Citation
Baker, Regina S. (2015). The Changing Association among Marriage, Work, and Child Poverty in the United States, 1974–2010. Journal of Marriage and Family, 77(5), 1166-1178.Abstract
Marriage and work have long been central to debates regarding poverty and the family. Although ample research has demonstrated their negative association with child poverty, both marriage and work have undergone major transformations over recent decades. Consequently, it is plausible that their association with child poverty may have also changed. Using 10 waves of U.S. Census Current Population Survey data from the Luxembourg Income Study, this study examined the relationships among marriage, work, and relative measures of child poverty from 1974 to 2010. The results indicated that both marriage and work still decrease the odds of child poverty. However, time interactions showed marriage's negative association with child poverty has declined in magnitude, whereas work's negative association with child poverty has increased in magnitude. These findings underscore the historically varying influence of demographic characteristics for poverty. They also suggest the limitations of overemphasizing marriage and the growing importance of work for reducing child poverty in America.URL
https://doi.org/10.1111/jomf.12216Reference Type
Journal ArticleYear Published
2015Journal Title
Journal of Marriage and FamilyAuthor(s)
Baker, Regina S.Article Type
RegularData Set/Study
Luxembourg Income Study (LIS)Continent/Country
United States of AmericaState
NonspecificRace/Ethnicity
WhiteBlack
Hispanic/Latinx