Divorce and Its Aftermath

Historically, women are vulnerable to devaluation through a multitude of deviance labels, including divorce. Their reflections highlight their experiences of marriage and its aftermath. Prior to marriage, themes of feeling unmoored, in transition, and without an anchor shaped the narratives of the nine emerging and young adult women. Lack of self-reflection and evaluation predisposed them to make decisions based on partial and “convenient” truths. Unfolding processes led the majority of these women to revisit their pre-marital selves, engage with the emotional work that was deferred, and build foundations that were growth enhancing. An analysis specific to stigma revealed that stigma continues to inform the behavior of divorced emerging and young adult women in complex, nuanced, and contradictory ways. While a significant number of the nine participants assessed that divorce-related stigma is no longer relevant, their actions, including intentional nondisclosure and beliefs related to failure and embarrassment, suggest otherwise.