Chapter 15 Study Quiz Questions

Explain the difference between fault and no-fault divorce laws. Explain the consequence of no-fault divorce on the lives of women. 421

*No-Fault Divorce:* a divorce process in which neither partner need establish the guilt or wrongdoing of the other. (421) *Fault Divorce:* before no-fault divorce laws, the partner who initiated the divorce had to prove that the other was to blame for the collapse of the marriage because of adultery, desertion, or physical and mental cruelty. (421)

List and explain the demographic variables associated with divorce. (423-426)

-Parental Divorce -Age at Marriage -Premarital Pregnancy and Childbearing -Premarital Cohabitation -Presence of Children -Gender -Race and Ethnicity Social Class -Religion -Similarity between Spouses

Explain why most people believe that most women profit from divorce.

...

Identify the % of custodial parents that are mothers after divorce. 432

84%

Explain the difference between alimony, spousal support, and child support.

Alimony: in some states, if the wife is employed and the couple is childless, the higher earner, usually the man, may pay up to a third of his salary to his ex-wife for several years if they've been married longer than 10 yrs or if she is deemed physically or emotionally unhealthy Spousal Support: Child Support: payments for the child

Explain why African American divorce rates are high. 424-425

In terms of population size and marriage rates, blacks are more likely to divorce because... -higher rates of teenage pregnancy -young age at marriage -presence of children from previous relationships -serial cohabitation -poverty, financial strain, and male unemployment -a major illness of a spouse when neither the wife nor husband has health insurance.

Outline and discuss the impact of divorce on the lives of adults, including changes in economic well-being. 429

Physical well-being: greater social isolation, more economic hardship, more stress, less social support, and less satisfying sex lives. generally, divorce decreases physical well-being, more for women than men; the divorced suffer a greater decline in physical health than do married people. Emotional and psychological well-being: initially, divorced people of both sexes experience emotional upsets, but they tend to react differently. Women report more depression whereas men report more alcohol abuse and smoking. Such reactions reflect cultural norms about gender roles. Economic and Financial well-being: marriage builds wealth, whereas divorce depletes it. married couples accumulate more wealth than single people for a variety of reasons.

Identify changes in the divorce rate over time. (418) Identify the current divorce rate. (1 of notes)

The U.S. divorce rate rose steadily throughout the 20th century. The small peak in the early 1950s, after the end of WWII, has been attributed to divorces among people who had married impulsively before soldiers left for war. When the men returned, the couples often found that they had nothing in common. In the mid-1960s, divorce rates began to climb. They reached a plateau and remained there for a while, but started dropping in 1995. Divorce rates are LOWER today than they were between 1975 and 1990. 43-46% of American marriages end in divorce.

Define and discuss co-parenting after a divorce. 432

refers to divorced parents' being involved in making decisions about the child's education, health care, religious training, and social activities. co-parenting does NOT mean that divorced parents must interact face-to-face, but it does involves some degree of communication between parents about child rearing this actually benefits children. children adjust better to divorce when both parents continue to be active in their lives and when parents can avoid putting the children in the middle of personal feelings and conflict. Co-parenting is not a legal type of custody defined by legal statues, but more states are requiring parents to file a co-parenting plan as part of the divorce process.

Identify the most important family asset and who has access to it in the event of divorce. 429

the man usually walks out with the most valuable asset--earning ability. the women walks out with the biggest cash drain: kids and the house.