IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/demogr/v56y2019i2d10.1007_s13524-018-0752-x.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Repartnering Following Gray Divorce: The Roles of Resources and Constraints for Women and Men

Author

Listed:
  • Susan L. Brown

    (Bowling Green State University)

  • I-Fen Lin

    (Bowling Green State University)

  • Anna M. Hammersmith

    (Grand Valley State University)

  • Matthew R. Wright

    (Arkansas State University)

Abstract

The doubling of the gray divorce rate (i.e., divorce at age 50 or older) over the past few decades portends growth in later-life repartnering, yet little is known about the mechanisms undergirding decisions to repartner after gray divorce. Using data from the 1998–2014 Health and Retirement Study, we examined women’s and men’s likelihoods of forming a remarriage or cohabiting union following gray divorce by estimating competing risk multinomial logistic regression models using discrete-time event history data. About 22 % of women and 37 % of men repartnered within 10 years after gray divorce. Repartnering more often occurred through cohabitation than remarriage, particularly for men. Resources such as economic factors, health, and social ties were linked to repartnering, but constraints captured by the contours of the marital biography were also salient, underscoring the distinctive features of union formation in later life.

Suggested Citation

  • Susan L. Brown & I-Fen Lin & Anna M. Hammersmith & Matthew R. Wright, 2019. "Repartnering Following Gray Divorce: The Roles of Resources and Constraints for Women and Men," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 56(2), pages 503-523, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:demogr:v:56:y:2019:i:2:d:10.1007_s13524-018-0752-x
    DOI: 10.1007/s13524-018-0752-x
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s13524-018-0752-x
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s13524-018-0752-x?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sheela Kennedy & Steven Ruggles, 2014. "Breaking Up Is Hard to Count: The Rise of Divorce in the United States, 1980–2010," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 51(2), pages 587-598, April.
    2. Catherine B. McNamee & R. Kelly Raley, 2011. "A note on race, ethnicity and nativity differentials in remarriage in the United States," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 24(13), pages 293-312.
    3. Jonathan Vespa, 2012. "Union Formation in Later Life: Economic Determinants of Cohabitation and Remarriage Among Older Adults," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 49(3), pages 1103-1125, August.
    4. Susan L. Brown & Matthew R. Wright, 2016. "Editor's choice Older Adults’ Attitudes Toward Cohabitation: Two Decades of Change," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 71(4), pages 755-764.
    5. Susan L Brown & I-Fen Lin & Anna M Hammersmith & Matthew R Wright, 2018. "Later Life Marital Dissolution and Repartnership Status: A National Portrait," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 73(6), pages 1032-1042.
    6. Susan L. Brown & Gary R. Lee & Jennifer Roebuck Bulanda, 2006. "Cohabitation Among Older Adults: A National Portrait," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 61(2), pages 71-79.
    7. Susan L. Brown & I-Fen Lin, 2012. "The Gray Divorce Revolution: Rising Divorce Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults, 1990-2010," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 67(6), pages 731-741.
    8. Valerie Oppenheimer, 2003. "Cohabiting and marriage during young men’s career-development process," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 40(1), pages 127-149, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Glenn Sandström & Lena Karlsson, 2019. "The educational gradient of living alone: A comparison among the working-age population in Europe," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 40(55), pages 1645-1670.
    2. Zuzana Žilinčíková & Christine Schnor, 2021. "Who moves out and who keeps the home? Short-term and medium-term mobility consequences of grey divorce in Belgium," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 45(9), pages 291-328.
    3. Tosi, Marco & van den Broek, Thijs, 2020. "Gray divorce and mental health in the United Kingdom," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 256(C).
    4. Haoming Song, 2022. "Women’s Divergent Union Transitions After Marital Dissolution in the United States," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 41(3), pages 953-980, June.
    5. Philipp M. Lersch, 2023. "Change in Personal Culture over the Life Course," American Sociological Review, , vol. 88(2), pages 220-251, April.
    6. Shinae L. Choi & Deborah Carr, 2023. "Older Adults’ Relationship Trajectories and Estate Planning," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 44(2), pages 356-372, June.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Chen, Shuai, 2019. "Marriage, minorities, and mass movements," Other publications TiSEM 9cb1b11d-12e6-46a8-adca-4, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    2. Shuai Chen & Jan C. Ours, 2018. "Subjective Well-being and Partnership Dynamics: Are Same-Sex Relationships Different?," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 55(6), pages 2299-2320, December.
    3. Wendy D. Manning, 2020. "Young Adulthood Relationships in an Era of Uncertainty: A Case for Cohabitation," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 57(3), pages 799-819, June.
    4. Carole Bonnet & Fanny Godet & Anne Solaz, 2019. "Gendered economic determinants of couple formation over 50 in France," Working Papers G2019/13, French Institute for Demographic Studies.
    5. Marcel Fischer & Natalia Khorunzhina, 2019. "Housing Decision With Divorce Risk," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 60(3), pages 1263-1290, August.
    6. Giammarco Alderotti & Cecilia Tomassini & Daniele Vignoli, 2022. "‘Silver splits’ in Europe: The role of grandchildren and other correlates," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 46(21), pages 619-652.
    7. Lowell Hargens, 2019. "Incidence of first-marriage divorce among women in the 1979 panel of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 40(52), pages 1529-1536.
    8. Tosi, Marco & van den Broek, Thijs, 2020. "Gray divorce and mental health in the United Kingdom," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 256(C).
    9. Brienna Perelli-Harris & Stefanie Hoherz & Fenaba Addo & Trude Lappegård & Ann Evans & Sharon Sassler & Marta Styrc, 2018. "Do Marriage and Cohabitation Provide Benefits to Health in Mid-Life? The Role of Childhood Selection Mechanisms and Partnership Characteristics Across Countries," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 37(5), pages 703-728, October.
    10. Rachel Margolis & Youjin Choi & Feng Hou & Michael Haan, 2019. "Capturing trends in Canadian divorce in an era without vital statistics," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 41(52), pages 1453-1478.
    11. Arun S. Hendi, 2019. "Proximate Sources of Change in Trajectories of First Marriage in the United States, 1960–2010," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 56(3), pages 835-862, June.
    12. Jonathan Vespa, 2012. "Union Formation in Later Life: Economic Determinants of Cohabitation and Remarriage Among Older Adults," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 49(3), pages 1103-1125, August.
    13. Neil G. Bennett, 2017. "A reflection on the changing dynamics of union formation and dissolution," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 36(12), pages 371-390.
    14. Alice Zulkarnain & Sanders Korenman, 2019. "Divorce and health in middle and older ages," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 17(4), pages 1081-1106, December.
    15. Haoming Song, 2022. "Women’s Divergent Union Transitions After Marital Dissolution in the United States," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 41(3), pages 953-980, June.
    16. Hippolyte d'Albis & Karina Doorley & Elena Stancanelli, 2021. "Older mothers' employment and marriage stability when the nest is empty," PSE Working Papers halshs-03203063, HAL.
    17. Steven Ruggles, 2015. "Patriarchy, Power, and Pay: The Transformation of American Families, 1800–2015," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 52(6), pages 1797-1823, December.
    18. Newton, Nicky J. & Ryan, Lindsay H. & King, Rachel T. & Smith, Jacqui, 2014. "Cohort differences in the marriage–health relationship for midlife women," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 116(C), pages 64-72.
    19. Arnaud Dupray & Isabelle Recotillet, 2009. "Mobilités professionnelles et cycle de vie," Économie et Statistique, Programme National Persée, vol. 423(1), pages 31-58.
    20. Liying Luo & James Hodges, 2019. "The Age-Period-Cohort-Interaction Model for Describing and Investigating Inter-Cohort Deviations and Intra-Cohort Life-Course Dynamics," Papers 1906.08357, arXiv.org.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:demogr:v:56:y:2019:i:2:d:10.1007_s13524-018-0752-x. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.