Family and Career Trajectories among African American Female Attorneys

Abstract

Professional African American women are vastly understudied in sociology. We address that omission by examining how the intersection of race with the structure of elite, male-dominated occupations shapes family and work trajectories for a sample of 203 African American female attorneys. Like the general population of African American women, respondents with partners and with children do not seem to suffer a wage penalty. But like White women in male-dominated, prestigious professions, respondents tend to delay or avoid childbearing, particularly if they have uninterrupted careers. Their integration of work and family is supported by family resources found particularly in the Black community yet is also constrained by the demands of elite, male-dominated careers. We also find evidence of an impact of the historical period on respondents' work and family trajectories.