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Repartnering and Childbearing After Divorce: Differences According to Parental Status and Custodial Arrangements

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  • Sofie Vanassche
  • Martine Corijn
  • Koen Matthijs
  • Gray Swicegood

Abstract

We use a stepfamily formation perspective to study two dimensions of the family life course following the dissolution of a first marriage. First, we examine how the presence of children from a prior union and the custody arrangements of those children influence the process of repartnering. In doing so, we extend the traditional explanations of union formation in terms of needs, attractiveness, and opportunities by taking into account the parental status of the new partners and a detailed classification of the custody arrangement of the children. Next, we investigate the likelihood of childbearing within those post-separation unions with a particular emphasis on the prior parental status of both partners. By studying post-separation union formation and fertility behavior together, we get a more complete depiction of stepfamily formation especially in their more complex forms. Our analyses are based on survey data for 2077 divorced men and 2384 divorced women collected in the Divorce in Flanders study. The results show that compared with other divorcees, full-time residential parents are the least likely to start a new union following separation and that parents are more likely to start a union with another parent than with a childless partner. Several of our results suggest that parenthood may not be a particularly attractive status on the partner market. Potential partners without children themselves appear especially reluctant to assume a (residential) step parental role. In contrast with the results for union formation, it is not the custody arrangement of the child(ren) but parental status itself that predicts childbearing within higher order unions. Our findings are important from a policy perspective as they stress the consequences of gender-neutral childrearing patterns following divorce for the repartnering of women after separation. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2015

Suggested Citation

  • Sofie Vanassche & Martine Corijn & Koen Matthijs & Gray Swicegood, 2015. "Repartnering and Childbearing After Divorce: Differences According to Parental Status and Custodial Arrangements," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 34(5), pages 761-784, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:poprpr:v:34:y:2015:i:5:p:761-784
    DOI: 10.1007/s11113-015-9366-9
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Julie Jefferies & Ann Berrington & Ian Diamond, 2000. "Childbearing Following Marital Dissolution in Britain," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 16(3), pages 193-210, September.
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    5. Silvia Meggiolaro & Fausta Ongaro, 2008. "Repartnering after marital dissolution: Does context play a role?," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 19(57), pages 1913-1934.
    6. Maria Cancian & Daniel Meyer & Patricia Brown & Steven Cook, 2014. "Who Gets Custody Now? Dramatic Changes in Children’s Living Arrangements After Divorce," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 51(4), pages 1381-1396, August.
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    8. repec:cai:poeine:pope_1102_0239 is not listed on IDEAS
    9. Silvia Meggiolaro & Fausta Ongaro, 2010. "The implications of marital instability for a woman’s fertility: Empirical evidence from Italy," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 23(34), pages 963-996.
    10. An Katrien Sodermans & Sofie Vanassche & Koen Matthijs, 2013. "Post-divorce custody arrangements and binuclear family structures of Flemish adolescents," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 28(15), pages 421-432.
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    1. Sascha Spikic & Dimitri Mortelmans & Dries Van Gasse, 2021. "More of the Same? Comparing the Personalities of Ex-Spouse and New Partner after Divorce," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-15, November.
    2. 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.
    3. Paulina Gałęzewska & Brienna Perelli-Harris & Ann Berrington, 2017. "Cross-national differences in women's repartnering behaviour in Europe: The role of individual demographic characteristics," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 37(8), pages 189-228.
    4. Christine Schnor & Sofie Vanassche & Jan Van Bavel, 2017. "Stepfather or biological father? Education-specific pathways of postdivorce fatherhood," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 37(51), pages 1659-1694.
    5. Zafer Buyukkececi, 2021. "Does Re-Partnering Behavior Spread Among Former Spouses?," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 37(4), pages 799-824, November.
    6. Karen Benjamin Guzzo, 2017. "Is Stepfamily Status Associated With Cohabiting and Married Women’s Fertility Behaviors?," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 54(1), pages 45-70, February.
    7. Linus Andersson, 2023. "The Role of Gender Differences in Partnering and Re-partnering for Gender Differences in Completed Fertility," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 42(2), pages 1-28, April.

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