1A few years ago, Anne Lambert published a critical analysis of sociological research on divorce in Population (1-2009). In this article, Cécile Bourreau-Dubois and Myriam Doriat-Duban propose an economic approach to divorce. As divorce comes with a cost for couples, the authors consider it as both a private and social risk, one that may be covered in a number of ways by various social actors.
2The journal’s editorial team called on divorce specialists from a range of disciplines to comment on this article. These seven accompanying commentaries are written by Bertrand Fragonard, Lucie Gonzalez and Céline Marc (Haut Conseil de la famille [High Family Council]), Céline Bessière and Sibylle Gollac (sociologists), Benoît Laplante (demographer), Bruno Jeandidier (economist), Anne-Marie Leroyer (legal specialist), Alain Trannoy (economist), and Claude Martin (sociologist). To conclude, the authors respond to these comments, some of them addressing issues in economic reasoning and others stressing the need to broaden perspectives to include other approaches, notably in terms of gender.
