This lesson examines how divorce rates in the United States have changed and why divorce does not affect all groups equally. It also explores financial, family, and relationship factors associated with marital stability.
Divorce, once treated as socially shameful, has become more common and accepted in modern U.S. society. In 1960, there were 9.1 divorces per 1,000 married people. The rate more than doubled by 1975, reached 22.6 in 1980, and then declined over the following decades. By the period covered in the source, the rate had returned to a level similar to that of 1970.
All flashcards
What is a blended family?
A family formed when partners bring children or family relationships from previous relationships into a new household or partnership.
What forms can intimate partner violence take?
Physical, sexual, emotional, threatening, stalking-related, or technology-facilitated abuse.
How might teenagers experience their parents' separation?
They may recognize conflict behind the separation yet feel fear, loneliness, guilt, or pressure to choose sides.
How can child abuse affect institutions beyond a family?
Related needs may require support from health care, education, social services, or the justice system.
What does an intergenerational pattern of abuse mean, and what does it not mean?
Some survivors later abuse their children, but this association does not determine an individual's behavior.
Quiz questions
Which definition best captures intimate partner violence (IPV) as used in sociology?Answer: Violence involving intimate partners, including unmarried and cohabiting partners.
Why can estimates of intimate partner violence differ between studies?Answer: Studies may have underreporting and use different definitions or measures.
Which form of child maltreatment was most commonly reported in the figures described?Answer: Neglect
Why are infants especially vulnerable to maltreatment?Answer: They depend entirely on caregivers for care and protection.
What does an intergenerational pattern of child abuse indicate?Answer: Some adults abused as children later abuse their own children, but this is not inevitable.
Based on Introduction to Sociology 3e by Tonja R. Conerly, Kathleen Holmes, Asha Lal Tamang (OpenStax), licensed CC BY 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.