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A Century of Divorce: Long-Term Socioeconomic Restructuring and the Divorce Rate in Sweden, 1915-2010

Stanfors, Maria LU ; Andersson, Fredrik N G LU and Sandström, Glenn (2020) In Lund Papers in Economic Demography (LPED)
Abstract
Increased divorce rates over the past century are linked to changing macroeconomic
conditions, increased female independence and welfare state expenditure, but few studies
have assessed these long-term relationships at the macro level. Research has focused on
Anglo-Saxon contexts and not considered developments in vanguard countries like Sweden
that determined their role as sociodemographic precursors and early representatives of a
society with a high divorce rate. We examine the impact of macroeconomic conditions
together with increased female independence and welfare expenditure on the divorce rate by
performing time series analysis, using annual aggregate data from Sweden covering almost a
century... (More)
Increased divorce rates over the past century are linked to changing macroeconomic
conditions, increased female independence and welfare state expenditure, but few studies
have assessed these long-term relationships at the macro level. Research has focused on
Anglo-Saxon contexts and not considered developments in vanguard countries like Sweden
that determined their role as sociodemographic precursors and early representatives of a
society with a high divorce rate. We examine the impact of macroeconomic conditions
together with increased female independence and welfare expenditure on the divorce rate by
performing time series analysis, using annual aggregate data from Sweden covering almost a
century (1915-2010). We separate between short-run (business cycle), medium-run, and long
run (structural) impacts. Results show that separating between time horizons is important for
understanding the determinants of divorce. Increasing divorce rates were part of a structural
process, affecting the family through increasing state support for families and work
opportunities for women. In the short to medium run demographic factors were key
determinants. It is important to consider contexts like Sweden to understand how welfare state
expansion can counterbalance economic cycles and modify the relationship between
economic conditions and divorce by making divorce accessible through subsidies and
services, even in times of recession.
(Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Working paper/Preprint
publication status
published
subject
keywords
divorce, macro-level determinants, Sweden, time series analysis
in
Lund Papers in Economic Demography (LPED)
issue
2020:2
pages
50 pages
project
A century of divorce. Economic change and union dissolution in Sweden, 1915–2015
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
2fafae59-ea08-45fe-bb4e-6d86e8b6a98d
alternative location
https://www.ed.lu.se/publications/Lund-Papers-in-Economic-Demography
date added to LUP
2020-04-27 11:26:41
date last changed
2020-04-27 15:32:56
@misc{2fafae59-ea08-45fe-bb4e-6d86e8b6a98d,
  abstract     = {{Increased divorce rates over the past century are linked to changing macroeconomic <br/>conditions, increased female independence and welfare state expenditure, but few studies <br/>have assessed these long-term relationships at the macro level. Research has focused on <br/>Anglo-Saxon contexts and not considered developments in vanguard countries like Sweden <br/>that determined their role as sociodemographic precursors and early representatives of a <br/>society with a high divorce rate. We examine the impact of macroeconomic conditions <br/>together with increased female independence and welfare expenditure on the divorce rate by <br/>performing time series analysis, using annual aggregate data from Sweden covering almost a <br/>century (1915-2010). We separate between short-run (business cycle), medium-run, and long<br/>run (structural) impacts. Results show that separating between time horizons is important for <br/>understanding the determinants of divorce. Increasing divorce rates were part of a structural <br/>process, affecting the family through increasing state support for families and work <br/>opportunities for women. In the short to medium run demographic factors were key <br/>determinants. It is important to consider contexts like Sweden to understand how welfare state <br/>expansion can counterbalance economic cycles and modify the relationship between <br/>economic conditions and divorce by making divorce accessible through subsidies and <br/>services, even in times of recession. <br/>}},
  author       = {{Stanfors, Maria and Andersson, Fredrik N G and Sandström, Glenn}},
  keywords     = {{divorce; macro-level determinants; Sweden; time series analysis}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Working Paper}},
  number       = {{2020:2}},
  series       = {{Lund Papers in Economic Demography (LPED)}},
  title        = {{A Century of Divorce: Long-Term Socioeconomic Restructuring and the Divorce Rate in Sweden, 1915-2010}},
  url          = {{https://www.ed.lu.se/publications/Lund-Papers-in-Economic-Demography}},
  year         = {{2020}},
}