Doctoral Dissertation Research: Race and Ethnic Differences in Remarriage

University Of Texas At Austin, Austin TX

Investigators

Abstract

SES#: 1003491 PI: R. Kelly Raley Co-PI: Catherine B. McNamee University of Texas, Austin Why do Mexican Americans have patterns of first marriage and divorce similar to whites, but lower rates of remarriage? One explanation is that people with higher socio-economic status have higher marriage rates and lower divorce rates than people with lower socio-economic status. However, Mexican Americans marry at rates comparable to non-Hispanic whites and divorce at slightly lower rates. Some have argued that Mexican American marriage is supported by their cultural orientation towards familialism. However, this is inconsistent with patterns of remarriage for Mexican Americans who remarry at rates significantly lower than non-Hispanic whites. This study investigates the unexplained race and ethnic variation in remarriage using: 1) the National Survey Family Growth, 2) the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, and 3) 30 in-depth interviews of 15 Mexican American and 15 non-Hispanic White recently divorced women living in Austin, Texas. BROADER IMPACTS: It is well established that the wellbeing, particularly economic wellbeing, of adults and their children is positively associated with marriage, including remarriage. Therefore, a better understanding of racial/ethnic differences in martial transitions has potential practical and therapeutic importance for assisting professionals and families in navigating post-divorce transitions.