Black Men and Divorce (Understanding Families series) [Hardcover]

Erma Jean Lawson (Author), Aaron Thompson (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0803959540 | ISBN-13: 978-0803959545 | Publication Date: March 24, 1999 | Edition: 1

This book draws on in-depth interviews with 50 working and middle-class Black men to chronicle and analyze their passage from courtship and marriage to divorce, and ultimately to the establishment of a new life.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Sage Publications, Inc; 1 edition (March 24, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803959540
• ISBN-13: 978-0803959545
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,214,594 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars informative, April 13, 2011

By 

Jeffery Mingo (Homewood, IL USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Black Men and Divorce (Understanding Families series) (Paperback)

The researchers look at much analysis on divorce and asked if it applies to the 50 Black male divorcees they interview. In this decade, there's all this yap-yap about "post-racial" this and that. However, this book points to the salience of race for African-American men. I did think that Black men would not differ from mainstream males in these matters, but this book proves how they do. Current and past racism played a major role in family dissolution here. For example, a man recalled how he argued with his wife over a fur coat. To him, a fur coat was flashy and stereotypical, but to his wife, it showed that she was not impoverished and boosted her esteem.

Having said the previous, I also think that men of all races could find this book useful. There is an African-American radio host named Michael Baisden and his show is catered to the Black community. However, non-Blacks often call in and enjoy the interaction. I am not sure how many studies have been done of fathers, but when this book speaks about financial battles, marrying out of boredom, fearing that children will forget them if they are not present in the home, these issues face divorced males across identity groups. The book spends a few pages acknowledging Black fathers who divorce non-Black wives and have biracial children.

This is an academic book, but I think readers of many educational levels will be able to understand it, especially as so many quotes come from "everyday" men. I have one big critique of this book. In trying to prove that Black males are not irresponsible husbands and fathers, the book does portray them as faultless in some ways. This book mentions wives that mismanage money or don't appreciate spouses with two or three jobs, but some brothas waste money and won't work. This book says nothing about male adultery and I highly doubt no brotha is creepin'! Within the African-American community, and I'm a member, there is much criticism toward men who shirk their familial responsibilities. These men seem strategically absent from this text.