Divorce is prevalent in many parts of the developed world, it has been estimated that roughly 50% of marriages in America up until the 1980’s ended in divorce (Rutter). Divorce is arguably a personal hardship for both partners and their children, in that the stress of the divorce places both men and women at varying risks of psychological and physical health problems (Hetherington, Stanley-Hagan and Anderson 1989). However, using C. Wright mills’ definition of the “Sociological Imagination” we begin to view divorce as not just a personal problem of a particular man or woman, but as a societal concern that affects a wider category of people at a personal level. Therefore this essay will examine the societal structures which contribute to divorce …show more content…
Wright Mills’ concept of the “Sociological Imagination” which allows it’s possessor to understand the larger forces and institutions at work in society, generally in terms of their impact on the lives of individuals (Mills & Sutton 2010). At the core of this theory is the distinction between troubles and issues. Troubles occur within the individual’s immediate relations with others, and are to do with themselves and the areas of social life with which they are directly and personally aware of, the answer to these troubles then come from within the individual’s social setting that is explicitly open to their personal experience and wilful participation. Issues are difficulties which go beyond the range of the inner life of the individual and instead express the organisation of many such personal social environments in order to form the institutions of a society as a whole, which are then felt to be threatened. It is fair to say that a person experiencing the often stressful repercussions of divorce is experiencing a personal problem however; the prevalence of divorce in America is a sociological issue influenced through the impact of societal structures and institutions upon the lives of the individual, the following three examples below seek to illustrate this …show more content…
According to Rodgers (1995) no-fault divorce was implemented to make divorce less restrictive, and more importantly removes the factor of fault in that it removes the need for one party to be guilty or innocent. No-fault divorce law recognises that a breakdown of the relationship between spouses can result in them no longer being able to function as a married couple, and instead seeks to reduce the legal obstacles, economic costs, and psychological consequences of divorce (Rodgers 1995). Due to these factors, divorce may have become more accessible to low income families had who previously been unable to afford it under fault-based divorce. On the other hand, no-fault divorce may have become more attractive to high income families in particular the “guilty” spouse who under fault-based legislation faced alimony payments, child support payments and loss of property to the “innocent” spouse (Rodgers 1995). The role that the no-fault law plays in divorce is that of a societal structure, in that it encompasses an association between individuals and the social institution that is the American legal system on a sizable scale throughout American society. However, this is not the only societal structure that can be observed to have an impact on divorce. The
In the 21st century, divorce has become commonplace not only in the United States, but in many parts of the world. Franklin and Boddie (2004) reported that within 10 years about 40-50% of American marriages end in divorce. In 2009, the divorce rate in the United States stood at 3.6 per 1,000 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2009). Divorce, however, is not only a social issue, but it has serious health implications. Divorce has been researched extensively and is considered an adverse event (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2009). Adverse events such as personal or parental divorce has been linked to many ailments and conditions including substance abuse, depression, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and premature mortality (Sbarra, Law, & Portley, 2011; CDC, 2009).
Over the past decades, the patterns of family structure have changed dramatically in the United States. The typical nuclear family, two married parents with children living together in one household, is no longer the structure of the majority of the families today. The percentage of single-parent families, step-families and adopted families has increased significantly over the years. The nuclear family is a thing of the past. Family situations have tremendous influence upon a child’s academic achievement, behavior and social growth.
In my immediate family, there are more divorces than people would ever believe. One because of disloyalty, another from bad living conditions, and the rest have untold stories of heartbreak. It’s an issue not only for the people getting the divorce, but to the kids as well. Me personally, it has caused me to trust people less and I'm not as quick to love due to the fear that another will just leave me. I was fortunate enough to live in a house with a remarried parent who loves me, but many kids either jump between houses or only knows one parent and it is very hard on them. It is an issue because people are giving up on working to make things right, they just leave and it is hurting so many people in the process. When talking to my grandparent's
All of a sudden, I found myself thinking sociologically when I got home for summer vacation, after completing my first year of college. At this time, I received the news that my parents were separating after celebrating 23 years of marriage. Of course this was shocking news to hear, but I knew there was more to the divorce than my parents falling out of love. At this time I began taking an online class called, “Sociology of Human Sexuality”. The readings that were given in this class discussed divorce issues in the United States and every other country. The textbook, Understanding Human Sexuality had provided insight on reasons for divorce; that discussed kids leaving moving out, high divorce rate and even couples getting married too young. While
than at home. For example, a couple living in New York State, where until 1967
Marriage is a commitment that seems to be getting harder to keep. The social standards placed on an individual by society and influenced by the media inevitably lead some to consider divorce as a “quick-fix” option. “Have it your way” has become a motto in the United States. It has become a country without any consideration of the psychological effects of marriage and divorce. The overwhelmingly high divorce rate is caused by a lack of moral beliefs and marital expectations.
First of all, America has the highest divorce rate among western nations. Divorce rate increased after every major war, and decreased during the Post-World War II economic boom. The divorce rate has more than doubled since 1940, when there were two divorces for every 1,000 persons. Now for the same number of people, there are over five divorces. Studies indicate that there is more divorce among persons with low incomes and limited education and those who marry at a very young age. Teenage marriages are much more likely to end in divorce than are all other marriages. And women who marry when they are over age 30 are the least likely to become divorced. There has been a decline in divorce in the number of couples who have children under 18. Almost 45 p...
Council on Families in America. "Divorce Harms Society." Marriage and Divorce. Eds. Tamara L. Roleff and Mary E. Williams. Current Controversies Series. Greenhaven Press, 1997. Excerpted from “Marriage in America: A Report to the Nation by the Council on Families in America,” March 1995. Rpt. by permission of the Institute for Family Values. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Thompson Gale. 15 June 2005
In chapter 7 of Demo & Fine, the first important thing I found is that divorce can have a great parental impact on both men and women. For example, divorced women are predisposed to depression, and divorced men have easy access to alcohol and substance abuse. Divorced women are more likely to experience economic stress, stressful work and negative life events than married women, and divorced men lose social attachment and emotional support. Secondly, whites are less likely to adjust to the separation experience. Separated Whites tend to be depressed more than separated blacks, because separation is a more common experience for blacks than whites, and separation's experience tend to be more prolonged for blacks. The last important point I learned
Every year approximately 2.4 million marriages occur.Out of those,2.1 millionwill file for divorce in the United States. These marriage and divorce rates have significantly increased since the years past(Coltrane and Adams, 364).According to Schoen, in the 1950’s, 15 out of 1,000 marriages ended in divorce.In the 1970’s, the rates of divorcedoubled,increasing to 40 per 1,000 marriages. Currently, the rate of marriages resulting in divorce remains the same. Most marriages are ending within seven years ofthemarriage for multiple different reasons. Sociologists haveestablisheddivorce as a social problem from the rise in divorcerates due to the early year of marriages (2006).
One tough thing about today's American family is divorce. In 1816, one marriage out of one hundred ended in divorce. Then between the years 1869-1888, divorce increased up to one hundred and fifty percent. And the worse, between the years 1960-1980, the divorce rate increased up to two hundred and fifty percent. Divorce rates peaked in 1981 and then started to decline a little during the mid 1980's. However, divorce rates now are as high as they have ever been. Now fifty percent of all marriages end in divorce. There are five reasons for the increase in divorce. The first reason is in modern societies; individual happiness is regarded to be important so when people are unhappy with their marriage, they break-up and split. The second reason is it is easier to get divorced financially. The third reason is that women's economic independence has contributed. The fourth reason is the stigma of divorce has lessened so people are not
This can be proved in a number of different ways but it is not possible for a couple to get a divorce without blame unless they have been separated for at least two years and they both consent (Herring, 2015). The reform would help those couples who decide together that their marriage is not saveable through a less bitter court battle, rather than require one of them to put the blame on the other or for the couple to wait a two year period before being able to begin their divorce. If one spouse wants a divorce, it then becomes necessary for them to state one of the five specific reasons and put the ‘blame’ on the other (Herring, 2015). The current law does not take into account the impact of conflict on family relationships and the children involved. If a non fault based system was put in place, it would remove the need for further conflict (Resolution, 2015).
According to C. Wright Mills, what occurs in any one individual's life is interrelated with society as a whole. The sociological imagination gives us the ability to understand the correlation of one's biography, history, and traditions along with the knowledge of the social and historical impact and/or influence society may have on that person or group of people. Mills' notion compels us to investigate into an individual's biography and lifestyles, and place their findings within the surrounding circumstances in which events occur in order to perceive the whole picture of the society in which the individual lives.
A no fault divorce is when neither party is at fault; it is “a quick legal separation without blame” as stated by Sir Nicholas Wall, president of the high court's family division (1). The notion of No-fault divorce was incorporated in Part 2 of The Family Law Act 1996; however, the act never came into power and was later repealed. England and Wales operate a fault based divorce system under which the only ground with a no fault element is the ground of two years separation with consent.
In this twenty century, divorce is very common; especially in the America today, the country that focus on their citizen’s freedom. The term "common" here is not that every marriage couples will end up divorce, but it means that the society already accept and have an open might about divorce. In the article "The Making of a Divorce Culture" by Barbara Dafoe Whitehead, she had mention that "divorce is now part of everyday American life. It is embedded in our laws and institutions, our manner and more, out movies and television shows, our novels, and children 's storybooks, and our closest and most important relationships." Everyone should have seen or at least hear about it once in their life from their own experience or from someone they