Although previous work has attributed the instability of African marriages to the diffusion of Western norms and values in the region, fewer attempts have been made to empirically assess how Africa's internal institutional structures, such as extended kinship ties, impact marital outcomes. Guided by rational choice and exchange theories, we argue…

Examined characteristics of continuing relationship between former spouses (N=118) as function of parent status, gender, length of marriage, and time since separation. Certain aspects of the continuing relationship were found to be significantly related to each of these demographic characteristics. (Author/NRB)

Personality and background questionnaires were administered to newly married couples and followed up. Findings indicate correlational similarity and mean differentiation between partners was higher in still-married group than in divorced group. Variation in marital outcome was more accurately predicted from personality than demographic variables,…

Examined cognitive personality and sociodemographic factors associated with thoughts of separation. When spouses' marital satisfaction was controlled, four groups were identified as "unhappy stable,""unhappy unstable,""happy stable," and "happy unstable." The first three groups were examined further, and the…

Utilizing data from 1970 National Fertility Survey, this paper compares levels of marital homogamy--in age, education and religious identification--of women in their first marriages and women in second marriages, also in previous marriages of twice-wed women. Twice-wed women experience low homogamy in current and first marriages. (Author)

Some family transitions have been reshaped by demographic changes in recent years. Changes in mortality patterns have expanded the duration of individual lives and family relationships. The death of a child, once an expectable part of life, is now so rare that it constitutes a major life crisis. Facing the death of one's parents, still a normal…

About 26% of all children under age 18 live with a divorced or separated parent or with a stepparent. Since divorce is a crucial factor in the lives of millions of children in this country, this issue is devoted to its social, economic, and psychological impacts. (SLD)

Studied separation, divorce, and the postponement of marriage which have nearly doubled the number of adults who keep up a home without a spouse since 1970. Assesses teenage marriages as particularly unstable. Discusses other variables including children's sex, mother's education level, custody, and remarriage. (Author/JAC)

This working paper discusses the effects of recent legislative changes regarding divorce in Australia. The introduction describes the 1975 Family Law Act and gives a summary of its principles. The second section presents background information to the Act and lists the philosophical principles behind its formation. The third section describes…

The report presents survey results about the marital histories of husbands and wives or changes in marital status of mothers and characteristics of their children. Data were collected in June 1975, by the U. S. Bureau of the Census. An introduction summarizes trends which the data suggest. Seven sections discuss number of times husband and wife…

Using the National Longitudinal Survey of young women aged 14 to 24 in 1968 who were interviewed annually over a five-year period, a study was conducted to examine the relative importance of economic and noneconomic factors in determining the likelihood of marital disruption for young black and white women. A literature review showed that previous…