CONSEQUENCES OF MARITAL DISSOLUTION FOR CHILDREN

This paper examines changes in marriage as an institution for rearing children in the United States. It reviews the effects of martial insta bility and living arrangements on children's welfare, and focuses on h ow children's economic, emotional, and social needs are met when paren ts separate. The review shows that changes in marriage and childrearin g have different consequences for women and men. For women, marriage a nd parenthood are distinct institutions. Women provide for children's needs, whether or not the women are married to their children's father s. For men, marriage defines responsibilities to children. At divorce, men typically disengage from their biological children. When men rema rry they may acquire new children whom they help to support. The revie w describes the effects on children of divorced mothers' and fathers' varying commitments to childrearing. It considers the difficulties tha t divorced parents expeience when they try to continue to share respon sibilities for children after separation, and it suggests avenues for future research.