International Handbook on the Demography of Marriage and the Family by Unknown

Author:Unknown
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9783030350796
Publisher: Springer International Publishing

Economic Downturns and Marriage

Stressful circumstances, including factors external to the couple that “spill over” into the relationship, tend to negatively affect marital quality (Karney and Bradbury 2005; Neff and Karney 2004; Randall and Bodenmann 2009). An important external or contextual stressor is financial strain. Several studies have documented the importance of financial strain on marital outcomes. Conger et al. (1999) showed that economic pressures increased emotional distress among couples, and this increased the risk for marital conflict and distress. A study of African American caregiver couples produced similar findings regarding the relationship between economic pressure and emotional distress (Conger et al. 2002). In a study of middle- and low-income couples receiving services from a community clinic, researchers showed that low-income predicted less marital satisfaction and more psychological distress than couples with higher incomes (Dakin and Wampler 2008). It is clear that the financial circumstances of couples can impact marital quality and happiness. However, the broader state of the economy can also encroach on relationships.

Macro-level economic conditions and contexts seem to have notable impacts on marital relationships. For example, Harknett and Kuperberg (2011) found that stronger labor markets were positively related to marriage among a sample of low-income respondents. As discussed previously, psychological distress can have deleterious effects on marital quality, setting the stage for dissolution. However, broader economic conditions can actually have contrasting outcomes. Amato and Beattie (2011) examined state-level data for several decades and found unemployment rates to be negatively related to divorce rates after 1980. Likewise, Schaller (2013) demonstrated that for both blacks and whites, increases in unemployment rates decreased both marriage and divorce rates. It is clear that during challenging economic times, there may be a “cost of divorce” to couples leading them to remain in their marriage, despite serious marital problems. Similarly, studies of populations in Turkey (Aytac and Rankin 2009) and Korea (Kwon et al. 2003) found that economic downturns negatively impacted marital problems and marital satisfaction.

There are a few studies examining the impact of the 2007–2009 economic recession on marital relationships. Cohen (2014) analyzed American Community Survey data and showed that divorce rates spiked downward after 2008 but recovered to the expected level by 2011. Contrary to other studies of economic downturns and divorce, Cohen also found that state unemployment rates had no effect on the odds of divorce. Notably, however, foreclosure rates were associated with increased odds of divorce. Harknett and Schneider’s (2012) study of couples with children showed, similarly, that couples tended to delay or forego marital separation during the recession. This relationship was strongest among racial and ethnic minorities and the low educated.

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