Consequences of Divorce for Childhood Education: Australia, Canada, and the USA, 1940-1990

Comparative Sociology, Vol. 8, pp. 105-146, 2009

42 Pages Posted: 24 Nov 2008

See all articles by M. D. R. Evans

M. D. R. Evans

University of Nevada, Reno - Departments of Resource Economics and Sociology

Jonathan Kelley

International Survey Center; University of Nevada Reno - Department of Sociology

Richard A. Wanner

University of Calgary - Department of Sociology

Abstract

Parental divorce imposes a small but significant educational disadvantage on American children. Does this generalize across nations and over time? We analyze representative national samples from Australia (n=29,443) and Canada (n=28,266), together with US General Social Survey data (n=32,380). Using OLS and logistic regression with robust standard errors, we estimate models controlling many potentially confounding variables. Divorce costs seven-tenths of a year of education, mainly by reducing secondary school completion. Importantly, it has become more damaging in recent cohorts. Because this holds in all three nations, the explanation probably lies in common circumstances of, and parallel changes in, modern industrial societies.

Keywords: divorce, education, cross-national, trends

JEL Classification: I20, I21, J12, J18, J24

Suggested Citation

Evans, Mariah and Kelley, Jonathan and Wanner, Richard A., Consequences of Divorce for Childhood Education: Australia, Canada, and the USA, 1940-1990. Comparative Sociology, Vol. 8, pp. 105-146, 2009, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1305327

Mariah Evans

University of Nevada, Reno - Departments of Resource Economics and Sociology ( email )

1664 N. Virginia St
Reno, NV 89557
United States

Jonathan Kelley (Contact Author)

International Survey Center ( email )

18124 Wedge Parkway #1035
Reno, NV 89511
United States
415 315 9806 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://www.international-survey.org

University of Nevada Reno - Department of Sociology ( email )

United States

Richard A. Wanner

University of Calgary - Department of Sociology ( email )

University Drive
Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4
Canada

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