There are various explanations for the prevalence of single-parent households in African American communities. Some suggestions follow that welfare programs designated for single mothers increase the livelihood of such families through government support. The most basic and stereotype-driven explanation argues for the low interest of black fathers in parenting, often leading them towards the abandonment of families. Both the reduction in low-skilled professions and the period of mass imprisonment have had a disproportionately negative impact on black communities, and black males in particular, perhaps leading towards disproportionate statistics of marriages in the US (Caucutt et al., 2019). Nevertheless, I find it plausible that for each case, there exists a real-life example of every possible explanation. Consequently, an argument could be constructed that the given statistics are the reflection of prolonged institutional racism in US history. African American households are often found in a single-parent environment due to the lack of socio-cultural bindings towards families and welfare problems related to the high poverty level among this group.
However, these statistics puts children at varying healthcare and social risks. For example, in single-parent African American households with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), it is more likely that a child will not be able to or will have high challenges in terms of access to specialized care or facilities (Pearson & Meadan, 2018). Similarly, single-parent households increase the prevalence of obesity among children (Duriancik & Goff, 2019). The characteristics associated with this connection are especially frequent among females and children of colour (Duriancik & Golf, 2019). Possible reasons for this link include the increased time demands of single-parent homes as a result of the absence of shared household tasks (Duriancik & Golf, 2019).
Moreover, the younger generation is threatened in terms of the quality of education. Concern has been expressed by school authorities, policymakers, administrators, and colleges and institutions over the academic success of African American boys (Nelson, 2021). In schools and institutions throughout the United States, the graduation rates of African American men continue to fall (Nelson, 2021). This qualitative research examined the issue that African-American boys from single-parent families may be unable to receive a community college degree (Nelson, 2021). Thus, demonstrating continuing disparity in quality of life by race.
For parents, this could mean that their children may be unable to attain personal dreams, lack time for the proper upbringing and nurturing of their children, and have reduced lifestyle quality due to overworking from a lack of shared responsibilities. Consequently, in my opinion, this is a pressing issue that needs to be addressed in the strategic intervention towards embitterment of the community lifestyle and health.
References
Caucutt, E., Guner, N., & Rauh, C. (2019). Incarceration, unemployment, and the black–white marriage gap in the US. CEPR. Web.
Duriancik, D. M., & Goff, C. R. (2019). Children of single-parent households are at a higher risk of obesity: A systematic review. Journal of Child Health Care, 23(3), 358-369, Web.
Nelson, W. (2021). African American Males Who Come from Single Parent Households Described Their Persistence to Graduate from Community College: A Qualitative Descriptive Study [Doctoral dissertation, Northcentral University]
Pearson, J. N., & Meadan, H. (2018). African American parents’ perceptions of diagnosis and services for children with autism. Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 53(1), 17-32, xWeb.