Racial Differences in Marital Outcomes among Unmarried Mothers: The Influence of Perceived Marital Benefits and Expectations

Calvina Ellerbe
Additional contact information
Calvina Ellerbe: University of North Carolina Pembroke

Working Papers from Princeton University, School of Public and International Affairs, Center for Research on Child Wellbeing.

Abstract: Family formation in American society increasingly begins with a birth. Given the important benefits that married, biological parents have for children it is important to examine marriage formation among unmarried parents. The present study investigates the influence that perceived marital benefits and marital expectations have on marriage formation among unmarried mothers with an examination of racial/ethnic differences. Large racial differences in perceived marital benefits and marital expectations were present. Black mothers perceived that marriage would be more beneficial than white mothers, but they did not expect that they would develop a marital relationship with their baby's father as often as white mothers. Perceptions and expectations were strong predictors of marriage among black, white and Hispanic mothers and were useful for explaining racial differences in marital outcomes. Positive expectations to marry increased the odds of marriage while positive perceptions of benefits decreased the likelihood of marriage.

Keywords: expectations; perceptions; marriage; race; nonmarital births (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I31 J12 J13 J15 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018-01
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://fragilefamilies.princeton.edu/sites/fragilefamilies/files/wp18-03-ff.pdf

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:pri:crcwel:wp18-03-ff

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in Working Papers from Princeton University, School of Public and International Affairs, Center for Research on Child Wellbeing. Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Bobray Bordelon ().