Discuss the consequences of divorce for the divorced couple and for children. In your answer, include discussion of "His" and "Her" divorce, as well as Wallerstein's research on children of divorce, the reason it is criticized by sociologists

Question

and findings of other sociological research on children of divorce. What factor seems to determine the effects of divorce on children?
What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

"His" and "Her" divorce refers to differences in the effect of divorce on men and women. In general, his is better than hers. In a large majority of divorces, women's standards of living decline, while men's go up. Those men who are used to being the primary bread-winner may suddenly find that they are supporting one (plus a small amount for child support) on a salary that used to support the whole family. Those women who are more accustomed to being in charge of the household, with a secondary, part-time, or even no job, may suddenly find that their income must stretch from being a helpful supplement to supplying most of the family's necessities. (Note that this is less the case in minority families, where women were likely already employed.) Children are more likely to live with the mother who bears a greater expense and likely earns less at her job. Wallerstein's research suggested that children of divorce were likely to view future relationships with fear, worrying that their own marriage would end in divorce. However, Wallerstein's research is criticized by sociologists because of flawed research methods; her sample was small and limited to children who saw her as a therapist, thus it was unclear whether their problems were due to the divorce or other factors. Sociological research consistently finds that children are resilient and adapt successfully to their parents' divorce. The main factor that seems to determine the effects of divorce on children is how civilly the parents behave toward one another and their ongoing participation in the children's lives.