Race, social class, and maternal working conditions as influences on children's development

Abstract

Infant, toddler, and preschool children were observed in their child care centers. Mothers were interviewed regarding their social class and working conditions. Mothers and children were either African American ( n = 67) or European American ( n = 139). We examined associations between variations in maternal working conditions and variations in children's behavior, in a sample of families diverse in both race and social class. The results suggest that child care quality could be predicted in both racial groups, but the patterns of associations were different. Social class directly predicted child care quality in European American families. In African American families social class predicted child care quality indirectly through work demands. Mothers with higher social class scores and less demanding work used higher quality child care. Among child outcomes only the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT) could be predicted in African American children. Social class and job demands both directly predicted PPVT scores. Personal maturity, PPVT, and adaptive language scores were predicted in European American children. Social class directly predicted personal maturity and PPVT scores. Maternal perception of work demands directly predicted personal maturity and adaptive language scores. Social class indirectly predicted adaptive language scores through child care quality.