New research published in Socius: Sociological research for a dynamic world We compared the differential effects of parenting on the well-being of white and black individuals. White women with children show the greatest decline in happiness compared to white women without children. Conversely, black fathers are happier than black men without children. Black women and white men reported similar levels of happiness, regardless of whether they had children.
New findings provide insight into how parenting can have different effects depending on culture, race, and gender.
Happiness is highly valued in American culture and is often used to measure social inequality. Research shows that black Americans report lower levels of happiness than white Americans. However, research on whether Black Americans’ experiences of parenthood contribute to this well-being gap is limited.
Parenting is known to cause stress and can lead to decreased well-being, and this stress varies by demographic factors. Black parents, in particular, face significant challenges in ensuring the well-being of their children due to racial discrimination in schools and communities.
In their new book, Jennifer Augustine and Mia Brantley examine the literature on differences in well-being between black and white individuals, differences in well-being among parents, and the unique experiences of black parents raising children. I tried to fill in the gaps.
The researchers sought to determine whether the gap in parenting well-being was greater for blacks than for whites. This study uses data from the General Social Survey (GSS) to gain new insight into whether parenting challenges are shared equally among different racial groups in the United States.
The GSS is a survey conducted in the United States annually from 1972 to 1994 and biennially thereafter. Collect data on the attitudes, behaviors, beliefs, and demographics of English-speaking non-institutionalized adults. The GSS has always included questions about self-ratings of happiness, making it a valuable resource for exploring differences in happiness among the U.S. population.
For the current study, the data sample included 5,325 black and white men and women aged 20 to 50 who participated in the GSS panel from 2010 to 2018.
Each survey measured participants’ happiness by asking them to rate themselves as either “very happy,” “quite happy,” or “not very happy.” The researchers also collected information about the participants’ age, education level, employment status, marital status, frequency of attending religious services, time of birth, and region.
“Our findings provide several fresh insights, some of which were contrary to our expectations,” the researchers said.
Research shows that black parents and non-parents have lower self-rated happiness than white parents and non-parents. The authors suggest that discrimination, economic disadvantage, and family structure may be reasons for these differences.
Furthermore, the data revealed that differences in parental well-being between women exist among white women but not among black women. This finding suggests that Black mothers may be more resilient in terms of well-being despite facing additional challenges.
Possible reasons for this include Black mothers’ sense of group identity and ability to overcome adversity. Additionally, research has found that Black mothers tend to receive greater community support and spend more quality time with their children than white mothers.
As for men, parenthood did not significantly change white fathers’ happiness. But for black men, having children was associated with higher levels of happiness. This suggests that fatherhood has greater importance for black men than previously recognized. This study also suggests that Black fathers may have a unique perspective on fatherhood that emphasizes the joys of parenthood.
Overall, this study highlights the importance of considering the complex relationships between race, parenthood, and well-being.
the study, “Black and white differences in parental happiness‘ was released online on February 23, 2023.
