Race, Family Structure and Rural Poverty: An Assessment of Population and Structural Change

Abstract

Family structure has been cited as a major factor in the differential rates of poverty between Blacks and Whites. However, most studies have focused primarily on the urban Black family. Relatively little attention has been given to poverty among Black families in rural areas. Moreover, sociologists have yet to place the rural Black family in the context of the broader changes occurring within the American industrial economy. Accordingly, the purpose of this article is to determine the extent to which poverty among rural Black families has changed over the 1980-1990 decade. Specifically, the following questions are addressed: 1) What are the relative effects of place and family structure on levels of poverty for rural Black families? and 2) What are the theoretical implications of rural-urban differentials in Black family poverty? The logit analysis of U.S. Census data for 1980 and 1990 revealed that family structure increased in its importance in determining poverty differentials between rural and urban Black families. Moreover, despite controls for demographic and social factors, Black families continue to experience levels of poverty that exceed that of White families in both rural and urban environments. These findings suggest that, while the economic restructuring may have had a greater impact upon rural Black families than commonly assumed, racial discrimination still plays a major role in determining poverty levels for both rural and urban Black families.