Sociology Of Families (SOCI 371) PDF

SOCIOLOGY OF FAMILIES (SOCI 371) DR. GBENGA ADEJARE  SEPARATION AND DIVORCE Interrogating Fragmentation and Reconstitution/ Renewal of Families  Introduction Almost no one presumably enters into marriage having in mind it would end soon in separation or divor...

SOCIOLOGY OF FAMILIES (SOCI 371) DR. GBENGA ADEJARE  SEPARATION AND DIVORCE Interrogating Fragmentation and Reconstitution/ Renewal of Families  Introduction Almost no one presumably enters into marriage having in mind it would end soon in separation or divorce A national study showed roughly 95 per cent of Canadians still believe that “marriage should last a lifetime” and more than 90 per cent expect “my marriage/relationship to last the rest of my life” (Bibby, 2004: 30) Demographically, the pattern of age distribution of divorcees are changing. Many marriages end up in divorce Sociologists are concerned by the trends of separation, divorce and reconstitution because the society is always impacted by them. Canadian Divorce Data Canadian Divorce Data #Younger generations witness sharpest declines in people now marry at older ages than in the past. Average age at marriage for people who divorced has increased from 23.7 years in 1980 to 30.7 years in 2020 - https://vanierinstitute.ca (Source)  Separation, Divorce & Renewal Separation can be a precursor for a divorce, but the two are not the same. Separation can either be temporary or permanent; it is permanent which it leads to dissolution of a union (either a common law or marriage) Divorce involves a legal process while separation may not Since divorce may take a longer time to achieve, separation is a temporary alternative to put an unfavorable conjugal relationships on hold or end it eventually Some people believe that: ‘that that relationship did not work out well does not mean another one would not’. Thus, separated families attempt to reconstitute a new family from the fragmented ones – family renewal. 6  Introduction cont’d Divorce is historical, as it has changed in forms and patterns over time Separation and divorce data, as well as information regarding families and divorce rates across the globe important pointers to the trends There are variegated ramifications of separation and divorce, for adults and children alike  Historical and Legal Contexts of Divorce in Canada Prior to the modern era, divorces were difficult to obtain and relatively rare in Canada dating back to Confederation Civil Code of Lower Canada provision that “Marriage can only be dissolved by the natural death of one of the parties involved; while both live, it is indissoluble” (McCord, 1867: 28) Until the twentieth century, a marriage essentially constituted an economic transaction that involved not just the couple, but had implications for their families as well  Historical and Legal Contexts of Divorce in Canada cont’d Prior to Parliament’s passage of the Divorce Act in 1968, adultery was the single, universally acceptable reason for divorce The Divorce Act established a unified legal approach that gave both spouses equal rights to pursue divorces based on adultery, convictions for sexual offences, bigamy, mental or physical cruelty, a permanent breakdown arising from a three-year separation, and selected other conditions (Payne, 1968). Historical and Legal Contexts of Divorce in Canada cont’d With the 1968 Divorce Act, the number of divorces granted increased dramatically The reform of the Divorce Act in 1985 simplified the legal process further to allow for no-fault divorces after one year of separation. The number of divorces then surged to an all-time high of more than 96,000 in 1987, before dropping below 80,000 in the mid-1990s and stabilizing in the 70,000-75,000 range through 2008. Historical and Legal Contexts of Divorce in Canada cont’d The evolution of legal statutes and a liberalization of attitudes toward marriage and divorce helped ensure that the social stigma associated with divorce gradually declined. The idea of the “no-fault divorce” facilitated the “normalization” of the process Canadian divorce laws modernized in concert with growing secularization Most Canadians currently believe an uncontested divorce should be possible if a relationship lacks love and mutual respect, or certainly if a partner engages in cruelty or abuse Separation and Divorce Patterns in Canada For those who have reached marital age of 15 and older, there is a slight increase in the percentage of single individuals from 27.2% in 1991 to 29% in 2019 Those “currently married” have declined over the same period from 52.9 per cent to 44.8 per cent The proportion of individuals currently divorced (6.1 per cent) has increased since 1991 (4.3 per cent) Canadians living in common-law relationships have witnessed the largest relative growth from 6.9 per cent in 1991 to 11.8 per cent in 2019 More older adults are now “legally divorced,” but currently living in a common-law relationship: 4.4 per cent in 2019 versus 2.4 per cent in 1991  Divorce in Canada The average age of divorce is 46 years old, more than old enough to have attained significant marital assets. 40% of marriages end in divorce. Spouses can file jointly for a divorce, and 31% of them do just that. Canada has the 29th highest rate globally. Only 8% of Canadians have prenuptial agreements, despite the high divorce rate. The divorce rate is lower among couples age 50 and up, amounting to just 26%. This is still nearly a quarter of the marriages within this age bracket.  Divorce in Canada cont’d The average Canadian divorce costs $18,000. The average Canadian divorce takes 3 years. The minimum amount of time is generally 12 to 18 months, but it can take longer if both couples spend a lot of time fighting over the settlement. 60% of second marriages end in divorce. 73% of 3rd marriages end in divorce. 34% of divorces are caused by domestic violence, verbal abuse, or physical abuse.  Divorce in Canada cont’d Infidelity accounts for 27% of divorces. An average of 25% of couples report that money problems played a role in their divorce. In 41% of cases, money problems serve as a “last straw” among many other issues that are already weakening the marriage. 38% of those who try couples counseling still get divorced once they stop going, though attending therapy can offer 4+ years of increased marriage satisfaction. Divorce in Canada cont’d For decades Statistics Canada gathered detailed marriage and divorce information as part of their Vital Statistics program In July of 2011 the statistical agency announced they would no longer be collecting these data because of newly imposed budgetary constraints (Grant 2011) Since diverse groups and a growing proportion of Canadians have opted to form common-law unions as an alternative to marriage, the data have lost some of their interpretive clarity Divorce in Canada cont’d The most consistent time series with marriage and divorce rates ended in 2008 Margolis et al. (2019) have estimated the divorce rate in Canada through the use of administrative data available from the federal government The estimated divorce rate trends downward over the 2008-15 period Divorce in Canada cont’d The evidence indicates that the divorce rate, calculated as divorces per 1,000 married women continues to be lower in Canada than the United States The most recent Statistics Canada estimate on the likelihood of a Canadian marriage ending in divorce came from data collected in 2008, indicating that about 4 in 10 (41 per cent) marriages ultimately end in divorce (Kelley, 2012). The best guess however, would be that the likelihood of divorce in Canada has fallen below four in ten marriages  Divorce in Canada cont’d Margolis et al. (2019) have produced different sets of estimates. Their research shows a decline from roughly ten divorces per 1,000 married women in the early 2000s down to perhaps seven divorces per 1,000 married women in 2015. Their research also highlights a decline in the divorce rate among adults in their 20s and 30s, estimated to have fallen by roughly 30 per cent over the same period  Divorce in Canada cont’d Decline in first marriages more pronounced among women with less education and those who have had premarital pregnancies: two subgroups with historically higher divorce rates. While fewer young people marry or delay the process, those who ultimately do end up marrying appear to have higher quality or at least relatively more stable marriages on average Divorce in Canada cont’d As the divorce rate among younger adults has declined, the rate among older Canadians simultaneously has increased The number of separated and divorced adults under 50 declined, while their older counterparts has increased The upturn in divorce among older Canadians has not entirely mirrored the United States, which has been characterized as experiencing a “gray divorce revolution” (Brown and Lin, 2012) Some Determinants of Separation and Divorce Early Socialization and the Life Course Perspective: Beliefs and behaviors toward family life are transmitted from parents to their children through socialization. Through socialization, most young people have deeply ingrained attitudes and beliefs about marriage and divorce. Research has shown that people’s childhood experiences of family stability and/or instability directly affect their attitudes and prospects of entering into marriage in the first place, not to mention the likelihood of their unions enduring hardships. Some Determinants of Separation and Divorce cont’d The twenty-first century has seen the diversification of family structures, which have had important ramifications regarding separation and divorce Socialization processes occur throughout one’s lifetime, in conjunction with a range of critical events that affect individuals’ attitudes and behaviour, including the propensity to remain together or divorce  Some Determinants of Separation and Divorce cont’d Risk Factors for Divorce: Amato’s (2010) identified nine of the most consistent predictors of divorce: teen marriage, poverty, unemployment, low educational attainment, premarital cohabitation, premarital fertility, interracial marriage, previous divorce, and parental divorce These key risk factors reflect issues associated with being younger, more financially unstable, unmet expectations (emotional or otherwise) and exposure to divorce across the lifespan The specific reasons for marital or cohabitational unions breaking down are as diverse as the people who choose to share their intimate lives and create families together Some Determinants of Separation and Divorce cont’d The relevant risk factors for divorce can and do vary across cultures Studies have shown that the reasons for marital breakdowns may change as couples age, and partners themselves may not even agree on the underlying causes of their divorce Whatever the reason for divorce might be, the net result has been that higher “divorce rates have become a fact of life in most developed, Western societies” (Amato, 2014: 19). Some Determinants of Separation and Divorce cont’d Cohabitation as a “Risk” Factor? An increasingly common trend has been cohabitation or living in a common-law relationship rather than marrying All 13 Canadian jurisdictions (provinces and territories) have witnessed increases in common-law relationships relative to married couples over the past decade In Canada, evidence suggests those people in cohabiting relationships face a greater risk of union disruption than married couples Some Determinants of Separation and Divorce cont’d Extramarital Fertility as a Risk Factor: The marked decrease in marriages entered into as a direct result of extramarital affairs and pregnancy Less stigma is attached to having children outside of unions (and may be a desirable alternative, for some) Legalization of abortion, and accessibility of contraceptives The combined effects of these developments have helped limit the number of “panic” marriages that may result in high risk for subsequent separation and divorce Divergent Consequences of Separation and Divorce Changes to one’s daily routines and living arrangements, whether children are present or not Men tend to suffer adverse psycho-social effects in the immediate aftermath of intimate partnerships dissolving It can lead to economic adjustment and hardship The economic effects differ for men and women, depending in part on the nature of their partnership Economic impacts of divorce on younger mothers have been shown to be particularly severe Divergent Consequences of Separation and Divorce cont’d Children’s Experiences: Stress and uncertainty. The degree of familial conflict to which youngsters are exposed has both direct and indirect effects on their well-being, regardless of living arrangements. Children from low-conflict divorced homes show better functioning and overall well-being than children from intact high-conflict families. Children from high-conflict families are more likely to display higher levels of anxiety, depression, anger and aggression, delinquency, as well as low self-esteem, academic declines, deteriorating parent-child relationships, and overall maladjustment Divergent Consequences of Separation and Divorce cont’d Prolonged litigation and conflicts associated with child-related disagreements have strong, deleterious effects on the children and parent–child relationships. The experience of divorce along with multiple risk factors may provide the most fertile grounds for sowing long-term discontent and maladjustment for the children Divergent Consequences of Separation and Divorce cont’d More Children Live in Lone-parent or Stepfamily Arrangements: Family configurations and children’s living situations have changed dramatically over recent decades. Among 0-14 year olds, fewer than 7 in 10 (69.7%) of all Canadian children are living with both biological parents. About 2 in 10 (19.2%) are living with a lone parent, with almost one in ten living in either a step family (9.1%) arrangement or not living with either parent at all (1.4%) Divergent Consequences of Separation and Divorce cont’d Both lone-parent and stepfamily arrangements have grown noticeably in recent years, such that about three in ten children live in such families Millions of Canadians have experienced episodes of living as children in a lone-parent family The creation of recombined families in the form of stepfamilies or blended families has assumed much greater significance over time The impact of divorce on children: Tamara D. Afifi at TEDxUCSB  Conclusion It is important to pay attention to the historical conditions within which divorce remained a rather insignificant occurrence in Canada in the immediate decades following Confederation The rates gradually increased during the mid-twentieth century before growing rapidly in the aftermath of the 1968 Divorce Act Evidence available these days suggests that divorce rate in Canada has been declining somewhat over the last decade Conclusion cont’d A declining percentage of the Canadian population intends to marry a partner, replaced to some degree, by a growth in cohabitation or “common-law” unions The “risk factors” have been shown to be correlated with unions breaking down that include demographic predictors, early childhood and family socialization experiences, and an array of cultural factors  Conclusion cont’d Although many Canadians are managing and adapting reasonably well with increased marital union dissolution, there are clearly tensions and stressors, especially for women and their lone-parent families, who suffer from various inequalities Children, as ever, appear to be quite resilient in the aftermath of separation and divorce, but especially if the parents have been able to reduce conflict and engage in effective parenting