Sociology 412 Martin Lecture 9: March 3, 2009

1. Sociology 412 (Martin)Lecture 9: March 3, 2009 Effects of divorce on children Argument 1: Parents make all the difference Argument 2: Parents don�t make any difference Readings: Online through UMD library: Cherlin, Andrew R. 1999. �Going to Extremes: Family Structure, Children�s Well-Being, and Social Science.� Demography 36(4):421-428. Reminder: Midterm March 10

2. Policy questions related to divorce: Should parents stay in an unhappy marriage for the sake of the children? How would we go about answering this question? Can commitment to marriage keep a marriage from becoming an unhappy marriage in the first place? How would we go about answering this question?

3. #1) Parents make all the difference:Disadvantages of children of divorce Children have less access to an absent parent�s resources if the parent is divorced. Divorce brings instability to children�s lives � new family arrangements, new residence, new schools. The psychological toll of a change in family structure may have especially harsh effects on children of divorce.

4. Wallerstein: devastating effects of divorce Wallerstein identifies distinct stages of the divorce that can have detrimental effects: predivorce family stress disruption at the time of the breakup stresses of living in a single-parent family stresses of living in a step-parent family Wallerstein observed several effects of divorce on children of divorce as they became adults themselves: anxiety in relationships as adults early sexual activity, premarital pregnancy, early marriage, divorce Lower educational attainment than their parents. physical health effects

5. #2: Parents don�t make any difference:Factors other than parenting style One argument would be that marital dissolution is more of an indication of family stress than a cause. (Emotionally disturbed children might cause stress in a marriage!) This stress can come from the parents� genetic blueprint! Example: Judith Harris in �The Nurture Assumption: Why Children Turn Out the Way They Do� Parents pass their emotional makeup on to their children Also, divorce often disrupts the peer networks of children. Preexisting socioeconomic disadvantages can also lead to more divorce, as well as more problems for children.

6. Preexisting social conditions appear to be becoming more important over time.

7. Cherlin:Avoiding extreme positions Cherlin identifies problems with either extreme: Wallerstein�s work is based largely on studies of children with troubled parents, which makes balanced comparisons difficult. Causal arguments are presented only for the causes Wallerstein wants to study. It is not appropriate to lump predivorce stresses in with other effects of divorce. Arguments based on genetics are only partly supported by the few twin studies to date. Cherlin questions whether peer networks can fully explain sleeper effects of divorce.

8. Cherlin, Chase-Lansdale and McRae: How prevalent are negative effects of divorce? 2.) In a British study of children of divorce, adults at age 23 took a 24-question mental health index. �Do you often feel miserable and depressed?� �Are you constantly keyed-up and jittery?� �Do you often get worried about things?� et cetera After controlling for background factors, 14 % of children of no divorce answered �yes� to 7 or more questions, indicating a likely need for mental health services 18 % of children of divorce answered �yes� to 7 or more questions. Conclusion: divorce is associated with mental health problems, but it does not consign children to miserable lives.

9. Cherlin, Chase-Lansdale and McRae continued. Children age 7 to 22 when their parents divorced had more emotional problems than children whose parents did not divorce. The number of emotional problems increased into adulthood, consistent with the sleeper model. Children age 23 to 33 when their parents divorced also showed more emotional problems than children whose parents did not divorce. The difference between this group and the no-divorce group was about half as big as the difference betweeen the early divorce group and the no divorce group, even if their parents would not divorce for another 25 years.

10. Moving: An important factor in determining divorce outcomes for kids? A crucial factor appears to be simply the amount of stability and change in a child�s life. Relative odds of having school problems, by number of moves and family type: Parents Present # of moves Relative odds of School Problems Both 0 1 Both 1 to 3 1.3 Both 4 to 7 1.4 Both 8+ 2.2 Only one 0 1.2 Only one 1 to 3 1.9 Only one 4 to 7 2.3 Only one 8+ 2.1

11. The final page 1.) Identify Cherlin�s reasons for disputing Wallerstein�s claims about the effects of divorce on children. 2.) Describe changes since 1960 in the percent of families that undergo a divorce within ten years of a first birth. 3.) According to Harris, what processes explain most or all of the supposed effects of divorce on children? 4.) Explain how the Cherlin, Lansdale and McRae study distinguished effects of divorce from effects of troubled families.