Volume 38 - Article 41 | Pages 1241–1276  

Why does women’s education stabilize marriages? The role of marital attraction and barriers to divorce

By Diederik Boertien , Juho Härkönen

References

Amato, P.R. (1996). Explaining the intergenerational transmission of divorce. Journal of Marriage and Family 58(3): 628–640.

Weblink:
Download reference:

Amato, P.R. (2010). Research on divorce: Continuing trends and new developments. Journal of Marriage and Family 72(3): 650–666.

Weblink:
Download reference:

Amato, P.R. and Hohmann-Marriott, B. (2007). A comparison of high- and low-distress marriages that end in divorce. Journal of Marriage and Family 69(4): 621–638.

Weblink:
Download reference:

Amato, P.R. and Rogers, S.J. (1997). A longitudinal study of marital problems and subsequent divorce. Journal of Marriage and the Family 59(3): 612–624.

Weblink:
Download reference:

Andersson, G., Elizabeth, E., and Duntava, A. (2017). Life-table representations of family dynamics in the 21st century. Demographic Research 37(35): 1081–1230.

Weblink:
Download reference:

Becker, G.S., Landes, E.M., and Michael, R.T. (1977). An economic analysis of marital instability. Journal of Political Economy 85(6): 1141–1187.

Weblink:
Download reference:

Bernardi, F. and Martínez-Pastor, J. (2011). Female education and marital dissolution: Is it a selection effect? European Sociological Review 27(6): 963–707.

Weblink:
Download reference:

Berrington, A. and Diamond, I. (2000). Marriage or cohabitation: A competing risks analysis of first-partnership formation among the 1958 British birth cohort. Journal of the Royal Statistical Association: Series A (Statistics in Society) 163(2): 127–151.

Weblink:
Download reference:

Blossfeld, H., de Rose, A., Hoem, J.M., and Rohwer, G. (1995). Education, modernization and the risk of marriage disruption in Sweden, West Germany, and Italy. In: Oppenheim Mason, K. and Jensen, A. (eds.). Gender and family change in industrialized countries. Oxford: Clarendon Press: 200–222.

Download reference:

Boertien, D., von Scheve, C., and Park, M. (2017). Can personality explain the educational gradient in divorce? Evidence from a nationally representative panel survey. Journal of Family Issues 38(10): 1339–1362.

Weblink:
Download reference:

Bonke, J. and Esping-Andersen, G. (2011). Family investments in children: Productivities, preferences, and parental childcare. European Sociological Review 27(1): 43–55.

Weblink:
Download reference:

Bradbury, T.N., Fincham, F.D., and Beach, S.R.H. (2000). Research on the nature and determinants of marital satisfaction: A decade in review. Journal of Marriage and Family 62(4): 964–980.

Weblink:
Download reference:

Breen, R., Karlson, K.B., and Holm, A. (2013). Total, direct, and indirect effects in logit and probit models. Sociological Methods and Research 42(2): 164–191.

Weblink:
Download reference:

Castro-Martin, T. and Bumpass, L.L. (1989). Recent trends in marital disruption. Demography 26(1): 37–51.

Weblink:
Download reference:

Chan, T.W. and Halpin, B. (2005). The instability of divorce risk factors in the UK. Oxford: University of Oxford (working paper).

Download reference:

Cherlin, A. (1992). Marriage, divorce, remarriage. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.

Download reference:

Cherlin, A. (1978). Remarriage as an incomplete institution. American Journal of Sociology 84(3): 634–650.

Weblink:
Download reference:

Conger, R.D., Conger, K.J., and Martin, M.J. (2010). Socioeconomic status, family processes, and individual development. Journal of Marriage and Family 72(3): 685–704.

Weblink:
Download reference:

Cooke, L.P. (2006). Doing gender in context: Household bargaining and risk of divorce in Germany and the United States. American Journal of Sociology 112(2): 442–472.

Weblink:
Download reference:

Coontz, S. (2005). A history of marriage: From obedience to intimacy, or how love conquered marriage. New York: Viking.

Download reference:

De Graaf, P.M. and Kalmijn, M. (2006). Divorce motives in a period of rising divorce: Evidence from a Dutch life-history survey. Journal of Family Issues. Journal of Family Issues 27(4): 483–505.

Weblink:
Download reference:

Dew, J. (2009). The gendered meanings of assets for divorce. 30(1): 20–31. doi:. Journal of Family and Economic Issues 30(1): 20–31.

Weblink:
Download reference:

Edin, K. and Kefalas, M. (2005). Promises I can keep: Why poor women put motherhood before marriage. Berkeley: University of California Press.

Download reference:

Ermisch, J. and Halpin, B. (2004). Home ownership and social inequality in Britain. In: Kurz, K. and Blossfeld, H. (eds.). Home ownership and social inequality in a comparative perspective. Palo Alto: Stanford University Press: 255–280.

Download reference:

Erola, J., Härkönen, J., and Dronkers, J. (2012). More careful or less marriageable? Parental divorce, spouse selection, and entry into marriage. Social Forces 90(4): 1323–1345.

Weblink:
Download reference:

Esping-Andersen, G. (2005). Inequalities of income and opportunities. In: Giddens, A. and Diamond, P. (eds.). The new egalitarianism. Cambridge: Polity: 8–38.

Download reference:

Esping-Andersen, G. and Billari, F.C. (2015). Re-theorizing family demographics. Population and Development Review 41(1): 1–31.

Weblink:
Download reference:

Esping-Andersen, G., Boertien, D., Bonke, J., and Gracia, P. (2013). Couple specialization in multiple equilibria. European Sociological Review 29(6): 1280–1294.

Weblink:
Download reference:

Fincham, F.D. and Rogge, R.D. (2010). Understanding relationship quality: Theoretical challenges and new tools for assessment. Journal of Family Theory and Review 2(4): 227–242.

Weblink:
Download reference:

Funk, J.L. and Rogge, R.D. (2007). Testing the ruler with item response theory: Increasing precision of measurement for relationship satisfaction with the Couples Satisfaction Index. Journal of Family Psychology 21(4): 527–583.

Weblink:
Download reference:

Goldscheider, F., Bernhardt, E., and Lappegård, T. (2015). The gender revolution: A framework for understanding changing family and demographic behavior. Population and Development Review 41(2): 207–239.

Weblink:
Download reference:

Goldstein, J.R. and Kenney, C.T. (2001). Marriage delayed or marriage forgone? New cohort forecasts of first marriage for U.S. women. American Sociological Review 66(4): 506–519.

Weblink:
Download reference:

Goode, W.J. (1963). World revolution and family patterns. New York: The Free Press.

Download reference:

Guo, G. (1993). Left-truncated data for event history analyses. Sociological Methodology 23(1): 217–243.

Weblink:
Download reference:

Halliday Hardie, J. and Lucas, A. (2010). Economic factors and relationship quality among young couples: Comparing cohabitation and marriage. Journal of Marriage and Family 72(5): 1141–1154.

Weblink:
Download reference:

Härkönen, J. (2004). Divorce: Trends, patterns, causes, consequences. In: Treas, J.K., Scott, J., and Richards, M. (eds.). The Wiley-Blackwell companion to the sociology of families. Chichester: John Wiley: 303–322.

Weblink:
Download reference:

Härkönen, J. and Dronkers, J. (2006). Stability and change in the educational gradients of divorce: A comparison of 17 countries. European Sociological Review 22(5): 501–517.

Weblink:
Download reference:

Härkönen, J., Bernardi, F., and Boertien, D. (2017). Family dynamics and child outcomes: An overview of research and open questions. European Journal of Population 33(2): 163–184.

Weblink:
Download reference:

Heckman, J.J. (2008). Schools, skills, and synapses. Economic Inquiry 46(3): 289–324.

Weblink:
Download reference:

Isen, A. and Stevenson, B. (2010). Women’s education and family behavior: Trends in marriage, divorce and fertility. Cambridge: National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER Working Paper 15725).

Download reference:

Jalovaara, M. (2001). Socio-economic status and divorce in first marriages in Finland, 1991–93. Population Studies 55(2): 119–133.

Weblink:
Download reference:

Johnson, M.P., Caughlin, J.P., and Huston, T.L. (1999). The tripartite nature of marital commitment: Personal, moral, structural reasons to stay married. Journal of Marriage and the Family 61(1): 160177.

Weblink:
Download reference:

Kalmijn, M. (2013). The educational gradient in marriage: A comparison of 25 European countries. Demography 50(4): 1499–1520.

Weblink:
Download reference:

Karney, B.R. and Bradbury, T.N. (1995). The longitudinal course of marital quality and stability: A review of theory, method, and research. Psychological Bulletin 118(1): 3–34.

Weblink:
Download reference:

Knoester, C. and Booth, A. (2000). Barriers to divorce: When are they effective? When are they not? Journal of Family Issues 21(1): 78–99.

Weblink:
Download reference:

Kreager, D.A., Felson, R.B., Warner, C., and Wenger, M.R. (2013). Women’s education, marital violence, and divorce: A social exchange perspective. Journal of Marriage and Family 75(3): 565–581.

Weblink:
Download reference:

Lampard, R. (2013). Age at marriage and the risk of divorce in England and Wales. Demographic Research 29(7): 167–202.

Weblink:
Download reference:

Levinger, G. (1976). A social psychological perspective on marital dissolution. Journal of Social Issues 32(1): 21–47.

Weblink:
Download reference:

Lewis, R.A. and Spanier, G.B. (1979). Theorizing about the quality and stability of marriage. In: Burr, W.R., Hill, F.R., Nye, I., and Reiss, I.L. (eds.). Contemporary theories about the family: Volume I: Research-based theories. New York: The Free Press: 268–294.

Download reference:

Lyngstad, T.H. and Jalovaara, M. (2010). A review of the antecedents of union dissolution. Demographic Research 23(10): 257–292.

Weblink:
Download reference:

Lynn, P. (2006). Quality Profile British Household Panel Survey: Version 2.0: Waves 1–13: 1991–2003. Colchester: Institute for Social and Economic Research.

Download reference:

Martin, S.P. (2006). Trends in marital dissolution by women’s education in the United States. Demographic Research 15(20): 537–560.

Weblink:
Download reference:

Matysiak, A., Styrc, M., and Vignoli, D. (2014). The changing educational gradient in marital disruption: A meta-analysis of European research findings. Population Studies 68(2): 197–215.

Weblink:
Download reference:

McLanahan, S.S. (2004). Diverging destinies: How children are faring under the second demographic transition. Demography 41(4): 607–627.

Weblink:
Download reference:

McLanahan, S.S. and Jacobsen, W. (2015). Diverging destinies revisited. In: Amato, P.R., Booth, A., McHale, S.M., and Van Hook, J. (eds.). Families in an era of increasing inequalities. Cham: Springer: 3–23.

Weblink:
Download reference:

Merton, R.K. (1957). Social theory and social structure. Glencoe: Free Press.

Download reference:

Murphy, M. (2000). The evolution of cohabitation in Britain, 1960–95. Population Studies 54(1): 43–56.

Weblink:
Download reference:

Oláh, L.S. and Gähler, M. (2014). Gender equality perceptions, division of paid and unpaid work, and partnership dissolution in Sweden. Social Forces 93(2): 571–594.

Weblink:
Download reference:

Oppenheimer, V.K. (1997). Women’s employment and the gain to marriage: The specialization and trading model. Annual Review of Sociology 23: 431–453.

Weblink:
Download reference:

Orbuch, T.L., Veroff, J., Hassan, H., and Horrocks, J. (2002). Who will divorce: A 14 year longitudinal study of black couples and white couples. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships 19(2): 179–202.

Weblink:
Download reference:

Özcan, B. and Breen, R. (2012). Marital instability and female labor supply. Annual Review of Sociology 38: 463–481.

Weblink:
Download reference:

Park, H., Raymo, J., and Creighton, M. (2009). Educational differences in the risk of divorce and their trends across marriage cohorts of Korean women. Gender Studies and Policy Review 2(1): 6–17.

Download reference:

Perelli-Harris, B., Sigle-Rushton, W., Kreyenfeld, M., Lappegård, T., Keizer, R., and Berghammer, C. (2010). The educational gradient of childbearing within cohabitation in Europe. Population and Development Review 36(4): 775–801.

Weblink:
Download reference:

Putnam, R.D. (2015). Our kids: The American dream in crisis. New York: Simon and Schuster.

Download reference:

Raymo, J.M., Fukuda, S., and Iwasawa, M. (2013). Educational differences in divorce in Japan. Demographic Research 28(6): 177–206.

Weblink:
Download reference:

Sayer, L.C., England, P., Allison, P., and Kangas, N. (2011). She left, he left: How employment and satisfaction affect men’s and women’s decisions to leave marriages. American Journal of Sociology 116(6): 1982–2018.

Weblink:
Download reference:

Schneider, D. (2011). Wealth and the marital divide. American Journal of Sociology 117(2): 627–667.

Weblink:
Download reference:

Schoen, R., Astone, N.M., Kim, Y.J., Rothert, K., and Standish, N.J. (2002). Women’s employment, marital happiness, and divorce. Social Forces 81(2): 643–662.

Weblink:
Download reference:

Schoen, R., Rogers, S.J., and Amato, P.R. (2006). Wives’ employment and spouses’ marital happiness: Assessing the direction of influence using longitudinal couple data. Journal of Family Issues 25(4): 506–528.

Weblink:
Download reference:

Schumm, W.R. and Bugaighis, M.A. (1985). Marital quality and marital stability: Resolving a controversy. Journal of Divorce 9(1): 73–77.

Weblink:
Download reference:

Schwartz, C.R. and Han, H. (2014). The reversal of the gender gap in education and trends in marital dissolution. American Sociological Review 79(4): 605–629.

Weblink:
Download reference:

Sigle-Rushton, W., Hobcraft, J., and Kiernan, K. (2005). Parental divorce and subsequent disadvantage: A cross-cohort comparison. Demography 42(3): 427–446.

Weblink:
Download reference:

South, J.S. and Spitze, G. (1986). Determinants of divorce over the marital life course. American Sociological Review 51(4): 583–590.

Weblink:
Download reference:

Svarer, M. (2007). Working late: Do workplace sex ratios affect partnership formation and dissolution? Journal of Human Resources 42(3): 582–595.

Weblink:
Download reference:

Sweeney, M.M. (2010). Remarriage and stepfamilies: Strategic sites for family scholarship in the 21st century. Journal of Marriage and Family 72(3): 667–684.

Weblink:
Download reference:

White, L.K. and Booth, A. (1991). Divorce over the life course: The role of marital happiness. Journal of Family Issues 12(1): 5012.

Weblink:
Download reference:

White, L.K. and Rogers, S.J. (2000). Economic circumstances and family outcomes: Review of the 1990s. Journal of Marriage and the Family 62(5): 1035–1051.

Weblink:
Download reference:

Wilson, B. and Smallwood, S. (2008). The proportion of marriages ending in divorce. Population Trends 131(Spring): 28–36.

Download reference:

Winship, C. and Mare, R.D. (1983). Structural equations and path analysis for discrete data. American Journal of Sociology 89(1): 54–110.

Weblink:
Download reference:

Wolfinger, N. (2005). Understanding the divorce cycle. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.

Weblink:
Download reference:

Back to the article