Abstract
Research suggests that young adults commonly approve of divorce but still feel anxious about the possibility of divorcing themselves due to anticipated emotional and financial repercussions. However, the existing research focuses exclusively on heterosexual young adults, which is a significant oversight given the recent legalization of same-sex marriage. As such, we rely primarily on qualitative data from an online survey of unmarried sexual minority young adults (n = 257) to examine how they think about divorce. Our results suggest that sexual minority young adults have somewhat distinct perspectives compared to heterosexual young adults. In particular, they anticipate being quite willing to divorce under a broad set of circumstances, and they report minimal anxieties regarding the prospect of divorce. Given documented associations between attitudes toward divorce in young adulthood and subsequent relational behavior (e.g., cohabitation, marital delay), we conclude by discussing what our results suggest about sexual minority young adults’ relationships in the era of marriage equality.
Highlights
IntroductionDivorce continues to be a relatively common family experience in the US
A sizable body of research makes clear that unmarried heterosexual young adults today are generally approving of divorce, they are worried and anxious about the possibility that they may someday get divorced themselves (e.g., Edin and Kefalas 2005; Thornton and Young-DeMarco 2001; Waller and Peters 2008; Willoughby et al 2020)
Reflecting the relatively high divorce rate and the widespread acceptance of divorce, or in some cases experiences of parental divorce, heterosexual young adults often perceive that divorce is a “specter” that hovers over and complicates their romantic relationships (Miller et al 2011)
Summary
Divorce continues to be a relatively common family experience in the US. Many young adults—defined here as those between the ages of 18 and 35—have seen divorce up close, in their own families (i.e., their parents) and/or in their broader social networks. It is likely unsurprising, that young adults today often report being anxious or worried about divorce (e.g., Edin and Kefalas 2005; Gibson-Davis et al 2005; Miller et al 2011; Perelli-Harris et al 2017; Reed 2006; Silva 2013; Thornton and Young-DeMarco 2001; Waller and Peters 2008; Willoughby et al 2020). Researchers have found that this anxiety or fear leads many young adults to pursue cohabitation before marriage and to delay marriage (Miller et al 2011)
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