Divorce and Relationship
Dissolution
Divorce: Historical Trends

Before the mid-18o0s, people married for
physical and economic survival  divorce
not an option
National Picture
Age and Gender
Divorce Rates: Globally




Belgian (2002): fewest number of marriages in
the EU and the highest number of divorces
Korea: prior to 1990, divorce was a cultural and
legal taboo
India (2004): estimated at 11 per 1000
people
Japan: rate rose from 22% in 1990 to
38% in 2002.
Impact of Divorce

On adults

On children
Binuclear Families

2 households continue to interrelate

Relationships between the 2 households
can vary greatly
Challenges of Single Parent
Families



Financial
Stigma
Having to juggle everything and making
decisions alone
Remarriages and
Stepfamilies
Defining and Measuring
Stepfamilies


Can be formed through legal marriage,
cohabitation, marriage after childbirth or
other arrangements.
Stepfamilies are more common in the
United States than in any other
industrialized nation.
Happiness, Satisfaction, and
Stability in Remarriage

Marital happiness and marital
satisfaction are synonymous phrases
that refer to the quality of the marital
relationship whether or not it is
permanent.
The Stability of Remarriages


Remarriages are less stable than first
marriages.
Selection effect is prevalent.