Is marital quality declining? The evidence from two generations

Stacy J. Rogers; Paul R. Amato

doi:10.1093/sf/75.3.1089

Is marital quality declining? The evidence from two generations

Stacy J. Rogers, Paul R. Amato

Sociology and Criminology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

76 Scopus citations

Abstract

We investigated the possibility that changes in the economic and social context of marriage have lowered marital quality in recent marriages. We used data from a national probability sample of two generations representing individuals married between 1969-1980 and between 1981-1992. Compared with the older group, the younger group (both men and women) reported significantly lower levels of marital interaction and significantly higher levels of marital conflict and problems. Increases in age at first marriage and education between generations did not offset these declines. Changes in economic resources, work and family demands, wives' gender role attitudes, and cohabitation prior to marriage accounted for these changes.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	1089-1100
Number of pages	12
Journal	Social Forces
Volume	75
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1093/sf/75.3.1089
State	Published - Mar 1997

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

History
Anthropology
Sociology and Political Science

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abstract = "We investigated the possibility that changes in the economic and social context of marriage have lowered marital quality in recent marriages. We used data from a national probability sample of two generations representing individuals married between 1969-1980 and between 1981-1992. Compared with the older group, the younger group (both men and women) reported significantly lower levels of marital interaction and significantly higher levels of marital conflict and problems. Increases in age at first marriage and education between generations did not offset these declines. Changes in economic resources, work and family demands, wives' gender role attitudes, and cohabitation prior to marriage accounted for these changes.",

author = "Rogers, {Stacy J.} and Amato, {Paul R.}",

note = "Funding Information: This research was supported by grant 5R01 AG04146 from the National Institute on Aging and by grant 1-HD28263 from the National Institute of Chili Health and Human Development. Direct correspondence to Stacy J. Rogers, Department of Sociology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588-0324. Email:[email protected].",

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AU - Amato, Paul R.

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Is marital quality declining? The evidence from two generations

Abstract

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