Considering Divorce: An Expansion of Becker's Theory of Marital Instability

Abstract

Using a national probability sample (N = 1,360) of husbands and wives married to one another in 1978, we explore the correlates of thinking about divorce in order to extend Becker's theory of marital instability by adding sociological variables and measuring individual utilities. Wive's thoughts of divorce increase with their work experience, having a youngest child aged 6-11, and egalitarian housework attitudes and decrease with age at marriage,marital duration, and husband's housework contribution.Husbands' thoughts of divorce increase with wife's work experience and wife's egalitarian housework attitudes and decrease with the presence of children under 6,marital duration, and age differences. To the extent that thought of divorce relates to eventual divorce, these findings imply that the husband's earnings and the presence of children may deter divorce less now than they have in the past.