Work

Does the Transition to Grandparenthood Deter Gray Divorce? A Test of the Braking Hypothesis

Year: 2020

Type: article

Abstract: The gray divorce rate, which describes divorce among individuals aged 50 and older, has doubled since 1990. Extending prior research that showed the transition to parenthood has a "braking effect" on divorce, we examined whether the transition to grandparenthood, an emotionally meaningful midlife event that typically renews midlife marriages, exerts an analogous "braking effect" on gray divorce. Using panel data from the 1998-2014 Health and Retirement Study, we found that becoming biological grandparents has a large deterrent effect on gray divorce that persists even after accounting for a host of other factors known to be associated with divorce. However, the transition to step grandparenthood has no protective effect on gray divorce. Our study demonstrates the importance of the larger family system and in particular the life webs connecting the generations for promoting marital stability among midlife couples.

Source: Social Forces

DOI: 10.1093/sf/soaa030

Authors: Susan L Brown, I-Fen Lin, Kagan A Mellencamp

Institution: Bowling Green State University

Language: English

Topic: Family Dynamics and Relationships

Subfield: Demography

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Institute on Aging, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

Awards: Center for Family and Demographic Research, G5105027269, Health and Well-being Effects on Later-life Divorce and Subsequent Repartnering