Divorce late in life - an unexplored but increasingly common experience
A VR-funded project about "Getting divorced late in life". The project is carried out by Peter Öberg and Torbjörn Bildtgård.
Late-life divorce has become increasingly common throughout the Western world. In the US, the trend has even been described as a divorce revolution among older people, and the Swedish trend is comparable. In Sweden, the divorce rate for people aged 60+ has almost doubled since the turn of the millennium. Today, one in ten Swedes who divorce is over 60 and the divorce rate for older people is expected to continue to rise. Despite this, divorce in old age is almost unexplored in both family sociology, which tends to focus on divorce earlier in the life course, and in gerontology, which tends to focus on relationships that end in death. Existing research on late-life divorce is mainly quantitative and from the USA. Qualitative research on the lived experience of divorce late in life is lacking. There is also a complete lack of research on the Swedish case, which is often seen as a forerunner in family trends. The aim of the project is to study the experience of divorce and separation in later life. Central questions are:
- Why do people divorce late in life?
- How do key life transitions, such as children moving out, retirement and age-related ill health, affect the divorce experience?
- What are the differences between 'his' and 'her' divorce?
- How are social support and relationships with adult children affected?
- What does divorce in old age reveal about older people's views on family and intimate relationships?
- What does divorce in old age reveal about the expectations of contemporary older generations about ageing?
Divorce in old age provides a strategic site for studying the changing nature of the ageing family in late modern society - an issue of great relevance for the planning of societal interventions for older people. Our study will fill an important gap in both national and international research in this area.
Research plan for the project Divorcing late in life
Pdf, 656.9 kB.
Tell us about divorce in old age!
In Sweden, the divorce rate for people aged 60 and over has almost doubled since the turn of the millennium. Despite this, there is very little research on these divorces. Therefore, we are looking for you, a woman/man who has divorced or separated from a cohabiting relationship after the age of 60 and where at least one year and no more than seven years have passed since the divorce/separation. Read more at: hig.se/elderlyfamilyrelationships
If you would like to contribute important knowledge and are willing to participate in an interview or have questions about the study, please contact Professor Peter Öberg at the University of Gävle or Associate Professor Torbjörn Bildtgård at Stockholm University.
The interviews will be conducted by us and your answers will be treated anonymously.
Information for participants in the project
Divorce late in life - an unexplored but increasingly common experience
Late-life divorce has become increasingly common throughout the Western world. In Sweden, the divorce rate for people aged 60+ has almost doubled since the turn of the millennium. Today, one in ten Swedes who divorce is over 60 and the divorce rate for older people is expected to continue to rise. Despite this, divorce in old age is almost unexplored. The aim of the project is to study the experience of divorce and being divorced in old age.
Since cohabitation is common in Sweden, the study focuses on both divorce from marriage and separation from cohabitation.
If you want to participate in the study, we will conduct an interview with you at a location of your choice. We are happy to come to your home but can also meet at any other location that suits you.
The interview will cover your previous marriage/cohabitation, what led up to the divorce, how life as a divorcee differs from life as a married/cohabiting couple and how you see the future. For some, this may evoke strong feelings, which you should be aware of. At the same time, the interview is also an opportunity to tell a personal story to an interested listener, about an experience that is increasingly common but for which there is very little research. You are therefore making an important contribution to knowledge about late life divorce, also for others who are in a similar situation.
The interview will take approximately 1.5-2 hours. The interviews will be recorded and the recordings will be deleted after they are printed. As an interviewee, you can choose not to answer a question at any time during the interview, or choose to stop the interview.
The project adheres to accepted research ethics principles and follows the legal basis for personal data set out in the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR, Article 6). The data protection officer is Ann Scherdin, registrator@hig.se, 026-64 85 00. Your answers and results will be treated in such a way that they cannot be accessed by unauthorized persons. All transcripts of the interviews will be de-identified. No information that can be linked to you as an informant will appear in publications from the project. All personal data, such as telephone numbers and names of interviewees, will be stored in a locked cabinet in a locked room at the University of Gävle, and will be deleted when the study is completed.
The University of Gävle is responsible for your personal data. According to the EU's Data Protection Regulation, you have the right to access all data about you that is processed free of charge and, if necessary, to have any errors corrected. You can also request that information about you be deleted or that the processing of your personal data be restricted. The contact person is Peter Öberg.
If you have any complaints about the project's handling of your personal data, you can contact the Swedish Data Protection Authority (IMY) at any time. If you wish, you can access the interview by requesting a de-identified transcript.
Your participation in the study is entirely voluntary and you have the right to withdraw your participation at any time, even after the interview has been completed. All data about you will then be deleted. To withdraw your participation, contact the researcher in charge.
The research principal and responsible for your personal data in the project is the University of Gävle.
Contact
Contact Peter Öberg for questions about the research project or read more about his research and see his publications in the research presentation.
Torbjörn Bildtgård
Associate Professor of Sociology, Stockholm University
Contact Torbjörn Bildtgård for questions regarding the different research projects or read more in his research presentation
External link. at Stockholm University
This page was last updated 2025-04-30