When a love story ends, which biographies become relevant?

Montse Solsona, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

After a union disruption which biography becomes more relevant: Occupational? Educational? Health? Social mobility? Residential? Children’s biographies? New unions and childbearing? Old and new family ties? Love stories? Sexual experiences? In this paper we present the results of a study on family trajectories after divorce done in metropolitan areas of Spain (spring, 2008). The methodology used is qualitative: biographical approach based in-depth interviews. Interviews with 26 women and men are used as narratives, in order to understand how they explain their own biography. At the beginning of the interview we draw the family biography (dating unions, childbearing, and unions disruption) in a line of life; then the biographer develops a quite monolog (about their family, process of rupture, post-divorce and current situation) in which underlie the most significant experiences. Often making home, motherhood/fatherhood and satisfaction of personal needs are the most important dimensions that give sense to the life course.