Effects of African American Family Structure

Effects of African American Family Structure on School Attitudes and Performance




In today's world, there is such a big emphasis on education and its


importance.   And there should be an emphasis.   Unfortunately, not everyone


has the same attitude about receiving a good education.   This article


attempts to discuss the attitudes of African American's towards education


when a stable family structure is absent.


Given, not all homes are the Cleaver family, but if a person


really wants an education, they should try to concentrate on just


that-their education.   Parents have a huge responsibility in that if they


have children in a single-parent home, the parents attitude must be


encouraging for the child.   If the parents have a bad attitude or let


their children stay home from school, that is when the children start to


think that they don't have to worry about school, and that's not right.


The article says that socio-economic factors may play a part in


single-family homes.   For example, single-mothers often have lower


incomes, forcing them to move into poorer neighborhoods with inferior


schools.   When the mother has nothing to provide for the children, these


conditions are thought to stifle ambition, lower educational aspirations


and set up barriers to doing well and remaining in school.   Stress is also


mentioned as another possible factor; suggesting that "the trauma of


parental confl!


ict and divorce can have lasting, adverse psychological consequences for


children that reduce their ability to succeed."  


A study was done comparing family structure between whites and


blacks to determine how important of a role family structure plays in


education.   Not to my surprise, most of the percentages were higher among


whites, but not by very much in any category.   More single mothers who
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