Ecological determinants of divorce: A structural approach to the explanation of Japanese divorce

Hiroshi Fukurai, Jon P. Alston
1992 Biodemography and Social Biology  
This paper examines the ecological determinants of contemporary Japanese dh·orce rates on the prefectural level. LISREL and computer-generated graphics are the analytic methods used. The aggregate level of analysis demands the use of the ecological model which posits that demographic changes, economic activities, migration patterns, and the level of urbanization are significant predictors of divorce rate. Our analysis demonstrates that sex ratio, female labor force participation, female
more » ... tion patterns, population increase, and net household income all play a significant role in affecting the divorce rate. Our findings also confirm the well-supported hypothesis that both population density and modernization positively influence modern Japan's divorce rates. The residual analysis also points out that in order to account for the large proportion of the unexplained variance of Japanese divorce, behavioralrelated variables and island-or prefecture-specific dimensions need to be included in the ecological model of divorce.
doi:10.1080/19485565.1992.9988821 fatcat:piic3rvedvabrj5qng56glg7ze