Framework for Interpreting Long‐Term Trends in Values and Beliefs Concerning Single‐Parent Families

Abstract

One of the most important trends of the last half of the 20th century was the dramatic rise in singleparent families through increases in divorce and nonmarital childbearing. There were also shifts during this period in values and beliefs about divorce and childbearing. Single parenthood was also increasing during the first part of the century, and it is likely that these behavioral changes were accompanied by changes in public opinion. Unfortunately, whereas comparable repeated surveys have permitted changes in values and beliefs to be documented for recent decades, such data resources, to my knowledge, do not exist for the first half of the 20th century. This has left an important gap in our understanding of long-term trends in values and beliefs. The interesting paper by Margaret Usdansky (2009) provides an important contribution toward filling this gap. The author conducted a content analysis of the American social science and popular literatures of almost the entire 20th century from 1900 to 1998. The results show a substantial decline in negative depictions of divorce. There was no increase in favorable depictions of divorce but an almost complete disappearance of normative discussion, leading Usdansky to suggest that ambivalence had become the predominant view of Americans toward divorce. However, this trend toward ambivalent acceptance of divorce did not extend to increased acceptance of nonmarital childbearing. I congratulate Usdansky for her important contributions to our knowledge. Like much important research, Usdansky 's research not only provides valuable answers, but raises important new questions. One question concerns the reasons for the differential trends in depictions of divorce and nonmarital childbearing in the popular and scholarly literature across the 20th century. A second question concerns the trends in values and beliefs concerning divorce and nonmarital childbearing prior to 1900. We know that divorce was increasing during the 19th century, but what about public opinion and public depictions concerning divorce and nonmarital childbearing? A third question asks about the forces behind the trends in public opinion before and after 1900. In this paper I discuss these interrelated questions, provide some hypotheses, and suggest additional research. I begin with a discussion of family life in Western societies (defined here as Western Europe and its overseas diaspora) several hundred years ago, with an emphasis on marriage, divorce, and childbearing. I then discuss important ideational forces changing values and beliefs concerning these behaviors. Because of the scope of my discussion relative to the allotted space, my discussion must be general and gloss over the details of individual populations. I also provide only limited citations to the literature and invite interested readers to consult my two recent books for additional documentation (Thornton, 2005; Thornton, Axinn, & Xie, 2007). Historical Background In Western societies several hundred years ago families had central roles in structuring people's activities and experiences, and marriage was central in structuring relationships within families (see Thornton et al., 2007). Marriage was an essential element organizing living arrangements; production and consumption; membership in adult society; and access to love, sex, and childbearing. Marriage was seen as a privileged and honorable status, the way from single dependency to independence, and probably the most important event in the life course. Given the centrality of marriage, it was important not only to individuals but also to families, communities, churches, and governments. The Catholic Church taught that marriage was a sacrament involving God and the couple. Although the Protestant reformers during the 16th century denied that marriage was a sacrament, they taught that it was provided by God. Prior to the 1 6th century, church doctrine and policies were themselves the law of marriage, and the church presided over marriage disputes. …