Why are interracial divorce rates higher for white women than white men?

[TheAmazingGrace]

I’ve come across several studies which indicate that marriages between white women and non-white men are much more likely to end in divorce than marriages between white men and non-white women. It’s a weird question to be sure, but I was wondering if anyone has any insight as to why this is.

 

[RPRPsych]

I’ve come across several studies which indicate that marriages between white women and non-white men are much more likely to end in divorce than marriages between white men and non-white women. It’s a weird question to be sure, but I was wondering if anyone has any insight as to why this is.

Define “non-white” (or “white” for that matter).

I suspect this question has a complex (dare I say “fractal”) answer because “white” and “non-white” are heterogeneous categories, and divorce is a complex phenomenon that certainly involves a lot more than race. (Can I get a “correlation is not causation” here?)

 

[ConfusedLucy]

I accept that I’m generalising but different cultures can have very different expectations for wives when it comes to domestic life. A husband probably won’t object to a wife who wants to spend lots of time cooking and cleaning even if not expected but a wife will be a lot more put out by a husband who insists on her doing more housework than she feels should fall on her.

Obviously all couples need to consider their expectations when considering marriage and discuss these things.

 

[AClaire11]

Societal and familial disapproval might also be a factor, and usually falls heavier on women. My brother is in an interracial marriage and no one in our family cares. When my parents heard a (untrue) rumour that I was dating someone of another race, they flipped out on me and I was grounded for the entire summer.

 

[Lea101]

Please link the bunch of studies so we can see if it’s scientific/accurate etc…

Non white cultures are more conservative (generally speaking). Assuming that the studies actually show an issue and not just random statistics, I would guess it’s because the man generally has more influence over the family. More conservative and traditional men would prefer a similar wife and tension could arise. A woman from another race might have a longer marriage because there could be a possibility that she conforms to the white man’s beliefs.

(Strange because people in my country tend to say stuff like how white husbands are unfaithful, but nothing about the white women)

Other replies you got here also makes sense. Correlation is not causation, women tend to get more flack because they are usually “marrying into” the family. There are a bajillion other reasons for divorce, race has a very little role assuming that there is no racism on either family’s part.

Of course the more feasible reason is that there is no reason. That the results are not statistically significant.

 

[Peebo]

Well there do seem to be more white women dating and I presume marrying black men here in the US…that’s just a personal observation…what the reason is…who knows…maybe they think it’s cool to be part of the black culture these days…then they find out it is different than how they were probably raised…and all their white friends have gone on with their “white” culture lives…so they don’t fit in anymore…and they also realize they don’t fit in with the black culture…plus there are those in the black… and white…communities who don’t accept them…or their children also…on the other hand before I retired I worked within mainly a black work force…some of the black men said they preferred dating white women because they said black women were too loud and aggressive…so maybe they too realize that they don’t fit into the white culture if they marry white women…maybe quite a few people find it too hard to handle the cultural…and racial…differences

 

[matthewww]

i am in an interracial marriage

I would say it’s the cultural differences if anything. I don’t know if the study you read explain the reasons why they get divorced. There are different reasons why one leaves!

My wife is white-I’m not, and I cannot think of a reason why that would be the case. It’s definitely more of an external problem than internal. I know people use it to subtly make racist jabs towards non-white men. Not cool. I’m dreading to see what other posters would say.

Don’t want to generalize but I also notice that other races, like african, chinese, indian etc tend to be more traditional. A traditional man would not really care about the race of his wife, but a traditional woman would rather marry into the same race-because usually the children tend to take on the father’s beliefs. A WOC marrying a white guy is more likely to not cling onto her culture as much. I do not know if I believe what I’m saying! I do not know what to make out of studies like this. The first thing that came to my mind was "do they have different religions?’. Because that made more sense:shrug:

 

[philipl]

I’ve come across several studies which indicate that marriages between white women and non-white men are much more likely to end in divorce than marriages between white men and non-white women. It’s a weird question to be sure, but I was wondering if anyone has any insight as to why this is.

Where I use to work I became friends with a very cute black woman. My wife, What she said is that well educated black women are more interested in white men. The reason was that white men provide what black men wont, love, commitment, family, fidelity, and more.

 

[matthewww]

Where I use to work I became friends with a very cute black woman. My wife, What she said is that well educated black women are more interested in white men. The reason was that white men provide what black men wont, love, commitment, family, fidelity, and more.

Well, that’s an ignorant thing to say. Black men are not allergic to commitment. Educated black women tend to be around more white men than black men in universities or workplaces. We don’t see much educated black people because they tend to come from poorer income families and it is difficult to move up (that is changing now). So for those that excel and manage to move up, they are more surrounded by people of other races.

Using racial stereotypes to explain divorce rates is ridiculous. One can then say a stereotype about the white women, and this thread will get ugly fast.

 

[mommy_k]

I would think the core for all disintergrating marriages is that expectations differ and are not fully discussed before hand…

I don’t know why one would look up specific data, as things like this are based on the individuals in the marriage. not groups.

 

[Xantippe]

Define “non-white” (or “white” for that matter).

I suspect this question has a complex (dare I say “fractal”) answer because “white” and “non-white” are heterogeneous categories, and divorce is a complex phenomenon that certainly involves a lot more than race. (Can I get a “correlation is not causation” here?)

Right.

 

[philipl]

Well, that’s an ignorant thing to say. Black men are not allergic to commitment. Educated black women tend to be around more white men than black men in universities or workplaces. We don’t see much educated black people because they tend to come from poorer income families and it is difficult to move up (that is changing now). So for those that excel and manage to move up, they are more surrounded by people of other races.

Using racial stereotypes to explain divorce rates is ridiculous. One can then say a stereotype about the white women, and this thread will get ugly fast.

I am just telling what she told me.

 

[TheAmazingGrace]

Define “non-white” (or “white” for that matter).

I suspect this question has a complex (dare I say “fractal”) answer because “white” and “non-white” are heterogeneous categories, and divorce is a complex phenomenon that certainly involves a lot more than race. (Can I get a “correlation is not causation” here?)

I guess by “white” I mean having a European ethnicity.

 

[TheAmazingGrace]

Please link the bunch of studies so we can see if it’s scientific/accurate etc…

Non white cultures are more conservative (generally speaking). Assuming that the studies actually show an issue and not just random statistics, I would guess it’s because the man generally has more influence over the family. More conservative and traditional men would prefer a similar wife and tension could arise. A woman from another race might have a longer marriage because there could be a possibility that she conforms to the white man’s beliefs.

(Strange because people in my country tend to say stuff like how white husbands are unfaithful, but nothing about the white women)

Other replies you got here also makes sense. Correlation is not causation, women tend to get more flack because they are usually “marrying into” the family. There are a bajillion other reasons for divorce, race has a very little role assuming that there is no racism on either family’s part.

Of course the more feasible reason is that there is no reason. That the results are not statistically significant.

divorcesource.com/blog/interracial-marriage-and-divorce/

This drew from a lot of sources. According to it, the highest divorce rates are between Asian men/white women, while the lowest are between white men/black women.

 

[pianistclare]

I think, that gross generalizations are bad.
In regards to faith, relationships, and choice of shoes.
I expect this thread will be closed very soon.

 

[Lea101]

divorcesource.com/blog/interracial-marriage-and-divorce/

This drew from a lot of sources. According to it, the highest divorce rates are between Asian men/white women, while the lowest are between white men/black women.

*“Divorce determinants within an interracial marriage make it more likely that a couple will divorce. These determinants include cohabitation before marriage, having grown up in single-parent homes, lack of religion, previous marriages and childlessness. Each of these factors makes divorce more likely for the interracial couple. Marrying between the ages of 21 and 49, the woman having been foreign born and a higher level of education are factors that reduce the rate of divorce for interracial couples.” *This seems to answer your question so idk what exactly you are trying to find out, I would probably refrain from reading stuff like this without looking at the actual research paper because from experience, I find stuff like this to be quite misleading. Just my.opinion though. Maybe I’ll try and hunt down the papers and look through it when I am free

 

[Col103]

divorcesource.com/blog/interracial-marriage-and-divorce/

This drew from a lot of sources. According to it, the highest divorce rates are between Asian men/white women, while the lowest are between white men/black women.

Not to nitpick, but that’s not what the article you linked says. The article claims that black men/ white women have the highest divorce rates.

 

[ConfusedLucy]

I don’t think this should be a case of what race makes the best spouse but an opportunity to look at how to discuss different expectations in marriage so people have a better chance of a good marriage.

 

[pianistclare]

I don’t think this should be a case of what race makes the best spouse but an opportunity to look at how to discuss different expectations in marriage so people have a better chance of a good marriage.

Well, that would be an entirely different thread.

 

[twf]

“Race” is also a very imprecise and often culturally loaded term. The socially recognized “races” in say North American society don’t necessarily have any basis in biology. We refer to “Latinos” as a race…but what are “Latinos”? They are a cultural and linguistic group, to be sure, but in terms of genetics they have various origins depending on the unique history of their country of origin. My wife is Dominican. Dominicans today are the product of 500 years of intermarriage between Spanish/European colonists, native peoples to the island, and African slaves. In the cultural norms of North America her “race” is “Latino”. Another Latino, say from Mexico, is more likely to be of mixed Spanish/European and native Indian descent, but probably without the African element. I’m a “White” Canadian. But who qualifies as white? People of European ancestry? What about Armenians? They’re from Asia but they look pretty “white” to me.
When we look at modern studies of genetics / DNA, we find that all Europeans, Asians, natives of the Americas, etc. are very closely related, descending from a small group that left Africa tens of thousands of years ago. Within Africa itself we find far greater genetic diversity because humanity has been there since the beginning while other regions were colonized much later. So from a genetic perspective, shouldn’t we have several African “races” and then one non-African “race” that includes Europeans AND Asians? That’s what the DNA shows… yet we lump all Africans together as the “Black” race. Its not biological at all…its cultural. Its a construct.

Definition of terms is important. I think this discussion would be more fruitful if it was framed as a discussion of inter-CULTURAL marriages.