Occupational mobility around separation for British men and women

• In Event: 220 - Section on the Sociology of the Family Roundtables (one-hour)
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 05. Relationship Dissolution and Transitions

Abstract

We examine changes in occupational status around divorce for men and women. We hypothesize to find a divorce penalty for men and a divorce premium for women. Possible explanations of gender differences are sought in a change in gender roles after divorce, which are reflected in the diminished relevance of gender role specialization in paid and unpaid work, gender differences in the loss of social capital, and gender dissimilarities in emotional stress experienced after divorce. Additionally, we assess whether divorce reduces gender inequalities in social status. Partnered men have a higher occupational status than partnered women and this gender difference grows over time. Divorce might decrease this gender difference. Fixed effects regressions using the British Household Panel Survey show a disproportionately large increase in ISEI score in the year after separation for women, while for men the increase is less steep. Hence, divorce equalizes the social status distribution between the genders, at least in the short-term.

Author

• Maike van Damme, Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research and University of Leuven