Investigating differences in the decay of divorce-induced residential mobility across gender and urbanisation

Abstract: Divorce is a life course event that triggers deviant, negative residential moves that symbolises the antithesis of climbing the traditional housing ladder, and sets individuals on an altered housing trajectory, typically associated with long-term instability compared to married counterparts. Studies have revealed that long-term instability associated with divorce is commonly connected to an increased probability of moving out of owner occupation that is greater and persists longer for women than men. Similarly, studies examining the immediate effects of divorce typically identify that women have a higher risk of moving out of the matrimonial home at the time of separation. No studies found have examined the time taken for divorcing individuals to assume their new altered housing trajectories. This study aims to develop an understanding in this regard by examining gendered differences in the time taken for individual mobility rates to assume their new housing trajectory, and considering what effects urbanisation has on divorce-induced mobility. Using the Swedish LISA database, groups of divorcing single parents with cohabiting children under 18 are compared to similar long-term divorcees whom are conceptualised to represent the post-divorce altered housing trajectory. Noteworthy findings include: 1) Divorce-induced mobility at the time of separation decays one year after divorce for Rural and Urban male groups, at which time the new housing trajectory was assumed. 2) The decay time for Big City males was four years. 3) The decay time for Urban females was four years, while Rural and Big City female groups remained at an elevated mobility state for all four years observed post-divorce. 4) Degree of Urbanisation has a significant impact for women, mobility was highest in Rural groups and lowest in Big City groups. However, no such effect is observed for males. This study is important to municipalities and urban planners because the findings presented here concerning gendered and regional impacts on mobility are relevant to forecasting housing demand. Moreover, national planners are concerned with regional inequalities and the finding that degrees of urbanisation has a mobility association for females, but not males, is interesting in light of Sweden’s rural development and gender equality goals.