The Reality of Divorce in American Society
As with most life transitions, divorce can be liberating, depressing, frustrating, or traumatic to any person who experiences it. Perhaps the most painful part on the process of divorce is when the children get involved and when they all get trapped in the situation. These children may suffer significant losses in their lives and unless the situation can be handled in a civil manner, they will become prone to the psychological torment that could affect them for the rest of their lives. The issue of divorce however is becoming more and more intense since for the past ten years the divorce rate in the United States has skyrocketed to a record high of almost fifty- percent. It is also believed that the divorce rate in the United States is the highest in the world and the reason for this are primarily the ever-changing role of the husbands and wives in their household, early marriage, infidelity, extra marital affairs, domestic violence, financial instability and psychological incapacity.
Fifty years ago the traditional family was defined as a father and a mother, committed in a marriage, and with this marriage there was the possibility of children. However, over the years, this definition of the “traditional family” has changed. Today, there are more households that are held together either by a single parent, stepparents, or blended families. This can be the result of many possibilities but one of the reasons as to why this change has occurred is the result of an increase in divorce in the United States. The divorce rate is on the rise and currently approximately half of all marriages are ending in divorce (Cui, Fincham, and Durtschi 411). Currently, there occurs a rate of two divorces a minute in the United States court system (Gentleman 8). Not only has the divorced rate increased in the past years, but also the divorce law has changed. In recent years, these laws have made acquiring a divorce easier and a less stringent process for those that pursue it. Not only have these lenient laws contributed to the divorce rate, but they also affect both the families involved, especially the children, and the cultural values that have been established in the United States. If the divorce laws are made stricter it will positively affect the current divorce rate, the family involved, and the culture values.
Cause and Effects of Divorce in the United States of America
“You change for two reasons: either you learn enough that you want to, or you’ve been hurt enough that you have to.” While maturing, young adults start searching for other peers to settle down with and marry. Although glamorous to picture, marriage is a commitment two partners make for life. To stick by one another “for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness or in health” (Sample Marriage Vows, 2004).
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
The history of divorce in America began in its early colonial days in 1639. Throughout history statistics reveal the divorce rate has steadily increased in the 20-21st century. Divorce was originally a sin; However, The first divorce was recorded in the Massachusetts bay colony between Anne Clarke and her adulterous husband Dennis Clarke. He left Anne with two children, also leaving her the first documented single mother in the United States. “In the United States there is a divorce every 36 seconds” (Mckinley). That is 2,400 divorces per day, 16,800 divorces per week, 73,000 a month, and 876,000 divorces a year. Both males and females of the age of 20-24 have the highest divorce rate. (Women-36.6%, Men-38....
“The Impact of Divorce on Our Society.” Thealexanderhouse.org RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Jan. 2014
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
“…till death do us part” is almost always heard at wedding ceremonies. But all too often does this phrase not hold up to its true meaning. Between 1960 and 1999 the divorce rate in the United States tripled (Porterfield vii). Out of all first time marriages, 41% end in divorce (Divorce Rate). According to the Centers for Disease control and Prevention, for every 1,000 people, 6.8 get married and 3.4 of those marriages will end in divorce (Marriage and Divorce). The Family Legal Guide from The American Bar Association confirms that of the couples who marry before the age of forty-five, one-half of them will get divorced (71). These numbers do not seem to be decreasing. They only seem to be increasing as time goes on. It is agreed by many that if two people can no longer find it in themselves to be passionate towards one another and they no longer desire the others company that they should end their marriage. However, the growing number of divorces is proving that, perhaps getting a divorce in the United States is too easy. The evidence proves that divorce laws should be made stricter throughout the United States.
In America, there are many families going through divorce or being affected by divorce. There are several reasons as to why adults choose to divorce their spouse. Looking at the issue from a conflict theorists point of view, there are several contributing factors in both the male and female that go into a declining relationship. There are also many negative effects that divorce has on the family and their children because of those reasons. Bruce F. Dykeman, Marita p. McCabe and Stacey Richardson, and Linda Nielsen discuss their different points of view on children of divorce.
Unfortunately, marriage within the twenty first century is not something that has been promised to be forever. Therefore, a divorce between married couples seem to be growing at a faster rate than ever before. Divorce comes with not only the financial burden, but the emotional trauma. According to Brienna Perelli-Harris, “...divorce is expensive and complex and in many cases associated with anger, stress and bureaucratic obstacles.” With this idea of divorce, cohabitation is shown in a brighter light. Cohabiting couples, if separated, can do so with greater freedom. With greater freedom, seperation becomes something that is “easier to dissolve for any reason” (Perelli-Harris). Often, those in a marriage cannot leave each other too easily because of society’s common ideals of what a marriage should be; a union meant to be forever. Therefore, cohabitation is on the rise due to the stress free ending it would allow for each partner to