Example Of African American Families Today: Myth And Realities Book Review

Book Notes

Chapter 1: Marriage and Divorce: Why are all Black Men Marring White Women?
More importance is attached to marriage by white people than by blacks
Slavery made many African Americans view marriage as unimportant
Chances of Marriage for African Americans and indeed other races are increased for those who belong to a higher social class
The observed increase in interracial marriages is more to do with social class whereby middle and upper-class citizens look for partners of a similar status regardless of the race

Rates of cohabitation without marriage are increasing in black communities

Chapter 2: Childrearing Practices: Do Blacks Use Corporal Punishment More than Whites
Rates of corporal punishment use among African Americans are higher because of several factors: Most are young, poor parents, live in the American South and abide by religious views that emphasize greatly on child discipline whereby corporal punishment is seen as an effective and necessary tool for instilling this discipline.
In essence, rates of corporal punishment among African Americans are influenced by three factors that include social class, religion, and geography

Chapter 3: Transition to Adulthood; Teen Childbearing

Teenage childbearing among African American girls are influenced by several factors that include:
Early initiation into sexual behavior
Glamorization of babies among the community
As a lure to adulthood and possible marriage to a current partner
Severe limitation and negative attitude to birth control and abortion options
The latter is, in fact, the major predictor of differences between teen pregnancy rates in black and white girls
Chapter 4: Intimate Partner Violence: The Dirty Little Secret
African American have a higher likelihood of being domestic abuse victims when compared with their counterparts from other races
The major reason for this is because African American men are more likely to be violent, not by nature but rather because of structural and external factors that facilitate engagement in domestic violence
These factors include high rates of unemployment as well as high rates of incarceration among this ethnic group, factors that increase the risk of domestic violence perpetration.

References

Hattery, A. J., & Smith, E. (2012). African American families today: Myth and realities. New York: Rowan & Littlefield