Analyzing data from 1,033 African American mothers, results indicate that household income, time on Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), and number of children are the strongest predictor of nonmarriage. The conclusions support previous findings that never-married mothers suffer more economic hardship than formerly married mothers. (JPS)

A large sample of single mothers was surveyed to compare Black attitudes and White attitudes toward having children. Finds that Black single mothers find a greater degree of satisfaction in parenting than do White single mothers. Suggests that White mothers look elsewhere for life satisfactions. (DM)

Case studies reveal the drift from teenage parenthood to polygamous relationships among young black women who "share" the father of their children with a woman to whom he is legally married. The drift into polygamous relations is described as a forced-choice and explained in terms of the Developmental Task Theory. (PS)

Reviews "The Truly Disadvantaged: The Inner City, the Underclass, and Public Policy," by William Julius Wilson. Criticizes Wilson's analysis of the rising number of out-of-wedlock births and female-headed households among Blacks. (FMW)

Although the vast majority of single mothers do not fit the description of an underclass, there is a small group of predominantly black single mothers concentrated in northern urban ghettos that is persistently weakly attached to the labor force, socially isolated, and reproducing itself. Although welfare programs are necessary for those who are…

Analyzing data from the High School and Beyond survey on the behavior of 13,000 high school sophomore women over a two-year period, this document reveals the following facts about single motherhood: (1) young women with different background profiles exhibit markedly different rates of single parenthood; (2) because teenage women who become single…

Contends that, in the public's perception, much of adolescents' trouble today can be traced to deterioration in the quality of family life. Reports on a study of education completion and marriage. Finds that females living with mothers only, who complete their senior year in high school, actually have higher educational attainment and later…

This symposium publication consists of 26 presentations. Papers are "'How to Eat an Oreo': Using African American Research through Personal Narrative To Analyze Ethnic Dysmorphic Phenomenon" (Ashford); "Authentic Members: Uncovering Adult Children" (Barnes); "What Good Is Government? Assessment of Government Official…