Study urges researchers to take into account the effect of intersectional “identities”, such as black single-mothers, Native American women, or gay fathers

Purpose The existing work-life literature is full of studies that consider the influence of a single social identity, which is “an individual’s self-concept derived from membership in a social group.” There are many values and emotions attached to a social identity, but in the modern world, individuals often belong to more than one social grouping. Therefore, the authors wanted to discuss the effect of belonging to “multiply stigmatised groups.” Design/methodology/approach The authors began their study with a review of the literature in the work-life space on multiply stigmatized identities. They included ProQuest searches of 104 databases using key words such as “religion”, “ethnicity”, “race”, “disability”, “sexual orientation”, “religion” and “intersectionality.” They found 31 papers that focused on the intersection of two, or more, identities. Findings The study provides a framework for future research into the impact of multiple identities on issues of power and privilege. If intersectionality is not considered, the authors say, there will be “unidentified needs, ignored values, unresolved conflicts and unhelpful advice.” Originality/value The authors said they had written the paper in response to the criticism that work-life research tends to focuses on the experiences of middle, or upper-class, younger, white, western and heterosexual women.

Black Mothering in Action: The Racial-Class Socialization Practices of Low-Income Black Single Mothers

African Americans have long dealt with racism, discrimination, and racialized state and vigilante violence. As such, African American parents must educate their children about the realities of racism in the United States and how to cope with racism and discrimination. This practice, known as racial socialization, is a key aspect of Black parents’ parenting practices. Much of this labor tends to fall on the shoulders of Black mothers. To date, most of the scholarship on Black mothers’ racial socialization practices focuses on Black middle-class mothers. In this study, the author uses in-depth interviews with low-income African American single mothers in Virginia to examine how low-income Black single mothers racially socialize their children, what major concerns they express regarding raising Black children, and how their racial socialization practices and the concerns they express compare with those of Black middle-class mothers. Paralleling previous studies, the findings show that low-income Black single mothers generally fear for their children’s, especially their sons’, safety. They also invoke respectability politics when racially socializing their children, encouraging them not to dress or behave in ways that will reinforce stereotypes of Black boys as thugs or criminals. Diverging from previous research, however, the author argues that low-income Black single mothers’ employment of respectability politics is largely aspirational, as, unlike middle-class mothers, they are not able to assert their class status in an effort to prevent their children from experiencing discrimination.

The single black mother as an asset : a qualitative study based on black motherwork narratives

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] African American families comprise an estimated 9,808,000 households across the nation, 37% of which are led by single mothers raising their own children (U.S. Census Bureau, 2016). This means that almost 4 million single African America mothers are the heads of families. The purpose of this study is to showcase strength-based narratives of single Black mothers and their views on interactions with the school system and how they help their children through schooling. The overarching research question this study explores is: How do single Black mothers work to support their children's educational journeys through PK-5 school? It is an important question to study for answers because those answers can affect how these mothers and children can thrive in our 21st century academic culture. Data collection included interviews with 10 single Black mothers. The findings of this study described the barriers, resources, and the motherwork of single Black mothers educating their children. Through these narratives, participant Black single mothers revealed what they considered most important in their motherwork: 1) to have high expectations for their children 2) to communicate effectively with their children, and 3) to communicate effectively with their children's schools. Thus, one main purpose of this study was to share how Black mothers support their children's education. Fulfilling that purpose will go far in informing educators and school leaders what is necessary to fully include this segment of our population when deciding educational matters.

We Know about Reagan, but Was there a Clinton Effect? Earnings by Race, Gender, Marital and Family Status, 1993 and 2000

Radical and mainstream social scientists still speak of the effect of President Ronald Reagan’s administration on the welfare state and the legacy of Great Society and Equal Opportunity programs, but, as indicated in a search of the American Sociological Review and Critical Sociology, there is less research focused on President Bill Clinton’s plan to end welfare as we knew it. Here we begin with an historical perspective on race and gender gaps, 1955–2016, including a consideration of macro-economic processes associated with postmodernism. Then we compare the effects of marital and family status on earnings, focusing on race and gender effects, at the beginning (1993) and end (2000) of the Clinton era. We find considerable support for the concerns raised by early radical critics, notably, evidence of an influx of low-income black single mothers. We consider the possibility that these are institutional rather than regime effects, in conclusion.