Quillette Podcast Marriage and Divorce in America
Dec 4, 2025
Nicholas Wolfinger, a sociologist and expert on family dynamics, dives into the fascinating evolution of marriage and divorce in America from the 1950s to today. He highlights the paradox of rising divorce rates after a stable 1950s, as well as a notable decline in marriage rates and an increase in later marriages. Wolfinger challenges common beliefs on the impact of welfare policies and dissected the myth that no-fault divorce laws triggered a divorce boom, all while sharing personal anecdotes that enrich the discussion.
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Long, Nonlinear Divorce And Marriage Trends
- Divorce rates rose sharply between the mid-1960s and around 1980 and then declined for decades afterward.
- Marriage rates fell and people now spend much less of their lifetime married because they marry later and divorce remains above mid-20th-century levels.
High Rate Of Non-Marital Births
- The share of births outside marriage grew dramatically and remains historically high near 40% in the U.S.
- These fertility changes are tightly linked to broader shifts in marriage timing and divorce patterns.
Both Culture And Economics Mattered
- Cultural shifts (feminism, individualism) and economic shifts (women's labor, men's wages) both mattered for family change.
- Neither cultural nor economic explanations alone fully account for the transformations in marriage and divorce.
