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FAMILY STRUCTURE AND ORGANIZATIONAL POWER: A Multiracial/Ethnic Analysis of Women and Men

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 June 2005

Ryan A. Smith  and
James R. Elliott
Ryan A. Smith
Affiliation:
School of Public Affairs, City University of New York
James R. Elliott
Affiliation:
Department of Sociology, Tulane University
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Abstract

This study examines how dimensions of family structure, specifically marriage and parenthood, influence authority attainment among men and women of different racial and ethnic identities. Using survey data from the Multi-City Survey of Urban Inequality, we reach several empirical conclusions. First, the link between family structure and authority attainment is much stronger for women than men, and it revolves more strongly around marriage than parenthood. Second, while marriage decreases White women's odds of holding positions of higher authority, it increases these odds for Black women and Latinas. Third, this “marital bonus” for Black women is most pronounced in predominantly White work settings, allowing them to “play against” stereotypes of group members as single mothers. Fourth, and by contrast, the “marital bonus” for Latinas is strongest in predominantly Latina workplaces, suggesting that Latinas must conform to strong cultural expectations for marriage if they are to gain authority in ingroup work settings. These findings help to illuminate how race, ethnicity, and gender intersect to produce unique linkages between family structure and individual opportunities for organizational power.

Keywords

RaceGenderFamily StructureJob Power
Type
STATE OF THE ART
Information
Du Bois Review: Social Science Research on Race , Volume 2 , Issue 1 , March 2005 , pp. 69 - 90
Copyright
© 2005 W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research

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