Adolescent Males' Pregnancy Resolution Preferences and Family Formation Intentions

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Abstract
This study focuses primarily on adolescent Black males and examines the subcultural interpretation of racial patterns related to pregnancy resolution and family formation issues for young males. Toward this end, this research assesses the extent to which parental education is related to young Black males'preferences, beliefs, and intentions, and attempts to determine whether parental education influences Blacks' views in a similar manner and to the same extent as it does for Whites. Analyses were based on survey data from 298 Black and White male high school students in a metropolitan midwestern city and were in formed by Fishbein and Ajzen's social psychological model. Respondents were asked to provide responses to a vignette in which they were responsible for an unplanned pregnancy within the context of a serious relationship. Results suggest that Blacks have views similar to Whites on average; but, when parental education is controlled, Blacks are relatively homogeneous in their views whereas Whites are not. The findings tentatively suggest, however, that Blacks from family backgrounds represented by low parental education may be more inclined to prefer an arrangement that has them live with their child than would Blacks from better-educated family backgrounds. The policy implications of these findings are discussed.