title: The educational gradient in marital disruption: a meta-analysis of European research findings.
abstract: A large number of empirical studies have investigated the effects of women's education on union dissolution in Europe, but results have varied substantially. This paper seeks to assess the relationship between educational attainment and the incidence of marital disruption by systematizing the existing empirical evidence. A quantitative literature review (a meta-analysis) was conducted to investigate the temporal change in the relationship, net of inter-study differences. The results point to a weakening of the positive educational gradient in marital disruption over time and even to a reversal in the direction of this gradient in some countries. The findings also show that the change in the educational gradient can be linked to an increase in access to divorce. Finally, the results suggest that women's empowerment has played an important role in changing the educational gradient, while the liberalization of divorce laws has not.
authors.affiliation: a Warsaw School of Economics.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Matysiak
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Styrc
authors.forename: Daniele
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vignoli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D004243:Divorce / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004522:Educational Status; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D036301:Qualitative Research; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012737:Sex Factors; D066107:Social Skills; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: education; marital disruption; marriage; meta-analysis; social change; socio-economic status