Divorce and Gendered Family (Re)Configurations in a Sample of Employed and Higher Educated Mothers and Fathers

Abstract

ABSTRACT From 26 semi-structured interviews conducted in Spain, we examine how motherhood and fatherhood is redefined and how family configurations are reshaped after a divorce or separation. The existence of common children in our sample meant that their original nuclear family never completely dissolved as the meaning of families became broader and more complex. Family was not restricted to a specific home, those who shared a home were not necessarily united by family ties, nor did living alone necessarily mean a lack of family, stable relationships, or strong emotional ties. Gender transcended all divorce-related issues although for all respondents post-divorce mothering/fathering was also vivid and related to the mothering/fathering before the breakup.