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Title: Racial and Ethnic Differences in Women's Marriage, Household Composition and Class Status: 1980-2008
Citation Type: Journal Article
Publication Year: 2011
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Abstract: The gender literature has demonstrated that marriage is an important economic context for and predictor of women's class status; however, with regard to this finding, the literature has paid less attention to racial/ethnic differences among women. This paper raises important questions about the presumption of marriage as a route to the middle class for all women. Using 1980, 1990, and 2000 IPUMS and 2008 ACS data for Asians, blacks, Hispanics, Whites we derive a middle class index (MCi) based on education, homeownership, per person income, and occupational prestige factors. By 2008, all groups have increased their share of SALA households, but black female SALA middle-class households comprise the highest percentage of their middle-class than do the other racial/ethnic groups. We also construct synthetic cohorts to determine if these women are simply marrying later and find that more SALA middle-class households are maintaining their status over time, but that again, this trend is most pronounced for black women.
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Authors: Marsh, Kris; Dickerson von Lockette, Niki
Periodical (Full): Race, Gender, and Class
Issue: 1
Volume: 18
Pages: 314-321
Data Collections: IPUMS USA
Topics: Family and Marriage, Gender, Race and Ethnicity
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