Race, Class, and Gender Differences in Substance Abuse: Evidence of Middle-Class/Underclass Polarization among Black Males

Abstract

In this study differences in alcohol and illicit drug use were examined in relation to Wilson's theory of class polarization within the black population. With data from a large representative sample of the adult population in New York State, regression analysis showed that the relationship between socioeconomic status and substance abuse is stronger for black males than for any other group. These findings are consistent with Wilson's (1987) theory of the effects of deindustrialization on black males.