Marital Instability: Past, Present, and Future

Abstract

Bureau of the CensusThis paper presents an overview of trends in marriage and divorce behavior among the adult population in the United States from the early twentieth century to the present time, focusing on the increasing incidence of marital dissolution through divorce. The discussion includes analyses of the probable causative impact of several types of changes on the stability of marriage: socioeconomic variables generally associated with divorce; overall social acceptability of divorce as reflected by lessened negative economic and social sanctions; and the roles of women in modern American society. The final section is devoted to a brief summation and offers related hypotheses regarding the future of marital stability in this country.

Paternal Absence and Sex-Role Development: A Meta-Analysis

“…Explaining this difference is a difficult task due to a confounding of variables. In comparison to whites, blacks not only experience a greater likelihood of divorce, they wait longer before getting a divorce and experience longer periods of being single between marriages (Kitson & Raschke, 1981;Norton & Glick, 1976). Under these circumstances, black, single-parent sons may experience greater periods of instability and conflict and experience single mothering for greater periods of time than white children.…”

Interpersonal Attraction and Relationships

“…At the demographic level, rising rates of marital separation have been well docu mented (234) and socioeconomic determinants identified (72, 259). At the interper sonal level, proneness to breakup has been linked to sources of social dissimilarity (44,190), to "intergenerational transmission" of divorce (244), and to a variety of other objective sources of system strain (144,192).…”

“…Recent changes in people's conception of marriage (23) are part of a long-term evolution in societal norms, work patterns, and life styles (104,234,248). Whatever changes have occurred, both old and young continue to see marriage as desirable (52,192) and to perceive it as more intimate, more interdependent, and more durable than any other relationship (173,330).…”

Long-term impact of parental divorce on optimism and trust: Changes in general assumptions or narrow beliefs?

“…During the 1960's and 1970's the rate of divorce sharply increased, until approximately 40% of all new marriages (Norton & Glick, 1979) and 49% of first marriages of 25 to 34 year olds were predicted to end in divorce (Glick, 1984). Each year more than I.…”