Marital Status, Household Structure, and Life Satisfaction of Black Women

Blacks in the United States have developed alternative family forms. Families headed by women are common, and the incorporation of relatives and friends into the household has been viewed as potentially helpful. This paper examines the relationships between marital status, household structure, and life satisfaction in a probability sample of 373 black women. I found that married, widowed, and divorced women had the highest life satisfaction. Single and separated women were less satisfied, although this may be related to other variables, such as age. Having children did not significantly affect satisfaction, nor, for women without husbands, did residing with relatives or friends.