Familial Interdependence, Socioeconomic Disadvantage, and the Formation of Familial Mentoring Relationships Within Black Families

This study used an explanatory sequential mixed-method design to explore the association between familial interdependence and familial mentoring relationship presence within black families. This study also examined how socioeconomic disadvantage may moderate the association between familial interdependence and familial mentoring presence. A sample of 216 black youth (59% girls; 41% boys) were surveyed, and a subsample of 25 participants were interviewed along with one of their parents, and one nonparental familial adult with whom the youth reported feeling emotionally close to learn more about the enactment of familial interdependence and the formation of familial mentoring relationships across social class. Logistic regression analyses revealed that greater valuing of familial interdependence was associated with a greater likelihood of having a familial mentoring relationship, but this association was present only among nonsocioeconomically disadvantaged youth. Data collected from participant interviews were analyzed to better understand this pattern of findings. These analyses provided some preliminary insights into why familial interdependence may predict familial mentor formation only among nonsocioeconomically disadvantaged youth. Implications of study findings for the promotion of familial mentoring relationships within black families are discussed.