Free «Research Article Critique» Essay

The main purpose of the article entitled “Culture and Class as determinants of out-of-wedlock childbearing and poverty during late adolescence” by Mercer L. Syllivan is to study the connection between teen pregnancies and the issues of poverty, culture and ethnography. The scientific conclusion is drawn on the basis of different expectancy theories as well as the analysis of data sets. The problem of the poverty growth of unmarried people, single mothers in particular, is hot-burning nowadays. It is of importance to investigate the association which exists between out-of-wedlock childbearing and subsequent poverty.

On the basis of the results presented by expectation theories, which claim low likelihood for single mothers to seek abortion as well as low likelihood for single fathers to marry, make it necessary to investigate the key factors which underlie the choice to have children in the first place. At the same time the author points out that these theories do not provide any explanation for having babies in the first place.

The data sets are analyzed on the basis of income levels as well as membership in ethnic groups are presented by Syllivan. The data sets which contain information of the neighborhoods of Projectville, Hamilton Park as well as La Barriada are used for examination of childbearing and marriage as well as analysis of the ethnicity and income pattern between neighborhoods.

The main scientific distinction of this analysis from the expectation theories is systematic comparison of different data sets, which present ethnographic peculiarities of inner-city family formation as well as health statistics. The data sets include information about such ethnical groups as Latinos, Puerto Ricans and African American. The main issue of the analysis here is to test connection between ethnic subcultures and poverty. The study carried out by Syllivan focuses mainly on unintended pregnancies. As far as the problem of sexual activity is concerned, according to Syllivan, different studies show that ‘life options’ version of expectancy theory justify the fact that middle-class African Americans use contraception more effectively than poor ones. The result of the analysis of abortion rate carried out by the author clearly indicates that poverty appears to be the key predictor of pregnancy rather than ethnicity.

Analysis of the problem of abortion between poor minority representatives as well as White Americans enables Syllivan to make a conclusion that the factor of poverty appears to be more significant predictor of pregnancy than ethnicity. The finding supports the life option theory. However, the influence of pertaining to this or that cultural group is strong. The influence of ethnicity on pregnancy decision is the most vivid in ethnographic and health statistics of Latinos and non-Latinos.

The main findings of the article which are based on ethnographic and quantitative data justify the principle patterns of abortion and marriage in the neighborhoods under study. The main purpose of the research paper is to define the role of culture expectancy and poverty in the choice of young adolescents concerning household and fertility. At the same time it is necessary to point out to the gaps which do not cover the issues of sexual and contraceptive behavior, gender differences as eventual patterns of household formations.

The main assumption carried out on the basis of analysis is that expectancy statements concerning restricted life options and ethnic culture have powerful influence on marriage and fertility. Syllivans makes a conclusion that entrance into single parenthood at an early age leads to poverty.