Initially, marriages were designed to last forever, but in the recent past, divorces have become norm. This is facilitated by courts and legislatures that have made it simple.
The legal processes are reduced and anyone filling a petition to seek divorce can be granted without explaining in details the reasons as to why he/she needs to divorce. The parents who have been married for one year can file a petition seeking for divorce on basis of adultery or accusation that the other partner has unacceptable behavior that he/she cannot put up with.
These cultures that accept divorce readily are causing more harm than good to the society. Although the parent assumes their behavior will work for the good of their families, there are dangers that it posses thus it would be advisable for the court to consider the repercussions of divorce and carry out counseling to both parents and children under the age of 18 before issuing divorce.
Although the parent assumes that divorce has no effect on their children, the lives of the children from divorced families are affected even in their adulthood. These children are likely to be exposed to physical and emotional abuse that could result to health and emotional problems. The trauma of their parents’ separation tortures them psychologically since they constantly think that they are the cause.
This creates emotional distance between the children and their parents, which affects their learning and they are likely to repeat the divorce cycle or even develop some behavioral problems as adults. The parenting role is left to the custodian parent only and therefore, the children lack the role models to help them in resolving their conflicts and even in making viable decisions.
The financial position of the divorced parents is affected since they do not apply the economy of scales. The parents have to cater for the expenses of two homes, which sometimes expose them to financial crisis. Statistics show that most of the people who seek welfare assistance are from divorced families. Single parent especially women are forced to work for long to cater for their children thus neglecting the parenting role.
Despite the dangers of divorce, the laws have made its process easier. There are bills passed to quicken the legal processes that issue divorce. The bill seeks to give wives legal right to property owned by the spouse during the period of their marriage. The bill aims at give irretrievable breakdown of marriages a new ground to grant divorce.
The court reduced the compulsory period of at least six months to the period that favors the party filing a petition. Where the couple had agreed on divorce then one party avoids the court to delay the court proceedings, the law had been amended in favor of the party insisting on divorce.
In conclusion, most of the married couples are open to divorce without considering the consequences. The societies have embraced divorce since there are numerous people who are raising their children comfortable as single parents. The legal system has made it easier for the couples that desire to divorce by granting them divorce without getting details of the reasons that are causing them to divorce.
The children are the most affected when these divorces go through and therefore, the judges and the parents ought to think of their welfare before considering it. When divorce cannot be avoided, the couple should seek professional counseling to prepare their children psychological on how to handle the news and coup in absence of one parent. Although many couple considers divorce as the best way to solve their conflicts, the consequences are severe since it causes more harm than good.
Although traditionally, it is considered that marriage is a sacred union that is supposed to bring the wife and husband together “until death do them part,” in reality, choosing the right life partner is not that easy. As a result, many couples make a mistake, realizing that they are not quite compatible only when they have discovered the joy of marriage. This is not the only reason for a divorce, however; yet, no matter what the cause of a divorce is, it its purpose remains the same, i.e., preventing people from living an unhappy life.
However, due to considerable drops in the number of population, the question concerning the legitimacy of banning divorces on the basis of religious and moral norms has been raised. In their article Framing Divorce Reform, Michelle Adams and Scott Coltrane research the problem of divorce, its effects and its perception in the modern society (Adams and Coltrane).
In their research, Scott and Coltrane take a back seat to original research and indulge into analyzing the existing evidence concerning divorces, thus, making it clear that their study is based on theoretical assumptions concerning divorce rather than specific case studies.
As the results of the research show, the existing laws on divorce van be considered neither as the glue that will keep marriage together, nor as the means to make them feel responsible about each other; in any case, as long as at least one of the spouses feel that they do not belong together, the couple will inevitably get separated, whether legally or not.
Therefore, Scott and Coltrane stress, there is no point in reinforcing the propaganda of marriage as sacred bonds that are not to be broken. It must be admitted that in the contemporary society, with its new rules and moral principles, it is the trust between the partners that is appreciated most.
Generalizing the issue: divorce and its effects
Considering the given article as a whole, without getting into details, one must admit that Adams and Coltrane address not merely the issue of divorce as a phenomenon, but the problem of basic human freedoms being violated by society in the XXI century. Indeed, even though nowadays, every single human being has been provided with his or her inalienable right to make his or her own choices concerning private life and the choice of a partner, the attempts to control people’s private life have not ceased to exist yet.
Therefore, it can be assumed that, along with the problem of divorce, the article raises a nonetheless significant question regarding people’s right for a private life. In addition, the authors of the article raise an important question regarding the reasons for society to shun the people who decide to divorce.
Works Cited
Adams, Michelle and Scott Coltrane. “Framing Divorce Reform.” Shifting the Center: Understanding Contemporary Families. Ed. Susan Ferguson. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. 2010. 499–511. Print.
Marsiglo, William. “Overlooked Aspects of Stepfathering.” Shifting the Center: Understanding Contemporary Families. Ed. Susan Ferguson. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. 2010. 556–571. Print.
In modern societies, the practice of signing a prenuptial agreement has become common. Essentially, such agreements are legal contracts that impose specifications about the manner in which property is distributed in cases when a marriage is terminated, annulled, or in the instance where one spouse dies (Cheeseman 716). Most often, a prenuptial agreement is signed by partners who have separate professional careers or who possess significant assets which were acquired before the marriage. Such an agreement also benefits children from a previous marriage, ensuring that they would receive a portion of the assets if the remarrying spouse passes away. The primary disadvantage of the prenuptial agreement is that no one can foresee the problems that might occur in the course of a marriage, thus the agreement simply cannot cover everything, as demonstrated in the case discussed below (Beners & Syvret 2).
Separate and Marital Property
Assets that a spouse brings to the marriage are considered separate property and include gifted and inherited assets. Assets that the couple acquires during the marriage are considered marital property. Within the marital property framework, there is a concept of community property that states all assets acquired in the course of the marriage are considered marital property (Cheeseman 718). There is no demarcation regarding which spouse earned more or earned less: the states that follow the community property legislation declare all marital assets should be divided equally between spouses.
Child and Spousal Support
Spousal support, or alimony, is awarded by the court so that one spouse provides monthly payments to the other. Types of alimony range from temporary to permanent, depending on circumstances. While temporary alimony is paid to a spouse to assist in getting by during divorce proceedings (DC Bar 1), permanent alimony is paid to a spouse who has not been able to develop the skills and competencies necessary to get a job. The concept of permanent alimony should be modified since many individuals simply choose not to work after a divorce and instead decide to rely on spousal support. The court should determine whether a spouse is able to work and then decide whether alimony should – or should not be paid. Child support is payment from the non-custodial parent for the child’s shelter, food, clothing, and other necessities. The Family Support Act (1994) prevents non-custodial parents from avoiding payments and makes certain that the monthly amount is withdrawn automatically from his or her wages (Ahsan 157).
Ethics Case Analysis
The ethics case of Nagib Giha and Nelly Giha is directly related to the distinction between separate and community property. The wife sued her husband for an equal share of his lottery winnings, claiming that the lottery assets were marital. In this case, the date on which the husband won the lottery plays a crucial role (Bird par. 2). Since he won the lottery on December 25th and the court did not terminate the marriage until April 27th of the following year, the won funds can be considered marital property. On the other hand, despite the fact that both parties decided to equally divide their assets, the Massachusetts state legislation does not imply community division of property. The law demands that the assets are divided equitably, but not necessarily equally, as the wife desired. In this case, there is unethical action on the part of the wife, despite her indeed being eligible for a portion of the lottery assets (Bishop par. 1).
Works Cited
Ahsan, Nilofer. “The Family Preservation and Support Services Program.” The Future of Children 6.3 (1996): 157-160. 1996.
Benest & Syvret. Prenuptial Agreements. n.d. PDF file. 2016. Web.
In the event of a divorce, children and parents might be subjected to long-term emotional and social consequences. These challenges can be reduced if custodial and non-custodial parents maintain quality relationships with their children. Divorced families have to bear several challenges while living apart. For instance, geographical distances make visitation very difficult for divorced families. However, with the current advancements in technology virtual visitation has substituted and supplemented face-to-face personal visits (Elizabeth, 2005). Virtual visitation entails the use -of videoconferencing, emails, mobile phones, the internet, the web comes, and other related technologies to bridge communication between two or more individuals separated by geographical distances.
Increasingly, divorced parents are seeking effective methods of communicating with their children. With virtual visitation, parents can virtually visit and relate to their children when face-to-face interaction is not an option. Unlike before, divorced parents can now be able to help their children solve their home works and guide them in their play stations using virtual visitation. In a globalized world, moving from one country to another has become a routine. In this regard, the adoption of virtual visitation by non-custodial distant divorced parents will be helpful. Using this scheme, non-custodial parents can maintain constant contact with their kids. Similarly, in the courts, the adoption of virtual visitation has played a huge role. Divorce lawyers assert that conflicts arise when custodial parents transfer far away from their ex-spouses. Since there are no laws that govern these transfers, several controversies arise when courts are settling these issues. On such occasions, the courts normally act in the interests of the children. This implies that the moving parent has to substantiate that the best interests of the children have prompted his or her transfer. The courts acknowledge that whenever custodial parents transfer from one place to the other visitation rights are often compromised. Therefore, the courts find the use of virtual visitation supplemented with face-to-face interaction as an innovative way divorced and distant parents can employ to stay in touch with their children. Based on the above arguments, virtual visitation is equally effective for the children, custodial parents, non-custodial parents, and courts because through this regular contacts can be maintained. In general, virtual visitation should be adopted in masses as it saves time and money.
Despite the effectiveness realized when virtual visitation is integrated with-face-to face contact, it should be noted that there are serious disadvantages associated with the scheme. Notably, it has been argued that malicious parents may employ this scheme to decrease their physical contact with their children and non-custodial parents. Through such practices, children and noncustodial parents’ emotions will be compromised (Neustaedter, 2010). Equally, critics argue that with the adoption of this scheme, malicious parents will adopt it and use it as an excuse to allow them to move far away from their ex-spouses denying them and their children their visitation rights. Through this, the courts are challenged to ensure that virtual visitation is used appropriately. Therefore, courts should stipulate appropriate measures to ensure that the adoption of this scheme is not used as a replacement to face-to-face contact and an excuse for relocation.
Another disadvantage associated with virtual visitation is the high cost of setting up the scheme. Divorced parents might be required to install costly systems for virtual visitation to be a reality (Neustaedter, 2010). As such, both the custodial and non-custodial parents might be required to purchase web cameras, computers, appropriate software, and other tools required for virtual visitation. Given the cost required to purchase, install, and maintain the schemes, virtual visitation might prove costly as compared to face-to-face interaction (Anne, 2004).
The Mason versus Coleman case illustrates the effectiveness of virtual visitation to divorced parents. According to the video, both parents are financially stable. However, the father earns more salary than the mother does. Equally, the video reveals that the children’s mother has been reducing her visitations. Mother-to-child interaction should be improved through virtual visitation. In my opinion, the defendant and the plaintiff, in this case, are both presenting genuine concerns. Therefore, in my perspective both parties’ arguments were compelling. As a result, the court should have awarded the two parents with joint custody. Through this, the two parents should adopt virtual visitation as a supplement to face-to-face contact for the benefit of their children.
Just like other emerging technologies, virtual visitation has moral, ethical, and legal issues (Luppino, 2012). It is unethical for custodial and non-custodial parents to use this scheme to achieve other aims that do not focus on the children’s interests. Equally, it is unethical for parents to use this scheme to reduce their physical contact with their children. Legally, courts should be the battlegrounds where issues concerned with virtual visitation are settled. Through this, courts should ensure that their decisions are reached based on the interests of the children. Notably, courts should provide sound decisions when virtual visitation cases presented before them involve relocation (Anne, 2004).
References
Anne, L. (2004). Virtual Visitation: How Will Courts Respond to a New and Emerging Issue?. Quinnipiac Probate Law Journal, 362(1), 360-367.
Elizabeth, M. (2005). Live-Action Interaction: Virtual Visitation Diminishes Distances between Divorced Parents and Their Kids. ABA Journal, 24(1), 78-93.
Luppino, G. A. (2012). Family law and practice: the paralegal’s guide (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River , N.J.: Prentice Hall.
Neustaedter, C. (2010). Connecting families the impact of new communication technologies on domestic life . London.
It is quite interesting to note that while divorce has been a topic that has been extensively covered and reviewed by family law, in terms of guardianship, visitation rights, as well as the responsibility of the mother/father; very little has been done to encompass aspects related to the choice of the child when it comes to the terms agreed upon by both parents during the divorce proceedings. In the case of two individuals having a child together then subsequently having a divorce, it is usually the prerogative of the court to ensure that a child is placed in the best possible environment for growth and development or with the parent that has shown to have the best possible intentions of the child at heart and has the means of ensuring that they are given a proper home. Yet, it has been increasingly prevalent within the past few years that children involved in divorce proceedings are of advanced ages (10 to 12) with some even in their teen years (14 – 17).
The capability of Making a Decision
Children of advanced ages are usually in possession of a more mature way of thinking and, as such, can be thought to have the capability to make sound and rational decisions. However, despite them being capable of making such types of decisions, family law fails to properly encompass their thoughts on the divorce of their parents and where they stand on the matter in terms of which parent they should go to, the terms of their other parent’s visitation rights based on their affection for that individual as well as other such factors that they are directly involved in. Since they are impacted by divorce and are usually one of the most important factors in it, their opinions should count and should not be unilaterally set aside based on what either parent has decided or what the courts have decided based on their review of the case.
Reform
It is based on this that a proper reform of this area of family law involves a court-mandated examination of the child of the various terms of the divorce that is directly applicable to them. This should only be done based on a child being within a particular age range and possessing a mental capacity capable of understanding the terms as they are being presented. The child in question will then examine and determine whether such terms are acceptable or in need of revision based on how they apply to his/her present case. Such revisions can apply to which parent he/she goes to, the visitation rights of the other parent, as well as other such matters as deemed applicable by the court. By enacting this particular type of reform into family law, not only does this result in a better application of the law but it also ensures that the rights of a child to decide how his/her future is impacted by the divorce are taken into consideration.
Conclusion
Based on my experience with family law, I have to state that while the rights of children are often emphasized in various applications of the law, they are strangely limited when it comes to divorce when they should not be. This is due to the fact that the long-term impact of divorce proceedings on a child’s future makes it so that if they have the capacity of making a decision on what is best for them, their input should be valued and accorded to a certain degree of importance.
Despite the fact that fewer individuals decide to divorce these days, separate forms of procedures have not gotten any less muddled. Since my externship law firm dealt with diversity, criminal cases, and divorce cases, it went through many news stories and evaluated many court orders just as state laws to work with a few uncommon separation conditions, grounds, and provisions. Seeing the real-life situations and uniqueness of each case and a client makes me excited and feel youthful curiosity. The most tedious and intriguing cases are likely hostile contrasts. This implies no gathering needs to demonstrate that their accomplice is to be faulted for the breakdown of the relationship. In any case, in numerous states, couples have much more work to do. How simple or troublesome it is to end a marriage relies to a great extent upon where they reside. A few couples will lawfully be compelled to sit tight for quite a long time and acquire a separation schooling authentication before petitioning for legal separation. Then, at that point, there is the way toward arranging who gets what and why.
Regardless of whether individuals set off to end their marriage agreeably, harsh contentions are normal. My job sometimes involved direct contact with clients and frequent phone calls. The outcome is in some cases surprising and surprisingly outrageous components in separate from settlements that make the division of resources, child care, and support installments appear to be easy. Then, at that point, there is the way toward arranging who gets what and why. Regardless of whether individuals set off to end their marriage genially, harsh contentions are normal. The outcome is at times strange and surprisingly outrageous components in separate from settlements that make the division of resources, young authority, and support installments appear to be easy. I recollect from my first classes of CRJ115 Introduction to Law data that the lengths individuals will go to when cash, popularity, and individual sentiments are included can be astounding now and then and that mix of cold consistent administrative methodology with a human passionate premium can be questionable. For example, there were conditions requiring previous mates to never criticize each other, to get treatment, to in a real sense split a loft in two, and even to pay a portion of the ex’s food expenses for eternity. This is one part of my externship that always makes me engaged.
The life of married couples all over the world involves numerous positive and negative events. Even though people can be sincere when speaking their wedding vows, divorce does not belong to extraordinary events since many factors are affecting the health of marital relationships. Classifying the causes of divorce can be difficult since they are unique in every single case, and not all couples state them explicitly. However, based on the character of events preceding the divorce, it is possible to single out three categories of causes such as domestic abuse, infidelity, and other types of disappointed expectations.
It often happens that divorces occur due to spouses’ bad relationships and infidelity. The first category of reasons to file for divorce includes a large number of cases related to infidelity. Although many couples that would like to obtain a divorce due to one or both sides’ infidelity prefer to keep it out of the public eye, breakups related to this category are quite common. Divorces that are fully or partially caused by marital unfaithfulness can be divided into numerous sub-categories. For instance, they can take place due to one or both spouses’ extramarital affairs. Also, it is possible to single out some subcategories based on the character of adulterous affairs, be it one-night sexual encounters, long-term extramarital relationships, or even having “secret” children.
Apart from the violations of oaths related to fidelity, divorces can be caused by several situations referring to abuse and violence in relationships. Thus, the second group of causes explaining people’s willingness to get divorced refers to numerous circumstances dealing with domestic violence and abuse. In modern society, the perceptions of individuals who experience abuse sometimes involve victim-blaming and other harmful tendencies.
With that in mind, it is valid to say that some people filing for divorce due to their spouses’ violence want to keep the situation a secret if it does not involve danger to health or life. This category is comprised of a large number of sub-categories referring to different forms of violence. Speaking about the most common of them, it is necessary to list such aspects of domestic violence as physical, emotional, financial, and sexual abuse (marital rape).
The next category of reasons for divorce is quite broad and refers to the conflict of reality vs expectation as it relates to family life. The so-called “unmet expectations” can be called a separate category since particular causes that fall into it do not involve criminal or morally condemnable acts as in the case with the previous categories. Concerning the sub-categories and examples, spouses can fail to meet each other’s expectations in a variety of ways. In some situations, even people’s appearance can become a point of dispute. For instance, one spouse’s weight issues or aesthetic problems after pregnancy, illnesses, or traumas can sometimes contribute to problems in relationships and lead to divorce.
Similar causes in this category include one person’s financial struggles or issues with career development that cause another side’s discontent. Finally, there is a sub-category that can be referred to as poor interpersonal or sexual compatibility. It involves irreconcilable differences in people’s personality traits, tastes, needs, and views on sexual life that lead to frequent conflicts and can result in divorce.
To sum up, the known causes of divorce can be divided into three categories such as infidelity, domestic violence, and unmet expectations. Also, each of these categories has at least three subcategories referring to specific circumstances that present the bone of contention. Among them are different types of conjugal infidelity based on the length of relationships and the key forms of domestic abuse. The third category related to expectations includes the causes for divorce based on unwanted changes in appearance, financial/career difficulties, and spouses’ incompatibility in terms of personality and sex life.
The goal of the present literature review is to examine the main causes of divorce. The topic is important for the field of psychology since marital happiness is one of the pillars of maintaining a high quality of life. I am interested in the topic due to my preoccupation with the peculiarities of modern marriage and how both centuries-old issues and new trends influence matrimonial bonds.
Research questions pertaining to the chosen topic embark on the internal and external factors contributing to the likelihood of divorce. Researchers seek to establish whether relationship issues are more detrimental to marriage as opposed to difficulties experienced outside the bond, be it being on bad terms with relatives or substance abuse. Methodology includes cross-sectional observational studies, and main findings point to the importance of communication in a couple.
Relationship Issues
Relationship issues were found to be the main cause of divorce; this category is broad, and the types of issues need to be specified.
Rationality
In their observational study, Aghababei, Haghighatian, and Far (2017) examined cases of divorce and outlined the most common types of divorce and factors contributing to the conflict. The study found that rationality and thoughtfulness accounted for fewer fights in the divorce process.
Communication
Amato and Previti (2003) investigated couples’ responses regarding the causes of divorce. The findings showed that growing apart was caused by the lack of meaningful communication.
Divorce prevention through solving relationship issues
A study by Gravingen et al. (2017) showed that the best way to prevent divorce was timely therapeutic and family interventions aiming to improve spouses’ communication skills.
Alcoholism
Substance abuse such as alcoholism is detrimental to all life aspects of an individual who is affected by the condition. In case one of the partners in a married couple consumes alcohol in excess, his or her addiction affects their spouse directly which may push them to the brink of divorce.
Alcohol-induced conflicts
A descriptive study of 60 couples showed that the disputes arising when one of the partners is heavily inebriated might lead to divorce (Vasudevan, Gethi, Bhaskar, & Areekal, 2015).
Alcohol and finances
Amato and Previti (2003) emphasize the strain that excessive alcohol consumption puts on a couple’s finances which leads to fights.
Infidelity
When two people enter matrimony, they expect their partners to be faithful. Cheating may make the betrayed partner consider divorce.
The gravity of infidelity
Gravingen et al. (2017) found that infidelity was the second leading cause of divorce in Great Britain.
Conflicts caused by infidelity
Amato and Previti (2003) revealed that infidelity-related issues have an accumulative effect: a couple where one or both partners cheat experience growing tension.
Other Causes
Divorce is a complex issue, and it is challenging to categorize all the causes. Researchers deem it important to mention as many factors as possible.
Physical abuse
Amato and Previti (2003) reason that among common causes of divorce are neglect and physical abuse.
Conclusion
There has been a great deal of research on the nature of divorce. Some studies mentioned in the present review point that more often, it is not possible to pinpoint a single cause as the issue is more nuanced than that. The strengths of the studies mentioned are their methodology and relevance. The research reviewed in the paper was conducted recently, and the findings were based on real people’s responses and their experiences. The weaknesses might include sampling: a study by Vasudevan et al. is characterized by a small sample size which might make the results not inferential.
The question arises as to how trustworthy divorce studies are and whether there are any knowledge gaps. The validity of some studies might be suffering from the non-response error in which specific groups of people abstain from sharing information. In the future, researchers should enlarge sample sizes and randomize sampling to include respondents with diverse backgrounds. One should pay attention to the causes of divorce and conflicts that precede the decision to end a marital relationship.
References
Aghababei, A., Haghighatian, M., & Far, S. (2017). A study of divorce and conflict (Case study: Typology of divorce and role conflict of divorced women covered by the relief committee in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province). International Journal of Scientific Study, 5(3), 201-207. Web.
Amato, P. & Previti, D. (2003). People’s reasons for divorcing: Gender, social class, the life course, and adjustment. Journal of Family Issues, 602-626. Web.
Gravingen, K., Mitchell, K., Wellings, K., Johnson, A.M., Geary, R…& Mercer, C. (2017). Reported reasons for breakdown of marriage and cohabitation in Britain: Findings from the third National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal-3). PLoS One 12(3): e0174129. Web.
Vasudevan, B., Devi, G., Bhaskar, A. & Areekal, B. (2015). Causes of divorce: A descriptive study from Central Karala. Journal of Evolution of Medical and Dental Sciences, 4(20), 3418-3426. Web.
My divorce with my husband played a very significant role in my life. I was sure that it would mark a turning point in my life but I was unsure if the change would be for the better or for the worst. As I got into single motherhood, I had mixed emotions for my husband and did not want them to show. The strength with which I contained the situation made me develop virtues I could never have developed while living with my ex-husband.
After divorcing my husband, I was emotionally devastated. Although I did not show it I was deeply hurting inside and had to fight day and night to hide the feelings. This hiding of emotions however played a very great role in making feel like i’m hitting back at my husband. I did not miss him, or rather did not appear to, and thus from what we had shared I expected him to be hurt by this fact. For this reason, I got my encouragement to continue hiding my feelings until I eventually got over the divorce. Another major problem that arose with the divorce is single motherhood. I had never raised kids on my own and, having four children, it was not easy for me. I was obliged to take male responsibilities at some points and this was very challenging to me. I however learnt how to make up for the absence of my ex-husband and raised my children well (Meyer 1).
My children were greatly affected by my divorce with their father. My suppression of emotions made me moody most of the time and my children had a considerably hard time relating with me. I also did not have experience in single motherhood and they had been used to a full family. They were thus certainly affected by the absence of their father. The fact that I was playing male roles also affected them. This is because it is something they were not used to.
Despite the emotional problems I was going through as I divorced my husband, I did not let my feelings show. I made sure that I suppressed my emotions so that other people never knew how divorce had affected me. I particularly made sure that my children never saw me cry or undergo any changes that they could attribute to my divorce with their father. During the court proceedings of my divorce, I ensured that my emotions did not show. I was of the opinion that if I acted with emotions, it would appear as if I did not want the divorce. My suppressing of emotions worked out just fine. I regained my self esteem and became more self confident. I would never have developed these virtues while living with him so I can confidently say that this was an advantage of my divorce with my ex-husband.
Immediately after making this decision, I was unsure of whether I had made the right decision and whether I was going to make it without my ex-husband but my determination and sacrifice saw me through. Breaking from a marriage is never easy, especially if there are children involved, but if one has good reasons for it, he/she should go ahead and divorce their spouse. There is nothing as degrading as holding on to an abusive relationship.
Works Cited
Meyer, Cathy. “Eight Tips to Help You Deal With Mixed Emotions After Divorce.” 2010. Web.
Compared to other countries in the world, divorce rates in the United States are extremely high. Various factors lead to this rate with most of them being demographical, sociocultural or economical. The economic downturns that occur in an unprecedented scale exacerbate the situation because of the monetary challenges that they bring to the family. Among the factors that have contributed to the high divorce rates in the United States are age, education, and health problems among other factors. From 1990 to 2000, the U.S. Census Bureau revealed that the national divorce rate decreased from 4.7 per 1000 marriages in 1990 to 4.2 per 1000 marriages in 2000 (U.S. Census Bureau 98).
Because industrialization and urbanization are causative factors of divorce, the extended family is rendered incapable of solving misunderstanding between couples. In the aforementioned era, the United States was the global leader in both the areas. Although statistical data on marriage and divorce have revealed the main reasons for high divorce rates in this period, the increased social acceptance of divorce in the United States was the main factor. This paper will present an analysis of the factors that caused high divorce rates in the United States between 1990 and 2000.
Factors for High Rates of Divorce
Kilborn (n.pag.) reveals that during the period between 1990 and 2000, several states adopted liberal laws concerning divorce. Hence it became more practical option for new families as the family structure underwent numerous changes. During the aforementioned period, a general income increase in family income was recorded. Moreover, the easy access to legal aid for people who could not sustain divorce meant that couples could cater for the high rates of divorce proceedings. The increase in opportunities for women made them less dependent on their husbands either emotionally or financially. These opportunities gave them a chance to leave the unhappy marriages.
One of the factors that contributed to the high divorce rates was the couple’s inability to have children. White and Booth (435) indicate that cultural values and societal expectations, even in a free from stereotypes country like the United States, necessitate people in a marriage to give birth to a child. This was a major cause of marital instability between 1990 and 2000 and subsequent divorce. Procreation is a priority in a marriage.
Age is another factor that contributed to high divorce rates in the United States. Early marriages resulted in frustration because people having grown up reconsidered their choice. Women who married in their thirties were more likely to procure a divorce as compared to those who got married in their twenties. Late marriages were an indication of female autonomy that had become a norm in the United States during the aforementioned years. Age is a factor with a positive effect on marriage stability across the countries. Although urbanization and education were to blame for proliferation of divorce in the United States, age had a social significance in the high rates of divorce recorded during the mentioned period.
This happened if one of the partners had been previously married. From the same findings, it was apparent that remarriage rate was high for women in their reproductive age (White and Booth, 438). Dissolution of marriage was influenced by culture and age of the partners. Waite and Lillard (932) highlight that marital values decline because of the advent of urbanization and the impact of formal education.
With education being a proxy for the women’s empowerment, there was a positive relation between divorce and female education. Low divorce rates were observed among women who had low levels of education or had no education at all. Analogously, high rates of divorces were observed among women who had attained higher levels of education. Aforementioned findings from the research by Fischer (102) on childlessness and early marriages revealed that women who lacked education had a lower risk of getting a divorce than women with a higher level of education had.
The higher the education levels the higher the divorce rate. Educated women had a high likelihood of embracing contemporary ideas regarding marriage. Partners were more inclined to succumb to sexual attraction passions incase their marriages felt to meet their expectations. They felt the need to look for relationships that provided them with a new form of excitement. Moreover, increased participation of women in the labor force because of their level of education reduced their dependence on men.
There are several cultural factors that come into play in the event of a divorce. Race and religion are some of them. Christianity is a religion embracing ideational change synonymous with increased women autonomy. Subsequently, dependency on men is greatly reduced by this autonomy, which translates to high divorce rates in the United States and all over the globe.
Blossfield and Muller (4-5) adduce in their study that Muslim families were more stable than those of their Christian counterparts. As abovementioned, Christianity is a religion that gives more autonomy for women as compared to Islam, which has divorce laws and customs that make keep incessant rates of divorce in check.
The role and obligation of partners in a marriage were the other factors that led to the high rates of divorce in the United States. These factors went hand-in-hand with the change of family structure in the United States and the increased autonomy in women. Roles previously preserved for men were assumed by women. There were instances, in which wife earned more than her husband did and hence had to care of some of the financial needs in the family. Work also made the women less committed to household chores.
Lack of commitment was another reason that caused the higher divorce rates recorded in the United States in the period between 1990 and 2000. Lack of commitment from either partner was the main cause of high divorce rates in the aforementioned period. Lack of commitment was attributed to their focus on either work or education in a country that was becoming more industrialized and globalized than it had been before.
Other reasons that led to the high rates of divorces recorded during 1990 to 2000 were infidelity and wrangled between the partners. Unrealistic expectations in the marriage, little or hasty preparation for the marriage and abuse in the marriage were among the numerous issues that led to the increased rates of divorce in the United States. A close examination of that list reveals that it was possible to prevent the occurrence of divorce in the American society because it had societal ramifications. It is of great importance for couples to learn how to avoid some factors that contributed to divorce (Fischer 102).
Most of the divorces that happened in the United States were precipitated by change in roles of the men and women. In a society that was at the forefront in regard to globalization and industrialization, women were becoming more emancipated from socially prescribed roles. Moreover, autonomy gained due to their higher level of education made them become less dependent on their husbands. Such a category of women could not tolerate abuse in their marriage and had to take full advantage of the legal process of divorce to dissolve their marriages. Fischer (102) reveals various categories of violence in marriage that lead to divorce.
All the forms of violence directed towards women in the marriage are usually physical or a dire form of psychological control. Moreover, extreme violence in marriage can take the form of sexual force or marital rape. Women may sometimes be isolated from their friends and families. Most of the men who perpetrate this form of violence against their wives are often insecure and wary about the increased autonomy of their wives. Divorce was inevitable under such circumstances.
Data, Methodology, and Models
With regard to the research instrument used in the study, there was the use of a questionnaire. Although several factors have been highlighted as major causes of high divorce rates in the United States during the period between 1990 and 2000, there were the main determinants of divorce that were assessed upon an analysis in a survey conducted by Blossfield and Muller (5). Interviews were used to get information from the respondents while they were at home.
The data collected from the individuals revolved around questions about the history of the marriage, such as the beginning and the ending dates, and the reasons of divorce. Information on children in the marriage was also collected as it varied with time. From the data collected, there were 6164 marriages with 1356 of them, which ended in divorce. The marriages that culminated in divorce were contracted in the 1940’s.
Discrete time models were adopted to apply logistic regression to a person’s file on yearly basis. The dependent variable was the rate of divorce. Individuals in the sample were considered based on their marriages. The first year in three-year marriages was taken as a separate issue. Marriages that ended through the death of one partner were annulled. Some of the aforementioned factors for high divorce rates could not be used but the data collected could not analyze the role of each of them. Particularly, premarital cohabitation is a factor that could not be included because of lack of data on cohabitation. In the light of this, the main independent variables that were given special consideration included marriage cohorts.
This was a variable that was ital in determining divorce. In this variable, there was the comparison of marriage cohorts in the previous years. It was vital to assume that the high divorce rates recorded during 1990 to 2000 were influenced by the previous divorce rates. The study provided information concerned with the odds of divorce after years of marriage as revealed during the survey. The figures revealed that divorce was not common in marriage cohorts before the 1960s. However, from this point onwards, the rate of divorce increased rapidly and escalated in an unprecedented scale in the 1980s and the 1990s. After the 1980s, divorce rates remained extremely high. Furthermore, the last couple of years have been a period when divorce rates have decreased.
Attainment of Education
The highest completed schooling level was divided in a number of categories. For the models used in this analysis, there was an approximation of the number of years of education needed to complete a certain level. In the analysis, education was standardized and given a zero mean and a standard deviation of 1. To facilitate analysis, we divided educational attainment into categories, such as tertiary, higher-secondary, lower secondary, and primary.
The Socioeconomic Status of the Parent
The socioeconomic status of a parent was given a major consideration after education. Some indicators were used with this regard. These included the father’s schooling years, the mother’s schooling years, and the occupation of the father when the respondent in the analysis was aged 15 years. Detailed information on occupation was collected and recorded in a scale. The aforementioned indicators of status were analyzed through standardization, summation, and a later standardization of the resulting scale. The economic and social status of a parent had an effect on divorce and was used as a hypotheses test. Nonetheless, information on occupation, income, and employment could not be included in the model because it varied with time.
Parental divorce was a major factor for high divorce rates in the United States during 1990 and 2000. The respondents in the analysis were asked whether their parents had procured a divorce and at what age the divorce had occurred. The respondents whose parents had divorced before they had attained the age of 18 years, were coded 1, and code 0 was given to those whose parents divorced after they had attained 18 years.
Religion
As mentioned above, religion was a major factor that contributed to the high rates of divorce recorded in the United States during the period between 1990 and 2000. In the analysis, there was the need for collection of information regarding if the parents were church attendants. A distinction was made to facilitate for this study. The respondents received were divided based on their confession:
Catholics,
Protestants who were reformed,
Orthodox,
other religions.
Categories (i) and (iii) had a traditional view on the issues related to the family, while the (ii) category had a liberal look into family matters that precipitated divorce. Non-church members were given the base category.
Children
Children are one of the factors of the high rates of divorce in the United States during the aforementioned period. In the light of this, respondents were asked if they had children in their marriage and the children’s date of birth. In the analysis, couples with children who lived independently were given a consideration. Control variables have been included in the analysis. These are the years the couple lived together, if the respondent entered into a marriage previously, the descent and the sex of the respondent. The analysis involved a collection of answers from women and men, and the influences of individual attributes on divorce were the average of the influences of women’s and men’s characteristics.
Statistics
Descriptive Statistics for Selected Variables in the Study
Range
Mean
Standard Deviation
Female respondent Duration of relationship Marriage Cohort 1942-1964 1965-1979 1980-1989 1990/1999 Socioeconomic status of parent Religion of Parent No religion Catholic Protestant(reformed) Protestant(Orthodox) Others Divorced parents Education of respondent Age of cohabitation Respondent divorced before(yes=1, no=0) If with a child People in the study Marriages Divorces
0/1 0-600/1 0/1 0/1 0/1 -1.83 to 3.59
0/1 0/1 0/1 0/1 0/1 0/1 -2.29 to 2.58 14-72
0/1 0/1
0.60 15.60.21 0.35 0.24 0.20 0.00
0.15 0.40 0.18 0.14 0.13 0.01 0.00 25.2
0.12 0.78 153047 6164 1356
11.8
1.00
1.00 4.9
NB. Means refer to the marriages in variables that are time constant while means refer to period are variables that vary with time.
Analysis of Divorce Rates in the United States
b
Standard error
P
Female respondent(versus male respondent) Duration Year >1 Years 1-3(Base period) Years 4-6 Years 7-9 Years 10-12 Years 13-15 Years 16-18 Years 19-21 Years>21 Marriage Cohort 1942-1964(base) 1965-1979 1980-1989 1990-1999 Socioeconomic status of parent Religion of Parents No Religion(base) Catholic Protestant(reformed) Protestant(Orthodox) Other Parent Divorced Education of respondent Age of living together If divorced before If had a child Intercept Fit of model(Chi-Square) Degrees of Freedom Number of people Marriages Divorces
The study provides a summary of the analysis of factors that caused high divorce rates in the United States in 1990 – 2000. The model incorporates all the aforementioned independent variables with the assumption that their influence on the rates of divorce was equal over all the marriage cohorts. The effect of the duration of the marriage has a functional form that was expected in the analysis: divorce is highly unlikely to occur during the first year of the marriage but the likelihood of its occurrence increases with time. Social determinants of divorce in this analysis have effects on the risk of divorce if all marriage cohorts were combined.
The influence of a proper socioeconomic status of the parent on divorce was positive. Moreover, the effect of the education level of the respondent was negative. Concisely, respondents with high levels of education were less likely to divorce, but the ones with high social background were more likely to consider a divorce, regardless of their education (Blossfield and Muller 5).
Religion had a negative influence on the divorce. Respondents professing reformed and protestant faiths had a lower risk of having a divorce than their non-religious counterparts. The influence of parental divorce was substantial and significant. Individuals with divorced parents had higher chances to get divorced than the other categories did. Some of the control variables had an effect on the rates of divorce. The age of the marriage was a factor.
Couples that entered into a marriage at a young age had a high likelihood of getting a divorce. The respondents who had been divorced before had the high odds of divorcing for the second time. In the study, there were models that included cohort interactions. Because marriage cohorts and duration have a strong association, older cohorts were observed at both the long and the short marriages. On the other hand, younger cohorts were observed at marriages that had short durations.
Durations interactions were hence necessary for the model to decipher the high rates of divorce. For the interaction terms, a logarithmic transformation function was necessary because of the assumption that effects of cohort changes were mostly at the beginning of a marriage. After a discussion of cohort interactions, attention is paid to the interpretation and size in interactions. Cohort interactions are tested in two ways.
First, we determine if the model improves when a set of interactions are added with the help of the chi-square test. Second, we examine the interaction influences on themselves, in which the first cohort becomes the category to be omitted. Subsequently, the principle effect of an independent variable is felt in the pre-trend cohort. Interaction effects inform as if the effect of the independent variable is stronger or weaker in a particular cohort relative to a pre-trend cohort. From the study done, it was revealed that independent variables like age, childlessness, religion, and education level actually had a manifestation on marital instability that led to high divorce rates recorded in the United States in the period between 1990 and 2000.
Conclusion
To conclude, the study above has articulated the factors that were responsible for the high rates of divorce in the United States between 1990 and 2000. Determinants of the risks of divorce are socioeconomic and cultural in nature. These include education, the social status of the parents, parental divorce, children, and religion. Using a comparison of the marriage cohorts from various years, it was revealed that the 1990s was an era where most of divorces were recorded in the United States. Educational attainment has emancipated the women making them less dependent from men, and this attests to the increased rates of divorce in the United States.
This factor has, however, changed overtime. Legal barriers to divorce were preventing women from dissolving abusive marriages. However, the 1990s saw adoption of divorced laws that made the women capable of pursuing divorce without incurring huge financial costs. Religion has also emerged as a factor that contributed to the high divorce rates that were recorded in the United States between 1990 and 2000.
Industrialization and urbanization are the factors that should be taken into account in the study to decipher factors that caused high rates of divorce in the United States. The country was a global leader in the aforementioned period, which made it increasingly difficult for couples to solve misunderstanding between them. The social acceptance for divorce in the United States was another factor that led to high divorce rates between 1990 and 2000.
Works Cited
Blossfield, Hans-Peter and Rolf Muller. “Union Disruption in Comparative Perspective: The Role of Assertive Partner Choice and Careers of Couples.” International Sociology 32(1) (2002): 3-35. Print.
Fischer, Tamar. Parental divorce, conflict and resources. The effects on children’s behaviour, behavior problems, socioeconomic attainment and transitions in the demographic career. Nijmegen: ICS Dissertations, 2004. Print.
Kilborn, Peter T. “An All-American Town, A Sky-High Divorce Rate.” The New York Times, 2004. nytimes.com. Web.
U.S. Census Bureau, Statistical Abstract of the United States. 2012. Table 133. Marriages and Divorces—Number and Rate by State: 1990 to 2009.
White, Linda and Lee Lillard. “Children and Marital Disruption.” American Journal of Sociology 96(1) (1991): 930-953. Print.