Ch 10 Divorce Risk Resilience Perspective Divorce Family stress and family divider Rates of divorce vary by race and ethnicity Single parents homes more single parent homes in poverty o Feminization of poverty so many single women parent homes living in poverty Family systems theory with risk and resiliency extensions Family systems theory suggest that the family needs to be reviewed in its entirety o Dyads within family o Risk resiliency Outcomes depend on interplay among risk and protective factors and mechanisms Not always enough to explain divorce History and context of divorce Rates increased steadily throughout 1900 Divorce rose dramatically after WW2 Exception to rise 1950s From late 1950s to 1980s singlehood cohabitation childlessness and non marital sex became more acceptable o Different from the standard in the past Rate stabilized at high level in early 1980s Divorce Era s Era of restricted divorce before 1858 o Granted only for desertion or adultery considered annulment awarded to men only Era of divorce tolerance 1858 to 1970 o Drunkenness mental cruelty abuse had to show cause Era of unrestricted divorce 1970s to present o No fault divorce In all 50 states Don t have to show or prove cause don t need a reason for divorce Pros cons Pros easier to exit marriage Cons contributing to higher overall divorce rate women and child are hurt more by no fault divorce law Factors that predict and or cause divorce Cohabiting premaritally o More likely to end in divorce Having a child before marriage Being young at time of marriage o Prior to the age of 20 increase risk for divorce Having less education Having divorced parents Being remarried Being nonreligious And many many more factors that can increase risk for divorce Divorce and Aftermath of divorce Mostly moderate or short term effects Emery 1999 studied concluded o Divorce is stressful for children o Divorce leads to higher levels of adjustment and mental health problems for children o Most kids are resilient and adjust well to divorce over time o Children whose parents divorce report considerable pain unhappy memories and continued distress o Post divorce family interactions greatly influence adjustment after divorce If parents have easier time adjusting or coping with divorce then the children will be the same Economic consequences of divorce Two incomes one income with divorce Feminization of poverty o Children o Lower earnings o Inadequacies of child support payments o Lack of affordable child care Psychological adjustments Differences in male and female adjustments o Those in new relationships adjust better psychologically and emotionally especially men o Women are more affected by residual hostility from past relationship and problematic relationship Worse off economically Stigma held about women and divorce Children s adjustment to divorce Most children experience adjustment difficulties to divorce 1 2 years following divorce is the most difficult o For the entire family system as well For most children and adolescents adjustment is moderate Educational programs o Classes for parents who are divorcing o Usually to dissolve or discourage conflict for the sake of the children o Children not often involved in these classes although they are the primary target of such classes Mediation Involve a third party Can be positive or negative o Can help avoid time in court if both partners are fair o Based on principle of cooperation negotiation o Effective in some dimensions Feeling understood long term non residential parents more likely to have more contact with children have more say in outcome Conclusions Become a normative experience More widely accepted and les stigmatized today Attention needs devoted to designing programs that better prepare and educate divorcing adults o Financial cooperation o Personal stress o Transitions Ch 11 Stress within Stepfamilies Stepfamilies Many different kinds o Double remarriage mom and dad both remarry o Single remarriage o Cohabiting with children o First marriage with child from previous relationship Other terms o Blended Merged Reconstituted Combined Remarried Blended is rather interesting makes you think smooth no chunks o Definitely chunks with change etc Need to include the entire family system couple parents Family systems perspective grandparents siblings etc Complexities of stepfamilies Couple subsystem o Previous relationship with patterns habits traditions etc dissolved o New relationship lacks shared history Especially when children are involved o Need for household to have adequately permeable boundaries Ideal situation when both households can communicate to minimize adjustment period Parent child subsystem o Predates adult couple relationship o Already established o Very important Systems on the outside o Stepparents have few legal rights concerning stepchildren o Can bring about concerns Conflict and lack of resolution o Former and current in laws grandparents More people in mix more chance of conflict o Education childcare healthcare All important parties need to be knowledgeable involved of these aspects o Involving step parent and non residential parent Who needs to responsible who needs to be notified Ex doctor visits medications etc Sources of stress in Stepfamilies 1 Merging from different family cultures o Traditions way of doing things o Some may not be interested in merging 2 Differing rules of resource distribution o Who is charge of what 3 Feeling loyalty or disloyalty about present and prior family members o Ex stereotypes of Stepmom can interfere Sources of stress in Stepfamilies Cont Issues of Shared culture o Think like becoming stepfamily similar to moving to a foreign country o Adjustments will take time Average of 7 years to adjust Important to have realistic expectations o Step parent doesn t know all the rules o Behavior expectations are not always clear Different Rules of Resource Distribution o Bringing together two units with different rules of daily living o Resource requirements outside union Child support alimony o Attention changes Feeling loyalty or disloyalty about family members o Love for new spouse and children o Taking sides in arguments Children most often side with biological parent o Competing developmental needs that accompany step family formation Other stress of stepfamilies Women come into new relationships seeking more power than in the first relationship more equal power o Look at second relationship as more egalitarian demand