Trajectory Stratification through Market, Family, and State: Divorce as a Turning Point among U.S. Women

For millions of women in the U.S., divorce triggers not only emotional upheaval but also longterm economic instability. Yet, while the average consequences of divorce are well documented, far less is known about why some women recover economically while others fall into lasting hardship. This study suggests that the explanation involves not just individual attributes, but also the institutionally structured life pathways that unfold after marital dissolution.Life disruptions serve as critical junctures that redirect individuals’ life trajectories. While some people regain stability after experiencing job loss, divorce, or health crises, others face deepening disadvantage that persists for years. This divergence raises fundamental questions about how social stratification unfolds—not just in moments of crisis, but across the extended arc of the life course. Prior research highlights that the consequences of life disruptions are shaped by individual resources and by institutional contexts (Brady 2024; Brady, Finnigan, andHübgen 2017; DiPrete 2002)