for their future living (O’Connor, 2006).

Secondly, the influence of stereotypes of the surrounding society finally embodied in the mass media products produce a ruinous effect on the rates of marriage for African American women. As some respondents consider, the 45% of never married black women compared to only 23% of white peers indicates that marriage in the USA is only for the white (Black and single: Is marriage really for white people? 2008). The fact that few African American women manage to get adequate education and receive a respectable job supposes that the discrimination is still present at all layers of the American society. The mass media impact is also devastating – African American men are depicted as uncommitted and undependable in terms of marriage, usually engaged in criminal activities and dissolute behavior (O’Connor, 2006). Thus, the negative impact of mass media images is felt in the whole African American community – the sexual revolution imposed by the white society regards cohabitation as a normal pattern of sexual relationships, thus involving both white and black people in refusing from marriages.

However, the most influential and statistically credible factor is the sex ratio of African American men and women the causes of which root back to the end of the Civil War and mass dislocation of black people across the country (Ruggles and Fitch, n.d). Nowadays the statistics shows that there are nearly three women for every two men, so every third women is virtually doomed to remain never married (O’Connor, 2006). Interracial marriages would have solved the problem, but the negative social impact of racism, inferiority and discrimination have made such practices next to impossible. The conflict theory may explain lack of interracial marriages with the non-respectability, shade of shame and prosecution by relatives and friends in case they occur.

Assessing the issue of low marriage rates and high divorce rates (11.7%) for African American women (Cantave and Harrison, 2001) from the angle of social conflict theory, one should note that the concept is deeper than the initiation of federal funding and social help for African American women in creating positive, stable nuclear families, though these issues are also essential. The key solution to the problem in this respect is to restore equality not only on the formal level but in reality. Feminist movements and the growing independence of women also make their negative contribution to the decline in marriage rates, so equality of men and women is a destructive tendency for marriages. However, social, educational and employment equality together with the gradual recognition of African American problems in the American society are likely to be of substantial help in eliminating the problem.

References

Black and single: Is marriage really for white people? (2008). Now Public Crowd Powered Media. Retrieved July 15, 2010, from http://www.nowpublic.com/ culture/black-and-single-marriage-really-white-people

Cantave, C., & Harrison, R. (2001). Marriage and African Americans. Joint Center BataBank. Retrieved July 15, 2010, from http://www.jointcenter.org/DB/fact sheet/marital.htm

Dixon, P. (2008). Marriage Among African Americans: What Does the Research Reveal? Journal of African American Studies. Springer New York. No.13, pp. 29-46.

O’Connor, V. (2006). Barriers to Marriage and Parenthood for African American Men and Women. Department of Child and Family Studies. Syracuse University. Retrieved July 15, 2010, from http://www.thrivingcouplesthrivingkids.syr.edu/ Pdfs/0VOConnerresearchpr0jspring05.pdf

Ruggles, S., & Fitch, C. (n.d.). Trends in African-American Marriage Patterns. Minnesota Population Center. National Institute of Health. Retrieved July 15, 2010, from http://www.hist.umn.edu/~ruggles/black_marriage.ppt