Lecture 23.  Coming Apart: Separation and Divorce

I. TRENDS: U.S. 1 highest mar rates Indus wld,yet in wld: 1 > div rates, 1> remar rate

A.     divorce sig: not devalue marriage, but idealization of it; expect emo fulfill

a.       >exacting standards for marriage: the more divorce is used

b.      values supported: individual discretion and emotional satisfaction

c.       div function: recycling mechanism gives 1or> chances upgrade mar

d.      changed values:decline ideal mar perm;no longer death due us part

e.       deviance view: trad see healty stay marry: now may consider normal

B.     1974 watershed year: more marriages end by divorce than by death

C.     new fam forms result:˝ mar have1 spouse remarried;˝ child later stepchild

D.    measures: ratio:div/mar (@ ˝);crude: 4.2/1000 pop;refined:20/1000 mar fem

E.     recent trends: mar rate lowest since 1930s; crude div rate lower than 1970s

a.       compared 1900: div rates in 1990s six times higher

II. FACTORS AFFECTING DIVORCE

A.     shift ag to Indus:  family pays cash for goods/services,memb not interdepend

a.       alternative: we now have many choices

B.     soc integration:<South/SWdue hi residen mobil prom<w/ext fam,neig,church

C.     urban residence: >est correlate of div in 1 study;<subject community pressur

a.       >Independent:  >freedom of personal choice;free com moral pressure

D.    individualistic cult values: individual has priority over fam when 2 conflict

a.       individ needs conflict w/ fam demands: no longer submerge for fam

E.     employment status: >div for low SES occup & unemploy

F.      employ wives:>div due<dep on husb & >conflict over trad D of L,spillover ef

G.    income:>fam $,<div rates b/w;yet higher fem income >div rate due > indepen

a.       > fem $ conflict over inequitable work/fam roles: creates tension

H.    higher educ: whites <div rate;blacks, no rel;

I.       >est fem no fin hi schl: rise fem go past col, glick effect:esp if fail fin level

J.      race dif divorce status: Af-am(12%) >likely than whites (10%);SES explain.

a.       Latino: 1995: 7.9% divorced;Mex-Am &Cuban<white;Puerto @black

K.    Attendance relig services 2-3time/mo: div rate 1/3 of those who never attend

L.     Religion: least for Jews, follow by Cath, then Prot (fundamentalists >est)

a.       Why?:>relig <likely accept div due violate values;part relig affirms rel

M.  Age: div likelihood diminish until 26 men,23 fem;little difference after that

N.    Remarriage:div rate in 1980s @25% higher than for first marriages in decade

a.       Why:factors (kinds of people):<ed, >expect for mar,ethnic ID still pres

b.      research not give much support:dynamics,esp stepchildren are cause

O.    intergenerational transmission:70% >chance div w/in 1st 5 yrs mar if par div

a.       why: problematic behaviors—anger,jeolousy,infedility,young age mar

b.      could be: >pessimistic @lifelong mar & >liberal attitudes @divor

c.       females: of div par value self-sufficiency & stronger attach paid work

d.      strongest effects: if parents divorce early in children’s lives

P.      Mar happiness: those w/low scores in 1st yrs mar 4-5X >likely div in 3 yrs

a.       True only 1st yrs: rel <later stages;altern,div barriers >effect than hap

Q.    Childcouple w/div <often;in yr after birth @nil;2 child even<;if sons<likely!

a.       Why: fathers > involved in parenting of sons;boys >prob adjust div

b.      Exception: premaritally conceived (during adoles) & phys/mental ltd.

R.    Personal problems: 1st,then home life,authoritarianism,& dif values reasons

S.      Causes in order: alcoholism, drug abuse, sex infidelity, sex incompatibility

T.     Distal (v. proximal mar prob) causes: background char,e.g. age,income,etc.

U.     No-Fault divorce:begin Calif 1970, now all 50 states;no accuse desert,cruelty

a.      Effect on div: none, but < time in legal process (Kitson,Morgan 1991)

III  Exploring Diversity: Divorce in the Chinese American Family;why lo div rate?

A.     quality of mar rel immaterial: purpose to produce offspring for immigrants

B.     adjustment probs: suffer by “hasty” brides, often teens/20s marryng men 40s

C.     lack of choice: for Chinese American women may be cause of low div rate

D.    embarrassment: div fem consider in community;hi suicide fems in San Fran

E.     div rate 1990:still low2.3% men,3.3%fem;lower than Wh men7.5% fem 9.4%

IV Paul Bohannans “stations” or divorces: emotional (<tension,no longer worth effort)

            Legal (custody, etc.), economic (property split),co-parental, community (in-laws

            Become ex-laws, psychic (former spouse irrelevant to sense self, well-being).

V. Separation: 2 stage: >est stress-produce event after death spouse;distort by dev persp

A.     1separtion distress:situational anxiety cause by separate from attachment fig

a.       attention focus on missing partner: apprehensiveness,anxiety,panic

B.     2 loneliness: becomes the most prominent feature of broken relationship

C.     separte most difficult:after 2 years since take 2 years integrate emot into mar

D.    post divorce identity: transition: takes up to 1 year to begin new life & date

a.       recovery: lasts 1-3 years; mar becomes >distant memory,<depression

VI. Dating

A.     effect on well being follow separation:Spanier&Thompson(1987)found none

B.     new partner:may make<lonely but no nec elim sep distress due disrupt relat

C.     sexual relations: often important component of lives of sep & div men&fem