Patterns of Union Formation and Dissolution in Rural and Urban Areas: A Comparison across Recent Cohorts of American Women

Anastasia R. Snyder, Ohio State University
Mary Ann Demi, Pennsylvania State University

This study examines contemporary patterns of family formation and dissolution among rural and urban American women. Numerous recent studies have examined family structure and formation differences among recent cohorts of rural and urban populations (Snyder & Brown; 2004; Snyder & McLaughlin, 2004; Brown & Snyder, 2006). This study will add to this important research area by providing a more comprehensive overview of family formation and dissolution patterns in rural and urban America in recent decades. Data from the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth will be used to examine union formation and dissolution patterns. Analyses will examine entrance into unions by union type, survival time, exits from unions, and time until recoupling or remarriage. Discrete time event history models will predict transition pathways among American women paying particular attention to rural and urban differences. This study will help us understand contemporary union formation and dissolution patterns, and changes across cohorts and residence areas.