Family Chapter 14

What are two aspects that make marital breakup painful?

1.) No time to grieve. Divorce in court is a rational, nonceremonial exchange, that takes only a few minutes. Individuals feel frustrated by lack of control. 2.) Adversary system. Lawyers want to get the most for their client and neither party strives for the outcome with most mutual benefit.

In what year did the divorce rate drop?

1996. (lowest it's been since 1974)

After a divorce, women and children experience how much decline in family income?

27 - 51 %

What percentage of children are coping reasonably well with their parents divorce?

75 - 80 %

After a divorce, men experience how much decline in family income?

8 - 41 %

How high is today's divorce rate?

About 40%- 50% of married can expect to have their marriage dissolve over the life course

What is the economic hardship perspective?

Assumes that economic hardship brought about by divorce is primarily responsible for the problems faced by children whose parents divorce.

What is the interparental conflict perspective?

Conflicts between parents before, after, and during a divorce affect children.

What is the intergenerational transmission of divorce?

Divorce, rather than conflict, undermines children's faith in marriage. Two hypothesis: 1.) divorcing parents are models of divorce as a solution to marital problems 2.) Children of divorced parents are more likely to exhibit personal behaviors that interfere with maintaining a happy marriage.

Between 1960 and 1979 there was a lot of stuff going on. Like: civil rights movement, birth control, and the end of WWII. Did this increase or decrease the divorce rate?

Dramatic increase in divorces

What kind of factors can bind marriages and families together?

Economic interdependence (middle class lifestyle) Legal, social, and moral constraints Spouses relationship (when times are good)

Describe the process of getting a divorce.

Emotional divorce: withdrawal of attachment from person Legal Divorce Community Divorce: community/social networks are rearranged or split up Physic Divorce: thinking in terms of "I" not "we." This needs to happen in order to be able to remarry. marks end up divorce process. Economic Divorce: how you divide up your marital property. And yes this includes debt!

What is the economic hardship perspective?

Families/children can't afford to do the same things. Parents split up the resources.

What causes problems for children regarding divorce?

Fighting in front of children Fighting through the children Conflicting loyalty (kids feel conflicted between parents) Children's knowledge of divorce issues

What percentage of all marriages are remarriages?

Half of all marriages are remarriages. Majority of these remarriages are second marriages.

What race/ethnicity has the highest divorce rate? Who has the lowest?

Highest - blacks Lowest - hispanics

What is the parental adjustment perspective?

If parents can't handle the stress of a divorce well and make a good adjustment to divorce, it affects their parenting.

What are some common marital complaints? What is the most common marital complaint?

Infidelity, alcoholism, drug abuse, jealousy, moodiness, family violence, and much less often... Homosexuality. Most common complaint: daily insults that accumulate and take root in marriage. (bitterness, anger, unforgivness, etc.)

Are people happier after going through a divorce? explain.

No. compared to married, divorced people: Have lower levels of life satisfaction More negative general mood Poorer physical health More depression Somewhat more inclined to suicide

How are divorce rates calculated? What are the advantages/disadvantages of each method?

Number of Divorces per year: however, you must be able to compare to year's past and present Ratio of current marriages to current divorces: however, when number of marriages and divorces fluctuate this is not a good way Life time records of marriage and divorce: however, this only helps us look at trends throughout the years Crude Divorce Rate: number of divorces per 1000 people. can accidentally count one divorce twice because it counts both men and women. counts people who are not marrying age. NOT a good way. Used for comparisons over time. Refined Divorce Rate: Best way! Number of divorces per 1000 married WOMEN over the age of 15

What is the instability hypothesis?

Stresses that transitions in and out of various family settings are the key to children's adjustment. Transitions include: parent's separation, a cohabitating romantic partners move into or out of the home of a single parent, the remarriage of a single (non cohabitating) parent, and the disruption of a remarriage. The idea is that children and their parents form a functioning family system and that repeated disruption of this system may be more distressing than its long term continuation.

What is does marital property refer to?

What you and your partner have accumulated together throughout marriage.

Economically speaking, are men or women the losers after divorce?

Women are the losers: due to men and women's unequal wages (more stay at home moms then dads) and equitable division of property in divorce. The partner that can afford the stuff (like the house) can accumulate wealth. This is typically the man. However, men who earn less than 80% of the family's income are also losers due to: More women are working Child support

After a divorce, do a large part of people go on to remarry? How quickly do they remarry?

Yes, after a divorce a large part go on to remarry. 1/3 remarry within a year. most remarry within 4 years.

Why are people able to remarry so quickly after a divorce?

because most do the emotional divorce early on, and are often dating before the legal divorce is finalized.

What is the parental loss perspective?

children living in homes with both parents are most beneficial. The absence of a parent from the household is problematic for children's socialization.

Is the divorce rate increasing any more than usual in the last 20 years?

divorce rate has increased overall, BUT it's not increasing any more than usual in the last 20 years.

Does premarital pregnancy increase or decrease the risk of divorce?

increases the risk of divorce. you shouldn't be marrying someone primarily because you have a baby together (think MTV teen mom)

Are remarried mates more or less likely to divorce?

more likely

Is cohabitation before marriage more or less likely to lead to divorce?

more likely. (sliding vs deciding)

How have the binding strengths of these factors lessened?

more wives in labor force (independence and income effect). higher expectations of marriage. changed nature of marriage itself.

Who are more depressed: those in unhappy marriages or divorced individuals?

people in unhappy marriages are more depressed

When it comes to the negative impact of divorce on children, what is the life stress perspective?

stressful changes in a child's life

Does having parents who divorce increase the likelihood of divorcing?

yes. Also evidence that children of divorced parents marry at younger ages and are more likely to experience premarital cohabitation and births.