Black Family Structure and Educational Outcomes: the Role of Household Structure and Intersectionality

Although many studies have examined associations between Black single-parent families and their children’s educational achievement, few have considered the longitudinal impact of single- and two-parent Black families. Using a nationally representative sample from the Education Longitudinal Study and a theoretical model of intersectionality, we found that in general, 10 years beyond their sophomore year of high school, (1) female students in single-parent households had better outcomes than did their male counterparts; (2) college social capital and positive class preparedness had a positive impact on educational outcomes for both males and females; (3) the resource dilution hypothesis operated very differently for female versus male students; (4) parental control had a negative impact on males, while cultural capital had a positive impact on both genders; and (5) for both males and females, socioeconomic status had a positive impact on educational outcomes.