This is interesting
15 Ways to Predict Divorce
I suppose some of the higher probability of divorce in gay and lesbian marriages, compared with heterosexual ones, is due to "staying together for the sake of the children" being much less often present as an impediment to divorce in same-sex marriages -- they are more free to dissolve. It may also be that same-sex marriages are generally subject to more stresses from families, co-workers, and the society at large.
But the divorce difference for gay vs. lesbian marriages is really striking. Controlling for various factors in their data, the authors looked at a variety of possible explanations, but came up empty. The only suggestive difference they note is that the partners in lesbian marriages tend to be very similar to each other, much more so than the partners in gay marriages. They suggest that this may make for no stable hierarchy within the marriage (no agreed and accepted dominance by one partner), perhaps making such marriages highly "dynamic." I take that to mean "competitive," perhaps resulting eventually in a pattern of conflict. It is well established that dominance hierarchies, in baboon troops on up, function as conflict avoidance mechanisms. It may even be that some women enter same-sex marriages partly to avoid being dominated by a partner, or make that a bottom line requirement. The high divorce rate may indicate that an equitable, non-competitive division of responsibilities and decision-making authority is easier to imagine than to put into actual practice. Even then it's very inefficient, with much time and effort absorbed by constant testing and negotiation; the whole idea of a stable hierarchy is to avoid having to fight it out every time.
One test would be to look at the gay marriages, and see if probability of divorce varies with degree of similarity between male partners. If it does, that would be evidence that the key explanatory variable has to do with social organization, not hormones.
Byron
If you're in a male same-sex marriage, it's 50 percent more likely to end in divorce than a heterosexual marriage. If you're in a female same-sex marriage, this figure soars to 167 percent. [Yikes!]
A research team led by Stockholm University demography professor Gunnar Anderson based their calculations on legal partnerships in Norway and Sweden, where five out of every 1,000 new couples are same-sex.
(Source: Gunnar Andersson, "Divorce-Risk Patterns in Same-Sex Marriages in Norway and Sweden," Institute for Marriage and Public Policy, 2004)
I suppose some of the higher probability of divorce in gay and lesbian marriages, compared with heterosexual ones, is due to "staying together for the sake of the children" being much less often present as an impediment to divorce in same-sex marriages -- they are more free to dissolve. It may also be that same-sex marriages are generally subject to more stresses from families, co-workers, and the society at large.
But the divorce difference for gay vs. lesbian marriages is really striking. Controlling for various factors in their data, the authors looked at a variety of possible explanations, but came up empty. The only suggestive difference they note is that the partners in lesbian marriages tend to be very similar to each other, much more so than the partners in gay marriages. They suggest that this may make for no stable hierarchy within the marriage (no agreed and accepted dominance by one partner), perhaps making such marriages highly "dynamic." I take that to mean "competitive," perhaps resulting eventually in a pattern of conflict. It is well established that dominance hierarchies, in baboon troops on up, function as conflict avoidance mechanisms. It may even be that some women enter same-sex marriages partly to avoid being dominated by a partner, or make that a bottom line requirement. The high divorce rate may indicate that an equitable, non-competitive division of responsibilities and decision-making authority is easier to imagine than to put into actual practice. Even then it's very inefficient, with much time and effort absorbed by constant testing and negotiation; the whole idea of a stable hierarchy is to avoid having to fight it out every time.
One test would be to look at the gay marriages, and see if probability of divorce varies with degree of similarity between male partners. If it does, that would be evidence that the key explanatory variable has to do with social organization, not hormones.
Byron
posted by Byron | Thursday, May 20, 2010
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