Race-Related Stress, Racial Identity, and Unmarried, African American Fathers’ Involvement with Young Children

• In Event: 1-140 - Unmarried Fathers of Young Children: Correlates, Consequences, and Contributions

Integrative Statement

Background

Unmarried, African American fathers in rural communities face contextual stressors that challenge their ability to engage in adaptive relationships with young children (Barton et al., 2015). Race-related stressors – including experiences with racism and discrimination – have a host of negative outcomes for young, African American men (Brody et al., 2015). In contrast, a positive racial identity can contribute to these men’s ability to overcome difficult circumstances (e.g., Sellers et al., 2003). Despite the importance of race-related stress and racial identity for the healthy development of young, Black men, research to date has not considered the extent to which these factors may affect them as parents. The present study examined constellations of racial identity and race-related stress among unmarried, African American fathers, and whether these constellations predicted fathers’ involvement with their young children.

Method

A sample of 192 unmarried, predominantly non-residential fathers (M father age = 20.2 years; M child age = 1.7 years) were included from an ongoing study of young, African American men in the rural South. Fathers participated at three timepoints 18 months apart. Racial identity was assessed using the Multidimensional Inventory of Black Identity (Sellers et al., 1997) at each wave. At the first timepoint an index of race-related stress was created, assessing the frequency and impact of racial discrimination. Measures of father involvement (caregiving and play) and paternal support (financial and in-kind resources) were also completed at the first and third timepoints.

Results

A 3-step latent profile analysis examined typologies of racial identity and race-related stress, and the extent to which these typologies differed in involvement and support. A 3-class solution best fit the data. Profiles consisted of: fathers with positive identities and low race-related stress (68.7% of the sample), fathers with positive racial identities but high race-related stress (18.5%), and fathers with negative racial identities despite low race-related stress (12.7%). Class membership predicted father involvement and support at Time 3 even controlling for initial levels. Fathers in the positive identity / low stress class were more involved with children than were fathers with positive identities but high race-related stress (β = .12, p = .03). Fathers with low race-related stress coupled with negative racial identities provided less support than those with positive identities and low stress (β = .53, p =.01), but also less support than those with positive racial identities and high race-related stress (β = .39, p < .05).

Discussion

Findings highlight nuanced patterns and unique consequences for racial discrimination and racial identity among unmarried, African American fathers in rural communities. Race-related stress may be a critical risk factor for lowered father involvement, even when fathers have positive attitudes toward their racial identity. In contrast, a less positive racial identity might inhibit fathers’ contributions of financial and in-kind support even when such an identity is coupled with relatively few experiences of race-related stress. Results speak to the need to more fully incorporate both racial identity and the consequences of race-related stress into programs aimed at supporting unmarried, African American fathers and their children.

Authors

• Geoffrey Brown, University of Georgia
  Presenting Author

• Steven M. Kogan, University of Georgia
  Non-Presenting Author

• Junhan Cho, University of Southern California
  Non-Presenting Author