Steve Ruggles
IPUMS - Integrated Public Use Micro Data Series


Ruggles, Steven. 1994. "The Origins of African-American Family Structure." American
Sociological Review 59:136-151.


Theory. This particular study concerns African-American families, and attempts to understand how and why they differ from white families. It explores the following research question: To what extent can economic factors account for the differences between blacks and whites. The study is one part of a much broader project that examines changes in the American family from the middle of the 19th century to the present.

Design. The study uses one hundred years of census data (1880 to 1980) collected by the U.S. Census Bureau. Descriptive measures are used to chart change in family structure over time. The data were aggregated as part of the IPUMS (Integrated Public Use Microdata Series) project that the author has developed.

Measurement. IPUMS data were used to construct measures of family and household composition. The author notes that this can be a cumbersome process when dealing with time series data; the definition of what constitutes a household has since the 19th century; family structure can measured in innumerable ways.

Data Analysis. Data were analyzed using multiple and logistic regression procedures

Interpretation. The author found long-standing differences between black and white family structures. He notes that, for the period under investigation, black children were twice as likely as white children to live with fewer than two parents. These differences are largely attributed to the persistent economic disparities between the races.

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