In a new study conducted in Australia, Zlatko Skrbis and colleagues interviewed about 7,000 adolescents about their expectations about marriage, cohabitation and divorce. They write,
“The results presented here have shown that young people do not overwhelmingly expect to experience non-traditional life pathways in the manner suggested by proponents of the individualization thesis. Furthermore, our findings indicate that those who do display these non-traditional values and expectations are likely to vary with respect to school sector and gender. Stronger claims about de-institutionalization, which emphasize the emergence of a reflexive subject that is free of the constraints of social structure of any kind, are not entirely borne out here.”
Skrbis, Z., Western, M., Tranter, B., Hogan, D., Coates, R., Smith, J., . . . Mayall, M. (2012). Expecting the unexpected: Young people’s expectations about marriage and family. Journal of Sociology, 48(1), 63-83. doi:10.1177/1440783311408968
Over the past 30 years survey researchers have been traking the US public’s attitudes about obtaining a divorce. From 1974 to 2006 there been very little change in attitudes. Roughly, about 25% of the public thinks it should be easier to obtain a divorce, about 50% think it should be harder and 20% think the law should stay the same.