Gender and changes in household wealth after the dissolution of marriage and cohabitation in Germany
Boertien, Diederik (Centre d'Estudis Demogràfics)
Lersch, Philipp M. (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin)

Date:	2021
Abstract:	Objective: To document gender differences in how economic wealth changes following the dissolution of marriage and cohabitation in Germany. Background: Wealth can be an important resource to deal with the adverse economic consequences of union dissolution. Marital property regimes usually ensure that both partners receive a share of the couples' wealth following a divorce. The dissolution of cohabiting unions is not governed by such rules in most countries, including Germany, which may lead to a more unequal division of wealth following the dissolution of cohabitation as compared to marriage. Method: The analysis consists of multivariable fixed-effects regression models based on longitudinal data from the German Socio-Economic Panel (N = 6,388 individuals) for the years 2002 to 2017. Results: Changes in wealth are relatively similar for men and women after the dissolution of marriage. The dissolution of cohabiting unions is related to losses in wealth for women, but not for men. Controlling for post-dissolution processes, gender inequality increases after the dissolution of cohabitations. Conclusion: Union dissolution is associated with wealth losses. The legal protection of the economically weaker spouse in marriage prevents gender inequality in these wealth losses. Lacking such legal protection, cohabitation is associated with gender inequality in the consequences of dissolution.
Grants:	Agència de Gestió d'Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca 2016-BP-00121 European Commission 637768 Agencia Estatal de Investigación RTI2018-096730-B-I00
Note:	Altres ajuts: DFG/LE 3612/2-1
Rights:	Aquest material està protegit per drets d'autor i/o drets afins. Podeu utilitzar aquest material en funció del que permet la legislació de drets d'autor i drets afins d'aplicació al vostre cas. Per a d'altres usos heu d'obtenir permís del(s) titular(s) de drets.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió sotmesa a revisió
Subject:	Divorce ; Economic well-being ; Gender ; Inequalities ; Separation
Published in:	Journal of Marriage and Family, Vol. 83 Núm. 1 (2021) , p. 228-242, ISSN 1741-3737

DOI: 10.1111/jomf.12705

38 p, 1.6 MB

The record appears in these collections:
Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Social and Legal Sciences > Centre for Demographic Studies (CED-CERCA)
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles