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Chapter 8: Problem 9

Describe typical patterns of marriage and divorce in middle adulthood. Fifty years ago, midlife was similar for most people. Men and women, married since early adulthood, were still married to each other. One hundred years ago, when life expectancy was much shorter, people in their 40 s were usually married - but not necessarily to the people they had first married. Spouses often died; people might be well into their second marriage by middle age. Today, the story is different and more varied. More people are single at midlife, having never married. Single people may live alone or with a partner. Gay and lesbian adults may have committed relationships and may be married. Among heterosexuals, some have divorced, lived alone, and then remarried. Many people's marriages end in divorce, and many families "blend" together into new households, containing children and stepchildren from previous marriages. Some couples still spend 40 to 50 years together, the bulk of those years during middle adulthood. Many experience the peak of marital satisfaction during middle age.

Short Answer

Expert verified
Over different time periods, the pattern of marriages and divorces during middle adulthood has greatly evolved. Fifty years ago, most people were likely to be in their first or second marriages due to short life expectancies. However, in modern times, factors such as longer life expectancy, societal acceptance of divorce, and recognition of same-sex marriages have led to a diverse arrangement of relationships. These may include lifelong marriages, divorced individuals remarrying, and increasing instances of blended families, as well as an uptick in the number of single individuals.

Step by step solution

01

Identify the State of Marriage and Divorce 50 Years Ago

Around 50 years ago, most men and women who married in their early adulthood were still married to each other. Due to shorter life expectancy, some individuals would've been in their second marriages by middle age as spouses often passed away.
02

Recognize the Current Trends of Marriage and Divorce

Today, the scenario of marriages and divorces has drastically changed. A higher number of individuals have remained single at midlife, some having never married at all. Among heterosexuals, it's more common to have divorced and then remarried. Same-sex marriages have also been acknowledged and legalized in several societies, and long-term, committed relationships in these communities are now more mainstream.
03

Discuss Blended Families, Lifetime Marriages and Marital Satisfaction

Many marriage relationships result in divorce, leading to 'blended' families that contain children and stepchildren from previous marriages. However, some couples do live together for 40 to 50 years, often experiencing the peak of marital satisfaction during middle age.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Describe the benefits and challenges of work life in middle adulthood. For many, productivity, success, and earning power are greatest in middle age, but occupational success may become far less alluring than it once was. This is particularly true for those who have not achieved the career success they had hoped for. In such cases, family and other off-the-job interests become more important than work (Howard, \(1992 ;\) Simonton, 1997 ). WORK AND CAREERS: JOBS AT MIDLIFE The factors that make a job satisfying change during middle age. Younger adults focus on abstract and future-oriented concerns, such as the opportunity for advancement or the possibility of recognition and approval. Middle-aged employees care more about the here-and- now qualities of work. They are more concerned with pay, working conditions, and specific policies, such as how vacation time is calculated. As at previous stages of life, changes in overall job quality are associated with changes in stress levels for both men and women (Peterson \& Wilson, \(2004 ;\) Cohrs, Abele, \& Dette, 2006; Rantanen et al., 2012; Hamlet \& Herrick, 2014\()\). In general, though, the relationship between age and work is positive: The older workers are, the more overall job satisfaction they experience. This is not altogether surprising, because younger adults who are dissatisfied with their jobs will quit them and find new positions that they like better. Also, because older workers have fewer opportunities to change jobs, they may learn to live with what they have and accept that it is the best they are likely to get. Such acceptance may ultimately translate into satisfaction (Tangri, Thomas, \& Mednick, 2003).

Analyze the effects and significance of changes in family patterns in middle adulthood. For many parents, a major midlife transition is the departure of children who are going to college, getting married, joining the military, or taking a job far from home. Even people who become parents at relatively late ages are likely to face this transition, because the middle adulthood spans nearly a quarter century. As we saw in Kathy and Bob's story, a child's departure can be wrenching - so much so, in fact, that it has been labeled the "empty nest syndrome." The empty nest syndrome refers to the unhappiness, worry, loneliness, and depression some parents feel when their children leave home (Lauer \& Lauer, 1999 ; Erickson, Martinengo, \&c Hill, 2010 ). Many parents report that major adjustments are required. For women who were stay-at-home mothers, the loss can be quite pronounced. Traditional homemakers, who focus significant time and energy on their children, face a challenging time. Although the loss can be difficult, parents also find that some aspects of this transition are quite positive. Even mothers who have stayed at home find they have time for other interests, such as community or recreational activities, when the children leave. They may also enjoy the opportunity to get a job or return to school. Finally, many women find that motherhood is not easy; surveys show that most people regard motherhood as harder than it used to be. Such women may now feel liberated from a difficult set of responsibilities (Heubusch, 1997; Morfei et al., 2004; Chen, Yang, \&c Dale Aagard, 2012).

Analyze changes in the nature and use of intelligence in middle adulthood. The question of whether intelligence declines in middle adulthood is complicated by limitations in cross-sectional studies and longitudinal studies. Intelligence appears to be divided into components, some of which decline, whereas others hold steady or even improve. In general, cognitive competence in middle adulthood holds fairly steady despite declines in some areas of intellectual functioning. Many people develop strategies to optimize their intellectual performance as they age, often concentrating on particular skill areas to make up for declines in other areas, a process called selective optimization with compensation. Expertise the skill or knowledge acquired in a particular area-develops as people devote attention and practice to a subject or skill and, in so doing, gain experience.

Describe the physical changes that affect people in middle adulthood.

Explain varied perspectives on personality development during middle adulthood. Traditional views of adult personality development have suggested that people move through a fixed series of stages, each tied closely to age. These stages are related to specific crises in which an individual undergoes an intense period of questioning and psy* chological turmoil. This perspective is a feature of the normative-crisis models of personality development. Normative- crisis models see personality development as universal stages of sequential, age-related crises. For example, Erik Erikson's psychosocial theory predicts that people move through a series of stages and crises throughout their life span. Some critics suggest that normative-crisis approaches may be outmoded. They arose at a time when society had fairly rigid and uniform roles for people. Traditionally, men were expected to work and support a family; women were expected to stay at home and take care of the children. These roles played out at relatively uniform ages. Today, there is considerable variety in both the roles and the timing. Some people marry and have children at \(40 .\) Others have children and marry later. Others never marry and live with a partner of the same or opposite sex and perhaps adopt a child or forgo children altogether. In sum, social changes have called into question the normative-crisis models closely tied to age (Fugate \& Mitchell, 1997; Barnett \&c Hyde, 2001; Fraenkel, 2003).
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