Full Citation

Title: No-Fault Divorce: A Cultural Product

Citation Type: Dissertation/Thesis

Publication Year: 2007

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Abstract: This thesis examines the adoption of no-fault divorce laws through sociology of lawfunctionalist and conflict/feminist perspectives. Previous research on the adoption of nofaultdivorce laws has focused primarily on the after math, but little attention has beenpaid to those factors influencing which states' adopted these laws. This paper will look atthe discord between written laws and laws in action and the gendered opportunitystructures in each state to determine what relationship exists between these factors andthe adoption of two types of no-fault divorce. The results indicate states that adopted apure no-fault divorce system, one that eliminates fault from divorce and alimonydecisions, were more likely to have a greater dissonance between their written laws andthe laws' actual application compared with those states that retained the use of fault inalimony allotments. States that adopted a pure no-fault system also had more opengendered opportunity structures than those that retained fault in alimony.

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Authors: Slattery, Teresa

Institution: The Ohio State University

Department: Sociology

Advisor: Liann Sayer

Degree: Bachelor of Arts

Publisher Location: Cleveland, OH

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Data Collections: IPUMS USA

Topics: Family and Marriage

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