On Divorce and the Generations
The upcoming publication of Susan Gregory Thomas’ book, “In Spite of Everything: A Memoir,” has prompted several blog posts on the divorce rate of Gen X.
Gen X, the generation aged between 30 and 45, is less covered in the media than Baby Boomers and Gen Y. They are the folks working diligently at jobs they’ve had for a while, raising families and worrying about the impending mass retirement of Baby Boomers.
U.S. census data shows that 40% of Gen X were latch-key kids; half came from split families. They were in fact, “one of the least parented, least nurtured generations in US history.” As Thomas points out, these were two situations that Gen X parents wanted to avoid for their own children. But what she suggests in the excerpt of her book is that by building “comfy nests for our kids,” Gen X parents are forgetting to nurture their marriage, and ultimately many are finding themselves separating from their partners.
However, as the Wall Street Journal article points out, despite the oft-heard sensationalist statistics about divorce, divorce is currently at its lowest level since 1970 (it peaked around 1980). There are a number of differences between marriages in 1970/80 and today; today people are getting married later in life, they are co-habitating first and they are more prone to marry “their best friends.” It remains to be seen if these marriages will hold or if they simply haven’t reached a breaking point yet.
It will be interesting to see how, and if, Gen Y uses the experiences of Baby Boomers and Gen X as they begin to build partnerships and families in the coming years.
