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Divorce. History Causes Consequences. History. “In 1929, 201.468 divorces were granted in the United States, or about one every two minutes.” Half of the divorces in 1928 occurred during the first 7 years of marriage. Only about 2% of divorces occurred after the 30 th year of marriage.
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Divorce • History • Causes • Consequences
History • “In 1929, 201.468 divorces were granted in the United States, or about one every two minutes.” • Half of the divorces in 1928 occurred during the first 7 years of marriage. Only about 2% of divorces occurred after the 30th year of marriage. • Of marriages occuring in 1928, 18% would end in divorce given the divorce rates in 1928. • The average age of first marriage in 1920 was 24. • Source: Alfred Cahen, “Probablity of Divorce,” Journal of the American Statistical Association, Vol.27, No. 177 (Mar., 1932) 42-46.
Snapshot of Marital Issues in 1975 • A 1975 survey showed that age of first marriage differs little between ethnic groups. • There is very little difference in the interval for first marriage, divorce and remarriage between men and women. • About 4 of every 5 persons of middle age whose first marriage ended in divorce eventually remarried. • Intervals between marital events (marriage, divorce and remarriage) is shortening. • Source: Current Population Report, Population Characteristics, Series P-20, No. 297, Issued October 1976.
Snapshot of Marital Issues in 1990 • For age groups of women under 35, there were increases across the board between 1975 and 1980 in the percent who had divorced, but only one significant increase occurred between 1980 and 1985, or 1985 and 1990. • In fact, for the latter period, there is an indication of a drop in the percent who divorced. • The proportion of women 25 to 29 who were divorced from their first husbands declined significantly between 1985 and 1990. • More than 4 out of 10 marriages in the United States involved a second or higher-order marriage. • Source: Current Population Report, “Marriage, Divorce and Remarriage in the 1990s,” Arthur J. Morton and Louisa F. Miller
Causes • Divorce rate in US is nearly double that of 1960 but has declined since its highest point in the early 1980s. • For the average couple marrying in recent years, the lifetime probability of divorce or separation remains between 40 and 50 percent. • The background characteristics of people entering marriage have major implications for their risk of divorce. • Source for Causes slides, The National Marriage Project, “The State of Our Unions” 2005 and 2006.
Causation • Relationship instability and uncertainty, especially the growing trend of cohabitation—also drive the recent rise in childlessness. • Extension of adult life expectancy. • Lower fertility (as opposed to increased fecundity) • Diminished presence of men in the family home. • The self has become the most prized commodity of the 21st century. • Cultural devaluation of child rearing.
1970 v 2000 • In 1970, 57.3% of men, ages 25-29, lived with their own children in their household. • In 1970, 39.5% of men, ages 50-54, lived with their own children in their household. • In 1970, of men ages 30-34, 74.7% lived with their own minor children in their household. • In 1970, of men ages 55-59, 21.6% had their own minor children in their household. • In 2000, 28.8% of men, ages 25-29, lived with their own children in their household. • In 2000, 24.7% of men, ages 50-54, lived with their own children in their household. • In 2000, of men ages 30-34, 46.9% lived with their own minor children in their household. • In 2000, of men ages 55-59, 10.6% had their own minor children in their household.
Consequences to: • The social structure • The economy • Public education • The family • The government
Social Structure • Changes to types of families • Changes to number of families • Shrinking family size • Distance of family domiciles to each other • Familial ties diminish in importance • Value of family unit shrinks • Self importance rises • Less educated populace
The economy • Latch-key children • Day care as common language • Rising costs of service economy • Higher taxes for social services • Child-support services • Income reduction for female • Reduced economic production from children of divorce (less likely to attend level of education if parents had remained married)
Public education • Increased scope of responsibility • More emphasis on child as responsible for his/her production rather than parent/child • Less focus on education more on socialization • Less parental involvement in educational process and structure
Government • Increased scope of responsibility • Increased financial burden • Becomes problem solver of family issues • Replaces parents on many levels • Determines culpability in divorce • Determines child maintenance and custodial issues