Men’s and Women’s Gender Role Attitudes Following Union Dissolution and Repartnering: A Life-Course Approach

Liat Raz-Yurovich , Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Barbara Okun
Matanel Ben-Avi, Hebrew University of Jerusalem

As union dissolution and repartnering have become common occurrences in the life course of individuals in many societies, it is important to understand the implications of these life events for gender role attitudes (GRA). This paper asks whether individuals’ GRA change following union dissolution, re-partnering and subsequent dissolution; whether these changes depend on the duration of union status; and whether effects differ by gender. Detailed data spanning the period 1991-2016, taken from the British Household Panel Survey and its follow-up study Understanding Society, are analyzed using linear fixed-effects models. Preliminary results show a pattern of “zig-zag” effects for men, such that GRA declines, recovers and declines again following union dissolution, repartnering, and second union dissolution. These effects do not vary by duration in union status. For women, longer durations increase gender egalitarianism among divorced women and reduce it among women who are separated from cohabitation for the second time.

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 Presented in Session 4. Marriage, Family, Households, & Unions