Citation

Farrell WC, Dawkins MP. Am. J. Public Health 1979; 69(6): 605-607.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1979, American Public Health Association)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

443504

PMCID

PMC1618981

Abstract

Most studies of the fears of American blacks about genocide have been done among urban populations. The present study explores the relative importance of social background factors as predictors of genocide fears among rural blacks. The study was done among a 7% stratified random sample (104 households) of women aged 15-44 and their most significant male partner in a southeastern Texas county in which over 1/2 the population is black. An interview schedule consisted of precoded and openended items and was administered by a team matched for sex and race. Various indicators of genocide fear were shown to be related to selected background characteristics, including family planning practice, sex, age, racial identification and education. Further analysis revealed these 5 variables combined explained 19% of the variance in race genocide fear, the most important predictors being sex and education. The present study suggests taht the same conditions that lead to fears of genocide in urban conditions exist in rural areas, which may serve as an obstacle to creating meaningful family planning strategies (in that family planning itself may be viewed as an act to perpetrate genocide). Future research should continue to monitor social factors and include psychological and economic predictors in terms of their influence on genocide fears and resultant family planning behavior among American blacks.

Language: en