Remarriage as an Incomplete Institution

Cherlin (1978) argued that remarriages are less successful than first marriages because remarriage is an incomplete institution. Cherlin's views have been very influential in the 1990s. These views have been incorporated into over 20 recent works on marriage and the family, they have been incorporated into three therapeutic programs for remarriages, and they are frequently cited in marriage and the family textbooks. This paper demonstrates that there is no sound empirical basis for the acceptance of Cherlin's influential views. Specifically, it demonstrates that there is no convincing empirical evidence that: (a) remarriages are less successful than first marriages, (b) remarriage is an incomplete institution, or (c) incompletely institutionalized family roles are a source of problems in remarriages. This paper also discusses the most important implications of the lack of empirical support for Cherlin's views and offers suggestions for future research.