Divorce in Psychosocial Perspective

Book excerpt: Many books deal with divorce and its aftermath -- some deal with the impact of divorce on children and families, others with the legal or sociological aspects of divorce, and a few focus on divorced mothers and fathers. Most of these books are characterized by their practical orientation toward the issues and problems posed by divorce. None of these, however, have attempted to offer an integrated view of the massive amount of theoretical and research literature on divorced adults and their children. In addition, none present a comprehensive view of divorce as a psychological process within its larger social context. Filling that void, this book: * offers a comprehensive view of divorce as a social, interpersonal and psychological phenomenon, * reviews the theory and research on divorce focusing on the major protagonists of the divorce drama: the mother, the father and the children, and * introduces a social-psychological theory of divorce process.