Social Class and Socio-economic Differentials in Divorce in England and Wales

SummaryThis paper examines the social and demographic features of divorcing couples by the grounds on which their decrees are made absolute and by the party granted the divorce. The demographic characteristics include ages at marriage and at divorce of husbands and of wives granted decrees, duration of marriage, number of children, and the social class of both the husband and the wife. The data are also analysed for particular categories of couples: those in which the wife is a housewife, couples where the husband is unemployed, couples who have a child which was pre-maritally conceived, and couples who have dependent children. There are clear and interesting differences in the demographic characteristics of couples who successfully petition on the various grounds, suggesting that the law is used in different ways by different couples. Reasons for the observed patterns are considered. The data provide some basis for assessing the possible repercussions on divorce of socioeconomic changes, and for informed discussion on whether and how divorce law might sensibly be improved.

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Social Class Differentials During Fertility Decline: England and Wales Revisited

Population Studies ◽

10.1080/0032472031000144136 ◽

1989 ◽

Vol 43 (2) ◽

pp. 305-323 ◽

Cited By ~ 26

Author(s):

Michael R. Haines

Keyword(s):

Social Class ◽

Fertility Decline ◽

England And Wales

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Childlessness and Marital Instability: A Re-Examination of the Evidence

Journal of Biosocial Science ◽

10.1017/s0021932080006025 ◽

1980 ◽

Vol 12 (2) ◽

pp. 121-132 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Colin Gibson

Keyword(s):

Social Class ◽

Working Class ◽

Family Size ◽

Marital Instability ◽

England And Wales ◽

Age At Marriage ◽

Current Trends ◽

High Social Class ◽

Survey Results ◽

Completed Family Size

SummaryEarlier studies have queried whether divorce was associated with childlessness. Evidence from surveys of broken marriages passing through the divorce courts of England and Wales indicates that infertility and divorce are not related in the way supposed. When the duration of de facto marriage is controlled, divorcing couples have a higher rate of fertility than that found within those who remain married. The former are also more likely to have a larger family size within the same period of time. Similar findings emerge from data relating to broken marriages resorting to the magistrates' courts. These results are partly a consequence of the trend whereby working-class marriages—with their earlier start of a family and larger completed family size—form an increasing proportion of all divorcing couples.Survey results showed that within a divorcing population a shorter period of cohabitation resulted in a higher level of infertility. High infertility rates were also associated with later age at marriage and high social class. Current trends suggest that an increasing proportion of divorcing couples will be childless. It is concluded that there is need for a deeper knowledge of possible relationships, and their causes, in this and other areas of married life.

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