Citation
Pagnini, Deanna L. & Rindfuss, Ronald R. (1993). The Divorce of Marriage and Childbearing: Changing Attitudes and Behavior in the United States. Population and Development Review, 19, 331-347.Abstract
The past 25 years have witnessed large-scale changes in the structure of American families. One of the most dramatic transformations has been the increasing separation of marriage and childbearing. One-quarter of all births now occur outside of marriage. Given that nonmarital fertility has historically been considered a social problem, how have Americans reacted to its increasing prevalence? Using data from four cross-sectional surveys undertaken between 1974 and 1989, the authors document that attitudes toward births outside of a marital relationship became increasingly permissive. They examine the social and demographic correlates of these attitudes and find that the structure of the determinants has not changed over time. The shift in attitudes was pervasive across social groups. They also present evidence on a concomitant change in attitudes toward a new gender-role orientation within two-parent families.URL
http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/2938442Reference Type
Journal ArticleYear Published
1993Journal Title
Population and Development ReviewAuthor(s)
Pagnini, Deanna L.Rindfuss, Ronald R.