Annotated Bibliography

Research Topic: PERCENTAGE OF CHILDREN LIVING WITH ONE OR BOTH OF THEIR PARENTS ACCORDING TO RACE AND ETHNICITY.

Part I: Mincy, R. B., & Oliver, H. (2003). Age, Race, and Children's Living Arrangements: Implications for TANF Reauthorization. Assessing the New Federalism: An Urban Institute Program to Assess Changing Social Policies. Series B.

Part II:  research has supported the notion that children living in consistent parenting households are better compared to their counterparts exposed to the instability of single and cohabitation relationships. Evidence also shows that children in two-parent households are better off than those in stepparent or single-parent families. The purpose of Mincy & Oliver (2003) was to demonstrate the connection between family types, children's outcomes, and how race or ethnicity influences these patterns of living arrangements. Mincy & Oliver (2003) provided estimates to demonstrate how children live across the country and contributed to the topic by investigating these patterns based on race and ethnicity. Mincy & Oliver (2003) used literature from families to categorize living arrangements and data from 1999 NSAF data to assess living arrangement patterns. The results were disaggregated based on race and ethnicity to provide further insight on the subject. Mincy & Oliver (2003) discovered that living arrangements for Hispanic white and Hispanic children were similar. However, there were significant differences among African Americans, White, and Hispanic children. Mincy & Oliver (2003) found that almost 40% of white and Hispanic children live in two-parent households, yet only 6.5% of African American children do so. 10% of white, 5.4% of Hispanic, and 3.5% African American children live in divorced-visiting families. There was a stark racial and ethnic difference in children who do not live with their fathers, where 74% of African American, 43% of white, and 46% of Hispanic children live in such families. Mincy & Oliver (2003) discovered differences as income increased among families. Although black children in two-parent households increased with income and father figures were more present, the differences between black and nonblack children were still there. These racial differences are amplified by age. Non black infants are more likely to be in two-parent households while black infants primarily experience their father’s involvement via fragile visiting arrangements as Mincy & Oliver (2003) demonstrate.

Part III:  One strength of Mincy & Oliver (2003) is that the authors build on previous research and contribute to the topic by disaggregating the data based on race and ethnicity implications. However, Mincy & Oliver (2003) are limited because the NSAF data used to assess the statistics is over 20 years old. The demographics of families have changed since 1999, and more updated information is needed to determine these patterns. Mincy & Oliver (2003) relate to text readings as it demonstrates the implications of race and ethnicity on social aspects of life. Although the data is old, the trends of black children being less likely to live in two-parent households than their non-black counterparts are still applicable today.