Soc Chapter 12-Trends in divorce

Intergenerational Transmission of Divorce

- Children from divorced families are more likely to experience divorce when they grow up than children from intact families. --Because: -Children living with only one parent, usually the mother, tend to have economic hardships. -Children experiencing their parent's divorce may have feelings of depression, anxiety and stress. -Parents who divorce are not always good role models for their children. -Children who have experienced divorce may be more accepting of it. -Their parent's divorce may reflect a loss of faith in the institution of marriage for them.

His divorce

- Ex-husbands have some major advantages and few disadvantages over their ex-spouses . 1.) Improved Standard of Living 2.) Increased Personal Freedom 3.) Personal Isolation --men have it easier on divorce

Her divorce benefits

- The benefits of divorce for women are few. 1.) Personal Isolation 2.) Decreased Standard of Living 3.) The Feminization of Poverty 4.) Divorce as an Opportunity for Change

Adjustments after divorce

----After divorce, ex-spouses fall into one of following categories: -Enhanced - mostly successful at work, socially and as parents. -Competent Loners - more emotionally self sustaining than enhanced ex-spouses, but they do not need a lifetime companion. -Good Enoughs - divorce was difficult but it did not make a lasting impression, good or bad. -Defeated - Succumbed to depression, perhaps substance abuse. -Seekers or Libertines - Typically insecure men, remarry quickly.

Remarriage after divorce

---Currently 90 percent of those remarrying are divorced. About one third of all Americans will marry, divorce and remarry. Women are less likely than men to remarry if they are older, well educated and have children. About half of all marriages are a remarriage for at least one of the adults. The remarriage rate has declined since the 1960's but this is likely the result of increasing cohabitation. The risk of divorce is greater for second marriages than for first marriages. Divorce is likely to occur more quickly in remarriages than first marriages. ---Probability of remarriage is affected by: Age - the older a woman is the less likely she is going to remarry. Socioeconomic Status - the more money a divorced man has the more likely he is to remarry. The reverse is true for women. Race - African Americans and Latinos remarry at lower rates than Whites. Religion - The Catholic Church does not recognize remarriage, thus people who are devout Catholic are likely to not remarry.

Children and divorce

-Around 65% of divorcing couples have children --Most will remain with mothers --Many effectively lose their fathers -Most children do not experience severe or long-term problems after divorce

Religion factor correlated with divorce

-One study found that Jewish people had the highest divorce rates. Among Christian denominations, Baptists have the highest divorce rate. Atheists and agnostics are below the national average with 21% - the same rate as Lutherans and Catholics. -Interreligious couples have a higher divorce rate than couples who share the same religion.

The Uniqueness of Remarriage

-The advantages of remarriage Point 1 - The advantages of remarriage Positive opportunities for growth Point 2 - The disadvantages of remarriage High divorce rate Higher levels of tension and disagreement Point 3 - Blended families Stepfamilies Point 4 - Types of stepfamilies Stepfather families Stepmother families Complex stepfamilies Stepfamilies with a mutual child Point 5 - Problems endemic to stepfamilies Outsiders versus insiders Boundary disputes Power issues Conflicting loyalties Rigid and unproductive triangles

Characteristics of the Child:

-The age of the child is related to personal adjustment. The younger the child, the more likely they are to have adjustment problems. -Boys become more handicapped by divorce than girls. Boys are more aggressive and need more attention. -Adolescence is a difficult time for children and they may be more apt to engage in delinquency, deviancy and antisocial behavior.

Characteristics of the Family:

-The conditions and situation leading up to the divorce can have a negative impact on the children. -Size of the family may be important - the larger the family the greater the amount of stress experienced by single parents and this stress may negatively affect the children. -The socioeconomic status of the family is significant - reduced income on the family can have a negative effect on children. --People of color are disproportionately at a disadvantage, putting those children at more risk. -Contact with both parents helps the child adjust.

Race/ethnicity factor correlated with divorce

-White and Asian marriages are the most stable, while marriages among African Americans are the most likely to end in divorce. -These differences are probably due to economic differences rather than differences in race or ethnicity alone. -Interracial marriages have a higher divorce rate than intraracial marriages.

Her divorce consequences

-Women have a disadvantage when it comes to income following a divorce: 1.) Alimony 2.) Marital Property 3.) Child Support 4.) Welfare / Employment --harder for women to divorce

Predicting the divorce rate

-Young people are marrying about 5 years later than they did in the past. The later the marriage takes place, the less likely the couple is to divorce. -Some say that the divorce rate increased when "no fault divorce" became legal and common throughout the US. -The number of couple who live together without marrying has increased twelve fold since 1960 to about 5.4 million couples in 2006. (Fowler 2008). --This dramatic increase in couples living together without marrying is the primary reason why divorce rates have declined in the recent past. -There is a trend toward more stable marriages. -Historically, economic downturns increase the divorce rate. -To the degree that higher education increases, the divorce rate will decline. As education increases with a couple, their risk of divorce decreases, therefore if more of the population were educated, the lower the overall divorce rate would be. ---much more progressive

Factors correlated with divorce

-education-less money which is less stress and people with education are more equal -Age at first marriage-The younger the couple, the more likely they are to divorce. Older you are more likely to pick partner more carefully, more financially stable. -The Circumstance of the First Birth - Premarital pregnancy and births increase the risk of divorce. -The Presence of Children - The presence of children affects family stability in several ways. -Income - The lower the socioeconomic status, the higher the probability of divorce. -Education - People with lower educational achievements, on average, are more likely to divorce than those with higher levels of education. -Race/ethnicity

Divorce rate

-rate has been rising since at least 1860 -The divorce rate increases after major wars and decreases during economic hard times. -Since the early 1980s the divorce rate has declined. -Still 40-50% of marriages end in divorce. -1 in 3 marriages dissolve within 10 years. -Most divorced people go on to remarry. -men are more likely to remarry

Two trends

1.positive trend: getting married later-picking partner, equal partnership, living together longer 2.

The outcomes for stepchildren

Point 1 - Adjustment Skill of parents Willingness to accept stepparent The Special Case of Remarriage Among the Elderly Point 1 - Growing trend Aging population Point 2 - Issues Money Adult children Gender differences