Household structure and labor force participation of black, hispanic, and white mothers

This paper investigates whether the inclusion of nonnuclear adults in a household facilitates the labor force participation of single and married mothers. Results based on a sample of extended and nuclear households show that the extension mechanism facilitates the labor market entry of married mothers, but not of single mothers. Interactions between extended structure, ethnicity, and poverty, however, suggest a complex relationship. For extended family households, the gender and employment characteristics of nonnuclear adults affected the labor force participation of single mothers, but the number of nonnuclear members was inversely associated with the market activity of married mothers. Policy implications are discussed in the final section.

[1]  R. Angel,et al.  Headship and Household Composition Among Blacks, Hispanics, and Other Whites , 1982 .

[2]  Marta Tienda,et al.  Determinants of Extended Household Structure: Cultural Pattern or Economic Need? , 1982, American Journal of Sociology.

[3]  Alfredo Mirandé,et al.  Racial and cultural variations among American families: A decennial review of the literature on minority families. , 1980 .

[4]  Walter R. Allen.  Class, Culture, and Family Organization: The Effects of Class and Race on Family Structure in Urban America* , 1979 .

[5]  R. S. Cooney,et al.  Demographic components of growth in white, black, and Puerto Rican female-headed families: Comparison of the Cutright and Ross/Sawhill methodologies , 1979 .

[6]  W. Deutermann,et al.  Voluntary part-time workers: a growing part of the labor force. , 1978, Monthly labor review.

[7]  F. Mott.  Women, Work, and Family: Dimensions of Change in American Society. , 1978 .

[8]  J. Keller.  : Time of Transition: The Growth of Families Headed by Women , 1976 .

[9]  I. Sawhill.  Time of Transition, A: The Growth of Families Headed by Women , 1975 .

[10]  P. Cutright.  Components of Change in the Number of Female Family Heads Aged 15-44: United States, 1940-1970 , 1974 .

[11]  J. Sweet.  Women in the Labor Force , 1975 .

[12]  Joyce C. Aschenbrenner.  Extended Families Among Black Americans , 1973 .

[13]  W. Bowen,et al.  The Economics of Labor Force Participation. , 1969 .

[14]  P. England,et al.  [Women in the labor market]. , 1980, Tidskrift for Sveriges sjukskoterskor.

[15]  C. Lloyd,et al.  Women in the Labor Market , 1981 .

[16]  J. Mincer,et al.  Labor Force Participation of Married Women , 1962 .

[17]  J. Durand.  Married Women in the Labor Force , 1946, American Journal of Sociology.