Structural effects are the conditions produced by society due to changes in spheres of history, politics, and the economy. Cultural effects are the result of the attitude and behavior of individuals toward reality, and include values. Often, they are responses to structural changes. The marriage gap between blacks and whites is due to both structural and cultural effects, but more so structural than cultural. Historically, for African Americans, the effects of slavery resulted in a “less instutionalized” (lecture) system of marriage, as women under slavery were not able to marry due to their restrictive conditions. After that, when African American women did begin to marry, many marriages were unsuccessful and troublesome due to conflicts with power. Because black women were used to being independent in living on their own and caring for their kids, the clash of power as well as roles between husband and wife restricted one or the other. The effects of slavery also influenced the economic life of African Americans. For men, stable, good paying jobs were and are scarce due to racial discrimination. In 2011, the poverty rate for blacks was 27.6% compared to 9.8% of blacks. The percent of young women who will marry has decreased 22% for black women versus 3% for white women over the course of 50 years. This is partially due to the pool of marriageable men. The percent of extramarital births has risen 34% for black mothers and 22% for white mothers over 40 years, influenced