Race, class, and adolescent pregnancy: an ecological analysis
Franklin, D.L.
American Journal of Orthopsychiatry 58(3): 339-354
1988
ISSN/ISBN: 0002-9432 PMID: 3044130 DOI: 10.1111/j.1939-0025.1988.tb01596.xDocument Number: 358835
The US has 1 of the highest rates of adolescent pregnancy and childbearing in the industrialized world--and the highest rates in the US are found among low-income black adolescents. This paper addresses the problem via a 4-part theoretical framework based on an ecological developmental model. Variables that contribute to adolescent pregnancy in the black community are examined at the individual, family, sociocultural, and social structural levels. In terms of social policy considerations, this ecological framework provides a conceptual basis for the claim that the problem of joblessness among both males and females should be a salient issue on any agenda that focuses on reducing black adolescent pregnancy. The potential utility of this framework is discussed, and suggestions are offered for research and programmatic intervention.