Routledge Marriage in Black: The Pursuit of Married Life among American-born and Immigrant Blacks

Despite the messages we hear from social scientists, policymakers, and the media, black Americans do in fact get married―and many of these marriages last for decades. Marriage in Black offers a progressive perspective on black marriage that rejects talk of black relationship "pathology" in order to provide an understanding of enduring black marriage that is richly lived. The authors offer an in-depth investigation of details and contexts of black married life, and seek to empower black married couples whose intimate relationships run contrary to common―but often inaccurate―stereotypes. Considering historical influences from Antebellum slavery onward, this book investigates contemporary married life among more than 60 couples born after the passage of the Civil Rights Act. Husbands and wives tell their stories, from how they met, to how they decided to marry, to what their life is like five years after the wedding and beyond. Their stories reveal the experiences of the American-born and of black immigrants from Africa or the Caribbean, with explorations of the "ideal" marriage, parenting, finances, work, conflict, the criminal justice system, religion, and race. These couples show us that black family life has richness that belies common stereotypes, with substantial variation in couples’ experiences based on social class, country of origin, gender, religiosity, and family characteristics. Review Given all the negative things written about marriage among blacks, it is refreshing―even inspiring―to read the stories of successful black married couples and to learn how they make their marriages work. Andrew Cherlin, Benjamin H. Griswold III Professor of Public Policy and Chair of the Sociology Department, Johns Hopkins University; Author of The Marriage Go-Round: The State of Marriage and Family in America Today Marriage in Black is a comprehensive empirical examination of marriage among African Americans, including topics ranging from marriage patterns and attitudes to gender relations, childrearing, and conflict resolution. The authors use a multiethnic feminist perspective to analyze interviews from a class- and race- diverse group of native-born African Americans, Black immigrants, and White married couples. The voices of these couples provide a framework for engaging and critiquing an array of sociological theories on marriage and family life. Situating each topic within the context of historic and current laws and social policies that continue to malign and marginalize African-American marriages, these authors effectively challenge the social deficit perspective on black married life and rectify the scholarly neglect of the topic. By examining intraracial differences among Blacks, the book answers the call for a more nuanced portrait of family life among people of African ancestry and emphasizes the intersection between cultural and structural forces that shape their lives. This book offers a refreshing reprieve from the litany of research focusing on the marriage decline among African Americans. Shirley A. Hill, Professor Emeritus of Sociology; Past President of Sociologists for Women in Society Many have researched the marriage gap between white and black couples, but little attention has been paid to the black marriages that do form, and how they might be distinct from other marriages. Katrina Bell McDonald and Caitlin Cross-Barnet fill this gap and present a compelling sociological analysis of contemporary Black marriages in America. Drawing upon in-depth interviews with African-Americans born in the U.S., black immigrants from Africa and the Caribbean, and white American couples, this book demonstrates the rich diversity among black marriages in America, distinct features of these relationships, and the historical and continuing impact of race relations in America on black marriages. A must-read for any graduate student studying marriage or race!Arielle Kuperberg, PhD., Associate Professor a