The High Divorce Rate in the United States
analytical Essay
1036 words
The High Divorce Rate in the United States
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.
Divorce can be caused by problems such as drugs, adultery, abuse, and money. The United States is a fast-paced country with little to no time to spend on the basic family values it was founded upon. Jobs are more demanding, kids are spending most of their time with people other than their parents, and the economy drains marriages by causing worry and stress. The foundation upon which marriage was built has been shaken.
Divorces are easy to obtain in the United States but the decision needs to be carefully examined. According to statistics, “divorce makes sense in the 10 percent to 15 percent of troubled marriages that involve high-level and persistent conflict with severe abuse and physical violence” (Dafoe 1). In the other 85 to 90 percent of marriages, the marriage can and should be reconciled. Many couples simply take the easy way out, find a lawyer, and end the marriage without ever trying to examine whether or not a conclusion can be reached other than divorce.
There was a time when women typically maintained the home and raised children while the husbands were the sole bread-winners for the family finances. However, times have changed and so have women’s rights and expectations for divorce, education, an...
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...on of hardship, from adults to children, and therefore cannot be viewed as a morally neutral act” (Dafoe 1). “Until death do us part” is a strong phrase and is not to be taken lightly. Death of a marriage is inevitable when a couple cannot reconcile its differences. The end of the marriage affects the whole family, which eventually affects society. A person who chooses divorce will need to make this decision with these things in mind. For me, divorce was against my moral belief even though it was necessary to continue raising my children. They can grow up with peace and an understanding of what a marriage can be, and what it should not be.
Works Cited
Spohn, William C., and Barbara Dafoe Whitehead. "The American Myth of Divorce." Santa Clara University - Welcome. Web. 21 Feb. 2011. .
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the high divorce rate in the united states is caused by a lack of moral beliefs and marital expectations.
- Explains that divorce can be caused by drugs, adultery, abuse, and money. the united states is a fast-paced country with little to no time to spend on the basic family values it was founded upon.
- Explains that divorce is easy to obtain in the united states but the decision needs to be carefully examined.
- Opines that women's rights and expectations for divorce, education, and career opportunities have changed and women are better equipped to maintain a household on single income. the absence of parents devastates the children and creates emotional strain.
- Analyzes how women in the 1950s did not have the escape that is available in today's society. in the ‘50s, a woman that was clearly in need of divorce didn't even consider one.
- Analyzes how a hard-working man works from sunrise to dusk, supports his wife and two children, and becomes discontent with the lack of communication and freedom. is divorce the answer?
- Analyzes how the family with a high income gets the things that each of them wants and is used to living that way. they have busy, individual social lives and rarely see each other.
- Explains that the decision to divorce can be a stressful and confusing one. the decline of moral values consisting of trust, love, and commitment has eroded marriages and personalities in general.
- Explains the effects of divorce can last a lifetime. it affects an individual emotionally and physically draining.
- Opines that divorce involves a radical redistribution of hardship, from adults to children, and therefore cannot be viewed as morally neutral.
Related
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- The Reality of Divorce in American Societyopinionated essayThe 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.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that divorce can be liberating, depressing, frustrating, or traumatic to anyone who experiences it. the divorce rate in the united states has skyrocketed to a record high of almost fifty- percent.
- Opines that the american family of today is ill and in need of a revival.
- Opines that education is the most important step in order for couples to have a solid relationship.
- Explains that the role of both husbands and wives has changed dramatically since the advent of the technological revolution in our society.
- Explains that economic opportunities are a significant factor in divorce, and that women with paychecks are less likely to stay in marriages that aren't fulfilling.
- Argues that domestic violence is an indication of a failed marriage. women who suffer abuse should work out alternatives to save her from the hands of her abuser.
- Argues that sexual infidelity comes as a lack of respect for the other partner and blatant disloyalty in the marriage.
- Opines that divorce is a tumultuous event that affects the financial status of the household and the people that comprise the family.
1258 wordsRead More - What Stricter Divorce Laws Could Do For our Familiesanalytical essayFifty 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.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the definition of a traditional family has changed over the years. the increase in divorce in the united states is due to lenient divorce laws.
- Explains that the current divorce rate is high due to the change in past divorce laws.
- Explains that the united states has done away with the fault-based system and adopted a more lenient set of laws. the british have also changed their divorce laws to make getting divorce easier and less time consuming.
- Explains that the french have adopted a strict set of divorce laws, but the process remains lengthy and is subject to the courts' control.
- Explains that divorce has detrimental effects on the family's psychological well-being, such as delinquency, poor academic performance, dropping out of school, negative relationships, sexual promiscuity, and welfare dependence.
- Opines that divorce affects the family more than just by splitting it up; it can have long-term effects on the children involved.
- Explains that divorce negatively affects and creates changes in cultural values in the united states.
- Analyzes how the increase in divorce is leading to changes in cultural values, which is diminishing the idea of what a family really means.
- Opines that stricter divorce laws will decrease the high rate of divorce, but there are still some who are skeptical. some believe that the traditional divorce process was too lengthy, costly, and insufficient.
- Concludes that the increased divorce rate is a factor behind the american culture moving away from what was once defined as the traditional family.
- Analyzes the long-term influence of divorce and single parenting on adolescent family and work related values.
- Explains collin, brian g., "the effects of parental divorce on the moral judgment development freshman and sophomore college students."
- Analyzes cui, ming, fincham, and durtschi's article, the effect of parental divorce on young adults' romantic relationship dissolution.
- Describes drewianka's views on divorce law and family formation in the journal of population economics.
- Explains that an examination and evaluation of recent changes in divorce laws in five western countries: the critical role of values.
- Explains that gentleman, vivian f., “the real scandal of divorce.” saturday evening post 235.45, p.
- Analyzes schovanec, barb, and cameron lee's "culture and divorce: the relationship of values and attitudes in a protestant sample."
- Describes steegh, nancy ver. family court reform and adr: shifting values and expectations transform the divorce process.
- Cites vousoura, eleni, et al., “parental divorce, familial risk for depression, and psychopathology in offspring: a three-generation study.”
1838 wordsRead More - Essay On The Causes Of Divorceanalytical essayCause 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).
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes the causes and effects of divorce in the united states of america.
- Explains that marriage is the legal union of a couple as spouses along with three basic elements common among any marriage.
- Explains that divorce from a personal standpoint theorizes failure at uniting in communication and rational ways. give the relationship time to grow and nourish.
- Explains that divorce is prohibited, banned, and disgraced in many religions. one should not resent a divorce unless one party is unfaithful to the other.
- Opines that committing adultery is negatively frowned upon. adultery and unfaithfulness are appropriate examples for divorce.
- Explains that adultery and unfaithfulness are just two common reasons why people get divorced. other causes range from education to money.
- Explains that premarital childbearing is exactly what the name implies: getting pregnant and delivering a child before two are wedded.
- Explains the causes of divorce vary across the board, but the effects are more personal. females receive custody of the children and males get visitation rights.
- Analyzes how young human beings are affected by feuds, loud violence, bullying, and delinquency among divorced parents.
- Explains that divorce in america affects external aspects and internal elements simultaneously.
- Narrates how their mother and father argued constantly throughout their lifetime, and in 2009, their parents divorced. many folks would not understand why a divorce could bring such high emotions; locals did not possess the knowledge of the marriage itself.
- Opines that the cause of their divorce was miscommunication and effects brought upon emotional consequences that affected their daily lives.
1611 wordsRead More - Evolution of the Typical American Familyexplanatory essayOne 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
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the american family has come a long way and has changed over time.
- Explains that divorce rates are as high as they have ever been, with fifty percent of all marriages ending in divorce.
- Explains the effects of divorce on the children, not just the husband and wife.
- Explains that there is too much abuse in american families today. abusive men always have an excuse on why they abuse and batter their wives, including denial of responsibility, blaming the wife, and injury.
- Quotes murray straus' article, "ten myths that perpetuate corporal punishment," to explain why spanking a child is good.
- Quotes arlie russell hochschild's article, "ideals of care: traditional, postmodern, cold, and warm-modern."
- Explains that today both parents have full-time jobs, which means that parents aren't as close to the children as they used to be.
- Opines that step families are a bad thing in today's society, but if one spouse re-marries, the child will have four adults to look up to.
- Explains that welfare was becoming a burden on tax payers and encouraging women to have babies out of wedlock.
- Describes the five ways in which we changed our welfare system. one way was that welfare was no longer an entitlement.
1382 wordsRead More - Essay On Single Parentinganalytical essayThe 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....
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the united states has changed its views on issues such as divorce and having a child out of wedlock, breaking the doctrine of the emotional stable put together family.
- Explains the history of divorce in america began in its early colonial days in 1639. the divorce rate has steadily increased in the 20-21st century.
- Explains that children living in single parents households are more likely to live in a home with the obvious consequence of having lower income bough into the home.
- Opines that divorce is necessary when children are exposed to violence, or receiving physical, emotional or sexual abuse that cannot be resolved by individual or family therapy.
- Argues that reducing the relative likelihood of poverty in single-parent families, rather than the size of the two groups, is misleading.
1485 wordsRead More - Divorce in Okahomaargumentative essay“The Impact of Divorce on Our Society.” Thealexanderhouse.org RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Jan. 2014
In this essay, the author
- Explains that many of the leading causes of divorce can easily be fixed with counseling and other marriage preservation measures.
- Argues that oklahoma has a higher than average divorce rate than the rest of the country.
- Concludes that long-lasting marriages positively affect the financial state of a person or couple. children are at higher risk for alcohol and drug use, poverty, dropping out of high school, and becoming single-parents.
- Describes fackrell, tamara a., hawkins, and moller, dan. the impact of divorce on our society.
1007 wordsRead More - What Happened to Ward and June Cleaveranalytical essayCouncil 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 this essay, the author
- Explains daw, jennifer, and the american association for marriage and family therapy.
- Cites plunkett, robert l., "divorce laws should be reformed." marriage and divorce.
- Explains that mandated programs and educational seminars address and focus on important life issues such as religion, birth control, finances, role expectations, child rearing, conflict resolution, housework, extracurricular activities, values, and intimacy before a marriage license is granted.
- Explains that community marriage programs have older, solidly married "mentor couples" who assist the younger couples as they prepare for marriage and walk them through the early stages of their marriage.
- Opines that divorce has its place when circumstances are extreme, such as abuse of the spouse or children, adultery or desertion, but married people give up too easily when faced with life's traumas, trials and tribulations.
- Analyzes how ward and june cleaver got hung up in society's lax attitude and acceptance of divorce as the norm, and lost sight of family values and moral upbringing.
- Describes the council on families in america's report to the nation on marriage and divorce.
- Argues that marriage is no longer the revered union that it once was. the "no fault divorce" has changed that.
1649 wordsRead More - Divorce Laws in the United Statesopinionated essay“…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 this essay, the author
- Explains that one in five marriages end in divorce due to facebook. the new york times reports that divorces are more common because of the way women are viewed in society.
- Opines that america has a problem with divorce. it was too easy to obtain one and most couples are not thinking about what is best for everyone involved.
- Argues that divorce laws should be made stricter throughout the united states. the growing number of divorces proves that getting a divorce is too easy.
- Opines that divorce is a reality, but certain places in america do not help the image of it.
1991 wordsRead More - Sociology Of Divorceargumentative essayIn 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.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that there are several reasons as to why adults choose to divorce their spouse. there are also many negative effects that divorce has on the family and their children.
- Explains that conflict theorists believe that marriage is a struggle for control of the relationship.
- Explains that nearly a third of american children experience their parents' divorce before reaching 18, and the effects of divorce can have immediate and long-lasting consequences.
- Explains that children who have experienced marital dissolution struggle more academically and socially in school than children not through the same experience. the emotional aspects of divorce include feelings of anxiety, depression, guilt, and aggression.
- Explains that marita mccabe and stacey richardson have focused on the effects of divorce during adolescence and early adulthood, ages 18-25.
- Analyzes how mccabe and richardson found that individuals from divorced families had lower self-concept, lower life satisfaction and well-being, and parent-child relationships were negatively impacted.
- Compares nielsen's study of divorced college students with dykeman, mccabe, and richardson. nielsen found that the sex of the individual affected plays a role in relationships after the divorce.
- Explains nielsen's work to separate fact from fiction in regards to impact of divorce on college students. nielsen stated that teenagers and young adults who had ongoing social, psychological, or academic problems were almost always troubled in their ways while their parents were married.
- Explains that millions of children are going through or dealing with a divorce. some are suffering emotionally, psychologically, and academically.
- Explains sociological imagination's explanation of the risk and factors that can contribute to a divorce.
- Explains that marriage is sacred and a time for joy and happiness. while some christians view divorce as wrong, god hates it.
- Opines that divorce is not something that people wish to endure. bruce f. dykeman, marita p. mccabe and stacey richardson, and linda nielsen have done great research on the outcomes of a divorce on children.
1244 wordsRead More - Causes Of Cohabitation And Marriageexplanatory essayUnfortunately, 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
In this essay, the author
- Explains that cohabitation has become more common among all age groups, and has replaced marriage due to various reasons revolving around the coming of age.
- Explains that low levels of commitment are probable for the influx in cohabitation rates. marriage is implied to be the "ultimate level of trust" between two people.
- Explains that couples cohabiting rather than getting married are on the rise due to the need to test compatibility between two people.
- Opines that cohabitation is a flexible relationship for those who value freedom. the idea of freedom can imply the ability to move on to new partners, maintain one’s independence, travel on one's own, and preserve financial stability.
- Explains that cohabitation is on the rise due to the stress-free ending it would allow for each partner to have.
- Explains that cohabitation is seen as a union of people just as much as marriage is. they argue that marriage and marriage are indistinguishable when considering the mortgage and children.
- Explains that cohabitation is on the rise all over the world. it is due to low levels of commitment, the want for more freedom, avoiding divorce, and testing compatibility between two people.
1165 wordsRead More