marriages and families: changes, choices and constraints eighth edition nijole v. benokraitis ©...

Marriages and Families: Changes, Choices and ConstraintsEighth Edition

Nijole V. Benokraitis

© 2015, 2012, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

© 2015, 2012, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.Marriages and Families: Changes, Choices and Constraints, 8e

SEPARATION, DIVORCE, REMARRIAGE, AND STEPFAMILIES

Chapter 15


Learning Objectives

LO 15.1 Describe the phases and outcomes of separation

LO 15.2 Describe the divorce process and explain why divorce rates have declined

LO 15.3 Explain the micro- and macro-level reasons for divorce


Learning Objectives

LO 15.4 Explain how and why divorce affects adults

LO 15.5 Explain how and why divorce affects children

LO 15.6 Describe the rate and process of remarriage, and explain how and why remarriages differ from first marriages


Learning Objectives

LO 15.7 Describe and explain the diversity and complexity of stepfamilies

LO 15.8 Describe and explain how stepfamilies differ from nuclear families


Separation: Process and Outcome

• The phases of separation• Some outcomes of marital separation


The Phases of Separation

Preseparation

Early separation

Midseparation

Late separation


Some Outcomes of Marital Separation

• Separation and reconciliation– Getting back together after a divorce

• Separation without divorce– Separating but not making the divorce official

• Separation and divorce– Separation that ends in divorce


Question 1

• Which of the following is an outcome of marital separation?

A. Separation and reconciliation

B. Separation without divorce

C. Separation and divorce

D. All of the above


Question 2

• Early separation is the first phase of separation.

A. True

B. False


Divorce: Process and Rates

• The process of divorce• Divorce rates


The Process of Divorce

• Begins before people take any legal stepsEmotional divorce

• Formal dissolution of a marriageLegal divorce

• Conflict over financial issuesEconomic divorce

• Agreements about responsibility of childrenCo-parental divorce

• Informing others about the divorceCommunity divorce

• Partners separate from each other emotionally and establish separate livesPsychic divorce


Divorce Rates

• Divorce rates are lower today– Postponing marriage– Cohabiting– Higher education

• Same-sex divorce– Less in number– Young couples more likely to divorce


Sources: Based on Plateris, 1973; U.S. Census Bureau, 2008, Table 77; and “National Marriage and Divorce Rate Trends,” 2013.

Figure 15.1 - Divorce in the United States, 1870 - 2011


Question 3

• In which of the following steps partners separate from each other emotionally and establish separate lives?

A. Psychic divorce

B. Community divorce

C. Legal divorce

D. Emotional divorce


Question 4

• Divorce rates are much higher today than they were 30 years ago.

A. True

B. False


Why do People Divorce?

• Macro-level reasons for divorce• Demographic variables and divorce• Micro-level reasons for divorce


Macro-Level Reasons for Divorce

Divorce laws

Economy

Military service

Cultural values and social integration

Technology


NPR: Military Combats High Divorce Rate

• The audio illustrates the impact of war on marriages

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4609495




Demographic Variables and Divorce

Parental divorce

Age at marriage

Premarital childbearing

Cohabitation

Gender

Race and ethnicity

Social class

Religion


Figure 15.3 - Divorce among Racial- Ethnic Groups First divorce rates per 1,000 women in first marriages age 18 and older, 2010

Source: Gibbs and Payne, 2011, Figure 2.


Unrealistic expectations

Pre-marital doubts

Financial problems and disagreements

Verbal, physical, or emotional abuse

Extramarital affairs

Communication problems

Substance abuse

Disagreements about how to raise and discipline children

Micro-Level Reasons for Divorce


Question 5

• Which of the following is a macro-level reason for divorce?

A. Substance Abuse

B. Divorce Laws

C. Race and Ethnicity

D. Social Class


Question 6

• Social integration is the social bonds that people have with others and the community at large.

A. True

B. False


How Divorce Affects Adults

• Physical, emotional, and psychological effects

• Economic effects• Child custody• Child support


The Difficulty of Divorce

• The content explores statistics on the affects of divorce

http://www.socialexplorer.com/pearson/plink.aspx?dest=http%3a%2f%2fold.socialexplorer.com%2fpearson%2fspicemap.aspx%3fv%3d5429c2e0564544c2%26m%3dplay

http://www.socialexplorer.com/pearson/plink.aspx?dest=http%3A%2F%2Fold.socialexplorer.com%2Fpearson%2Fspicemap.aspx%3Fv%3D5429c2e0564544c2%26m%3Dplay





Physical, Emotional, and Psychological Effects

• Divorce increases the chances of:– Health problems– Social isolation– Stress– Less social support– Depression


Divorce and Adolescence

• The video exemplifies how divorce affects adolescents

http://media.pearsoncmg.com/ph/hss/SSA_SHARED_MEDIA_1/sociology/videos/MFL/divorceadolescence.html





Economic Effects

• Economic setbacks include:– Decrease in wealth – Alimony– More financial strain on women


Child Custody

• Court-mandated ruling regarding which divorced parent will have the primary responsibility for the children’s upbringing

• Types– Sole custody– Split custody– Joint custody


NPR: Fathers Become Vocal on Parents' Rights

• The audio clip talks about parental rights and custody





Child Support

• Paid to the spouse who gets custody of children– Mostly women– Most women who receive it have visitation

arrangements with the father


Source: Grall, 2011, Figure 5.

Figure 15.4 - Percent of Custodial Parents Who Received Full Child-Support Payments, 2009


Question 7

• _______ means that children divide their time between their parents, who share decisions about the children’s upbringing.

A. Sole custody

B. Split custody

C. Joint custody

D. None of the above


Question 8

• Divorced men are twice as likely as recently divorced women to be in poverty.

A. True

B. False


How Divorce Affects Children

• What hurts children before, during, and after divorce?

• What helps children before, during, and after divorce?

• Some positive outcomes of divorce for children and adults


What Hurts Children Before, During, and After Divorce?

• Difficulties faced by children from divorced families– Lower academic achievement– Behavioral problems– Lower self-concept– Long-term health problems

• Effects of divorce can be short or long term


What Helps Children Before, During, and After Divorce?

• Reassuring the children• Encouraging open communication• Emphasizing that children are not

responsible for the problems• Maintaining an ongoing relationship with

the children


Some Positive Outcomes of Divorce for Children and Adults

• For children– Decreased stress– More time with nonresident parent

• Adults– End of a high-conflict marriage


Question 9

• _______ can lessen the negative effects of divorce in many ways.

A. Teachers

B. Siblings

C. Peers

D. Parents


Question 10

• Children who grow up in a divorced family are up to twice as likely to end their own marriages.

A. True

B. False


Remarriage: Rates, Process, and Characteristics

• How common is remarriage?• Remarriage as a process• Some characteristics of remarried couples• Remarriage satisfaction• Remarriage stability


How Common Is Remarriage?

• U.S. remarriage rate is the highest in the world– Median time between a divorce and a second

marriage is short– Many have married thrice

• Remarriage has spawned a huge industry of services, magazines, and books


Married More than Once?

• The content explores statistics on remarriages

http://www.socialexplorer.com/pearson/plink.aspx?dest=http%3a%2f%2fold.socialexplorer.com%2fpearson%2fspicemap.aspx%3fv%3da23bc82c7b0d4a6d%26m%3dplay

http://www.socialexplorer.com/pearson/plink.aspx?dest=http%3A%2F%2Fold.socialexplorer.com%2Fpearson%2Fspicemap.aspx%3Fv%3Da23bc82c7b0d4a6d%26m%3Dplay





Remarriage as a Process

Emotional remarriage

Psychic remarriage

Community remarriage

Parental remarriage

Economic remarriage

Legal remarriage


Some Characteristics of Remarried Couples

• Characteristics of remarried people depend on interrelated factors– Age and gender– Gender and race-ethnicity– Social class


Figure 15.5 - Percentage of Americans Who Have Remarried, Age 35 and Older, by Sex

Source: Based on Kreider and Ellis, 2011b: Table 6.


Figure 15.6 - How Often We Remarry, by Sex and Race/Ethnicity

Source: Based on data in U.S. Census Bureau, Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP), 2008 Panel, Wave 2 Topical Module, Table 1, 2011, http://www.census.gov/hhes/socdemo/marriage/data/sipp/2009/tables.html (accessed June 30, 2013).


Remarriage Satisfaction

• People in first marriages report greater satisfaction– Differences are small

• Remarried mothers benefit psychologically from remarriage when:– Couple have a stable relationship– Children’s lives are going well


Remarriage Stability

• Divorce are rates higher for remarriages– Getting married and divorcing at a young age– Viewing divorce as a quick solution for marital

dissatisfaction– Intermarital birth– More boundary maintenance issues


Question 11

• Lowest rate of remarriage is found in _______.

A. Whites

B. African Americans

C. Latinos

D. Asian Americans


Question 12

• Remarriage stability is higher because people learn from their mistakes.

A. True

B. False


The Diversity and Complexity of Stepfamilies

• What is a stepfamily?• Types of stepfamilies• Some demographic characteristics of

stepfamilies• How stepfamilies and nuclear families

differ


Stepfamilies in the United States: A Reconsideration

• The content looks into the aspects of stepfamilies

http://view.ebookplus.pearsoncmg.com/ebook/linktoebook5.do?platform=1027&bookid=15318&pageid=486





What Is a Stepfamily?

• Household in which two adults who are biological or adoptive parents with a child from a previous relationship marry or cohabit– Parents can be heterosexual, gay, or lesbian


Types of Stepfamilies

• All the children are biological children of the mother and stepchildren of the father

Mother-stepfather family

• All the children are biological children of the father and stepchildren of the mother

Father-stepmother family

• At least one child is the biological child of both parents• At least one child is the biological child of only one parent and

the stepchild of the other parent, and no other type of child is present

Joint stepfamily


Figure 15.7 - Stepfamily Networks

Source: Based on Everett and Everett, 1994: p. 132.


Some Demographic Characteristics of Stepfamilies

• Stepfamilies have distinct demographic patterns that vary by:– Age– Race-ethnicity– Social class


Gay and Lesbian Stepfamilies

• Face similar problems as that of heterosexual families

• Stepparent roles in lesbian stepfamilies– Co-parent family– Stepmother family– Co-mother family


How Stepfamilies and Nuclear Families Differ

Complex structure

Must cope with unique tasks

Experience more stress and conflict

Family integration takes years

Relationships may end or spring up abruptly

Continuous transitions and adjustments


How Stepfamilies and Nuclear Families Differ

Less cohesive

Less flexibility in their everyday behavior

Unrealistic expectations

No shared family history

Loyalty conflicts

Ambiguity


Question 13

• Which of the following is a difference between stepfamilies and nuclear families?

A. Nuclear families experience more stress and conflict

B. Nuclear families go through transitions and adjustments

C. Stepfamilies are more cohesive

D. Stepfamily roles are often ambiguous


Question 14

• In a mother-stepfather family, all the children are biological children of the mother and stepchildren of the father.

A. True

B. False


Living in a Stepfamily

• Parenting in stepfamilies• Stepparent-stepchild relationships• How stepfamilies affect children• Some characteristics of successful

stepfamilies


Transitions in Parental Repartnering After Divorce

• The text looks in the affects of divorce






Parenting in Stepfamilies

• Issues faced by stepfamilies when merging two households– Naming– Sexual boundaries– Legal issues– Distributing economic resources– Distributing emotional resources


Figure 15.8 - Percentage of Children Living in Stepfamilies

Source: Based on Kreider and Ellis, 2011a: Table 6.


Stepparent-Stepchild Relationships

• Important issues– Gender roles– Stepchild-stepparent relationship

development– Discipline and closeness– Intergenerational relationships


How Stepfamilies Affect Children

• Children in stepfamilies don’t fare as well as children in biological families

• Depends on the relationships among:– Children– Custodial and noncustodial parents– Stepparents


Some Characteristics of Successful Stepfamilies

• Developing realistic expectations• Letting children mourn their losses• Forging a strong couple relationship• Stepparent takes on a disciplinary role

gradually• Developing new rituals• Working out arrangements between the

children’s households


Question 15

• Which of the following is a characteristic of successful stepfamilies?

A. Stepfamilies do not let children mourn their losses.

B. Stepparent takes on a disciplinary role immediately.

C. Stepfamilies forge a strong couple relationship.

D. Stepfamilies follow old rituals of their families.


Question 16

• Family stress theories say that children in stepfamily households have more problems than children in nuclear families because the stepparents often invest less time and energy in raising their children.

A. True

B. False


Discussion Question

• Discuss the effects of divorce on children.

marriages and families: changes, choices and constraints eighth edition nijole v. benokraitis ©...

Documents

divorce separation

divorce slide

outcomes of separation

divorce official separation

phase of separation

pearson education

outcome of marital separation

divorce process