No-Fault Divorce and the Compression of Marriage Ages

We examine how no-fault divorce law affects the age at first marriage, when everyone has a different value of marriage. The heterogeneity of individual values implies an unambiguous negative effect on the variance of marriage age. We test this hypothesis with marriage records from 1970 to 1995. Controlling for state-level heterogeneity and for time trends, the standard deviation of the log age at first marriage drops by approximately 5% with the introduction of no-fault divorce. We find that the mean age at first marriage increases slightly, suggesting that the mean person is slightly worse off with no-fault divorce. (JEL K0 , D1 )     

Interethnic Marriage and Divorce in Hawaii

No abstract available for this article.     

Concepts of Fairness in Marriage and Divorce

Discourses of fairness are bound up with Western ideals of companionate marriage. They are also central to the ways people talk about their approaches to divorce, especially in relation to the division of property and finances. How fairness is understood within marriage, however, is gendered, with husbands more likely to take equity-based approaches and wives equality-based approaches. In this article I discuss previous research on how fairness is understood within marriage, and compare this with data from a study of people going through divorce proceedings in England and Wales. I suggest that some, but not all, understandings about fairness are carried over from marriage into divorce, and note that in many ways English and Welsh divorce law supports a particular conception of fairness that redresses objectively unfair divisions of labor within the marital relationship.     

Attitudes Toward Marriage and Divorce Held by Young Adults

This experiment investigated current attitudes about marriage and divorce held by young adults. One-hundred-four female and 84 male college students participated in the study. The mean age of the subjects was 23. The experiment was a 2 X 2 x 2 X 2 between subject factorial design. There were three independent variables: work- aholic/chealing spouse, two childredno children, and husband/wife as stimulus person. There was one predictor variable: sex of the subject. Subjects read onc of eight scenarios and answered questions relating to it. Subjects were asked to rate on a six-point Likert scale whether the scenario couple should seek a divorce or stay in the marriage. The subjects were also asked to choose one of four possible solutions for the future of the marriage. Survey questions included demographics, marital status of subjects' parents, questions concerning the subjects' marriage (if married) and their attitudes toward marriage. A four-way ANOVA was performed on each of the dependent variables. There were no sigruticant results for sex of the stimulus person or sex of the subject. The most significant variable was cheating/workaholic spouse. The results indicate that parental marital slalus does not have a sign& cant effcct on the attitudes of the adult children regarding marriage and divorce. Overall, responses indicated positive attitudes about marriage and commitment.     

Amhara Marriage: The Stability of Divorce*

Le mariage, le divorce et le remariage établissent des distinctions significatives de statut entre les laics et les clercs dans la société rurale Amhara. Les avantages socio-économiques ne peuvent pas rendre compte des différences dans le taux des divorces entre les deux groupes étant donné le fort degré d'homogénéité qui existe parmi ceux-ci. Les satisfactions psychologiques, les contraintes de même que les pressions semblent être comparables chez les laics et les clercs. Dans cet article, l'incidence du divorce n'est pas associéà la détérioration des liens maritaux individuels, mais à la façon dont on extériorise les justifications sociales sur lesquelles les mariages se fondent. Le divorce n'est pas vu ici comme une manifestation d'une guerre des hommes contre les femmes, mais comme un concomitant de l'intentionalité du mariage en tant qu'institution. Marriage, divorce, and remarriage delineate significant status distinctions between the clergy and laity of rural Amhara society. Socio-economic advantages of one group over the other cannot be held accountable for differential divorce rates between the two groups in view of the far-reaching homogeneity that encompasses both. Psychological gratifications, constraints, and pressures appear to be the same in clergy and in laity. In this paper, the incidence of divorce is related not to deterioration of individual marital bonds, but to the playing-out of the societal rationale upon which marriages are based. Divorce is here treated not as a manifestation of the war of men against women, but as a concomitant of the purposive institution of marriage itself.     

Divorce Counseling or Marriage Therapy? A Therapeutic Option

Divorce, if properly orchestrated by a specially trained therapist, can be a liberating experience that promotes, rather than undermines, family solidarity. Of course, a happy marriage is preferable to an amicable divorce, but some marriages are beyond repair. Gross incompatibility often leads to "emotional blackmail" and other coercive states within an unhappy marriage. The present paper, through the use of several case histories, addresses the foregoing issues and also delineates effective marital therapy strategies. The rationale and implementation of creative divorce counseling is also described.     

The Effect of War on Marriage,Divorce and Birth Rates

In the USA from 1933 to 1986, the involvement of the nation in military activities was accompanied by a decrease in mar- riage and birth rates but not by any change in divorce rates. Mobi- lization of the armed forces and demobilization had no discernible impact on divorce, marriage or birth rates.     

Parental Marital Status and Young Adult Offspring's Attitudes About Marriage and Divorce

This study examined attitudes toward marriage and divorce among single young adults. Data were gathered from 310 traditional-aged college students regarding their perceived level of commitment to a future marriage and their likelihood to divorce should such a marriage become unsatisfying. Study results indicated that individuals who have experienced parental divorce reported lower levels of marital commitment and more prodivorce attitudes than their peers from intact families. These results suggest that attitudes toward marriage and divorce are partially preformulated beliefs individuals carry into their relationships. Implications for professionals working with young adults are discussed, along with directions for future research.     

A Transnational Perspective on Divorce and Marriage: Filipina Wives and Workers

Building on the burgeoning literature on gender and transnationalism, this article considers how Filipina women's labor and marriage migrations are intertwined in complex and paradoxical ways with global, local, and personal factors. Central to the article are the stories of two women, one a Filipina overseas contract worker in Hong Kong and the other a Filipina in the Philippines who sought to meet a foreign marriage partner through correspondence. These stories illustrate how, because of the absence of divorce in the Philippines, women creatively maneuver across transnational terrain in order to realize their desired marital subjectivities. These stories point to women's agency and to the importance of structural factors-particularly legal ones-that both constrain women and yet simultaneously allow them to creatively utilize legal inconsistencies across transnational spaces to redefine themselves as wives and to reclaim a "respectable" marital status. In contrast to the common assumption that women marry foreign men in order to migrate or primarily for material gain, this article argues that-in at least some cases-migration can also serve as a means to attain the valued goal of (re)marriage.     

Insecure Attachment Predicts History of Divorce,Marriage, and Current Relationship Status

The goal of this research was to test the predictive ability of attachment styles and dysfunctional relational communication patterns to predict adults’ relationship status (i.e., single/partnered and ever-married/ever-divorced). Anxious and avoidant attachment styles and dysfunctional relational communication patterns (i.e., criticism, defensiveness, contempt, stonewalling) were predictors of relationship status in 413 adults who participated in an online survey. The results indicated that anxious and avoidant attachment styles significantly predicted both history of divorce and single versus partnered relationship status. The dysfunctional communication patterns did not explain a great deal of variance in relationship history and status above and beyond insecure attachment, although dysfunctional communication was significantly and consistently associated with insecure attachment. These results indicate that some of the individual characteristics that generate a risk for divorce might also pose a barrier to repartnering after a divorce.     

First Comes Marriage,Then Comes Divorce: A Perspective on the Process

This article discusses the process of dissolving marital relationships from an individual developmental perspective. The focus remains on divorce as currently practiced in the United States. A historical review of divorce as practiced in Western culture is included.     

Signs of Divorce Before Marriage: The Role of Premarital Events in Iran

Premarital relationships form the basis for couples’ future relationships. There are certain factors in couples’ premarital relationships that could play a role in divorce. This study was conducted to investigate the role of premarital events (courtship, engagement, and Nikah [marriage]) in marital conflicts leading to divorce. In this qualitative study, which was carried out in Iran using the phenomenological method, 23 divorced applicants were purposefully selected, and their experiences and perceptions were examined. Data were collected using semistructured interviews. Analysis of interviews showed that little opportunity to get to know each other, neglecting the guidance of family members, disregarding signs of defect in the spouse, starting and continuing the relationship with lies and secrecy, infidelity, financial problems, and eventually ignoring the spouse’s appearance and its underestimation during the courtship period are special factors that predispose couples to divorce; however, couples, due to the special context of their relationships, ignore these factors. The findings of the study include implications for couple therapists, counselors, and couples’ families, and they can be useful in premarital education and postmarital interventions.     

Role of National Divorce Rates in Moderating the Association Between Marriage Duration and Body Mass Index

The aim of this study was to investigate the moderating effects of the national divorce rate on the association between body weight and marriage duration. Previous studies argued that a high divorce rate at country level reduces the body weight of married people because of an increased risk of a return to the marriage market. To examine the association in question, this study used retrospective data from 14,083 middle-aged individuals in Europe. For women the divorce rate, the percentage change, and the trend of change did not moderate the positive association between body mass index and marriage duration. In contrast, for men a high divorce rate and a steady decline over time positively moderated the relation between body mass index and marriage duration.     

The Shale Boom and Family Structure: Oil and Gas Employment Growth Relationship to Marriage,Divorce, and Cohabitation

Shale oil and gas extraction technology has caused a large shift in the United States' energy landscape over the last decade. This had a wide range of impacts on rural communities mostly in which oil and gas extraction occurs. While many studies have focused on the economic and environmental impact of shale development, researchers have only begun to study the social changes brought on by the shale resource extraction. We examine the influence of shale oil and gas employment as a share of overall county employment on county marriage, divorce, and cohabitation rates. We find evidence that oil and gas employment growth is associated with decreased marriage rates and increased divorce rates from 2009 to 2014. We test several channels through which oil and gas development may influence marriage behaviors and find that changes in female labor force participation, county sex ratios, and median household incomes are associated with oil and gas development. We also test for differences across the rural/urban continuum and find that our results are largely driven by nonmetro counties.     

Loneliness and Divorce

Loneliness was found to be associated with divorce. Women were more affected than men. The greatest feelings of loneliness were in social situations when women felt they had no one with whom to share responsibility; when women felt that finances were a limiting factor; and when women had certain tasks to perform and felt there was no one with whom to share the responsibility. Both men and women were lonely when they felt out of place at a particular time or event.     

Divorce

Intervention techniques for helping children of divorce have generally been implemented after the formal announcement of the disruption of the family. However, children are aware during the preseparation phase of the imminent crisis. A play, written by a third-grade boy, is presented here, to dispel the notion that children are oblivious to the marital disharmony, and to encourage all professionals who work with couples in the early phases of separation to deal immediately with its impact on the children.     

Divorce and Children

Zang Xiaoping (editor of the Literary Gazette) Whether or not to get divorced for the sake of the children is an important question for every couple that is having problems. I think the key to solving the problem is to start by considering what would be best for the healthy development of their children.