From wife to family head: transitions in self-identity

Divorce and separation introduce extensive changes in the lives of married mothers. Their role as wife ends and, without the economic and social supports afforded by the marital institution, their role as mother is disrupted (Kohen, Brown, and Feldberg 1979). In turn they become heads of their families, a role discontinuous both with their socialization and marital experience and with the structure of their access to respect, status, jobs, and income from public institutions. Previous reports have emphasized the former changes-those which result from the loss of marriage (Bloom, White, and Asher 1979). Little attention has been devoted to the implications of changes demanded by the organization of post-divorce life. The contention of this study is that both must be considered in understanding the social and emotional consequences that follow the break-up of marriage. This paper focuses on them as dimensions within a general model of role change. The analysis assumes that roles provide the organizational bases for self-identity (Brim 1960; Turner 1978) and therefore, that self-identity will reflect the institutional patterns and personal experiences that are incorporated within the process of role change. Divorce is treated as an event occurring within the transition from married motherhood to single parenthood.