It is a well know fact that there is a high rate of divorce in America. Gone are the days of happily ever after and till death do us part. Current statistics show that 41% to 50% of first-time marriages will end in divorce, 60% -67% of second marriages will end in divorce, and 73% to 74% of third marriages will end in divorce (www.aboutdivorce.org). Although there are many reasons why married couples seek divorce, the lack of commitment, financial struggles, abuse and infidelity are the main motives couple’s file for divorce. There are those in our society that believe, in spite of these reasons, it is morally and ethically wrong to divorce. Their conviction is that it is imperative the couple stay together and work out their dissimilarities. They also believe the process of divorce has become easier; therefore, couples are finding it simpler to divorce rather than exert time, effort and money into marriage counseling.
The first reason why a marriage might end in divorce is the lack of commitment in one or both spouses. According to Rebecca Harbauer “commitment is the glue to bonding a marriage …” (www.helium.com). In the days leading up to the wedding, typically both individuals experience excitement and exhilaration. However, soon after the wedding and honeymoon the thrill starts to wear off and the couple begins to fall into a pattern of everyday life, and perhaps even boredom. Often times …”one spouse does a majority of the giving while the other takes” (www.helium.com). As time goes on if the giving spouse does not receive the same in return, they will soon start to feel hopelessness and resentment towards their partner. Consequently, they would rather divorce than be unhappy in their marriage. In today’s soci...
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...eligious person, this is an unforgivable offense.
If a couple is experiencing marital problems which cannot be worked out through counseling, then it is their right to seek a divorce. In some circumstances the physical and emotional anguish is far past reconciliation, and there is no justification why a person must remain in an unhappy marriage. Everyone in society deserves love and happiness, and must not be fearful that seeking a divorce is morally or ethically wrong.
Works Cited
Bauers, Deborah and Rebecca Harbauer. "when commitment to marriage is one-sided." N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Aug 2010. .
"Divorce Rate - U.S.A.: AboutDivorce.org." About Divorce Laws, Attorneys & Family Laws: AboutDivorce.org. Web. 05 Aug. 2010. .
Evans, Patricia. "verbal abuse." N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Aug 2010. .
Introduction A century ago, divorce was nearly non-existent due to the cultural and religious pressures placed upon married couples. Though over time Canadians have generally become more tolerant of what was once considered ‘mortal sin’, marital separation and divorce still remain very taboo topics in society. Political leaders are frowned upon when their marriages’ crumble, religions isolate and shun those who break their martial vows, and people continue to look down on those who proceed to legally separate their households. With that being said, couples do not just decide to get a divorce for no particular reason. There must be something driving them towards marital dissatisfaction and further, driving them towards divorce.
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).
“In Western cultures, more than 90 percent of people marry by age 50. Studies show that healthy marriages are good for couples’ mental and physical health” (“Marriage and Divorce,” 2014). For children, growing up in happy homes help with their mental, physical, educational, and social well-being. Unfortunately, about 50 percent of married couples in the United States divorce. The rate is even higher for subsequent marriages (“Marriage and Divorce,” 2014). The social institution influence (structural) differs from the individual influence (life choices) in divorce by the scope of perception on why divorce occurs (Amato, & Previti, (2003). The perspective of structural issues would include gender, social class, and external pressures. Individual influences can be attributed to infidelity, drug and alcohol use, along with physical and emotional abuse. While individuals in a marriage may grow and find new interests in their life, it is up to each couple to re-evaluate and mature as a team to find a mutual approach to growing old together and escaping divorce.
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
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...
Many Americans would be shock to learn that “in America, there is one divorce approximately every 36 seconds. That’s nearly 2,400 divorces per day, 16,800 divorces per week and 876000 divorces a year” (32 Shocking). Divorce causes many negative effects and has become too accepted in society. Children and parents are affected physically through the divorce process. There are psychological effects for the members of the family that are involved. The negative impacts on the family’s future life should be taken into consideration.
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
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).
Lavner, J. A., & Bradbury, T. N. (2012). Why do even satisfied newlyweds eventually go on to divorce?. Journal Of Family Psychology, 26(1), 1-10. doi:10.1037/a0025966
According to recent statistics, there are more divorces now than ever before. At the rate things are going, the divorce rate may soon surpass the marriage rate. There are many reasons for such a high divorce rate, but one of the main ones is that people do not realize what they are getting themselves into when they marry. Couples do not realize that marriage is a job that must be worked at continuously in order for it to go well. Because many couples marry for the wrong reasons, a breakdown in communication results, which leads to a couple's growing apart. This process, all too often, ends in divorce.
No one expects to divorce when they get married but nearly half of all marriages will end in divorce or separation. Divorce can be costly, with court fees and attorneys. Dr. Doherty, noted marriage scholar and therapist has determined a list of risk factors that are attributed to marital problems and divorce. The first three: Young age, less education and less income are coincidently other topics brushed upon in this paper. Impulsive decisions made by younger people to marry leads to children which leads to financial instability. Once a couple has children, they are unlikely to further their education because of lack of time. Divorce also has a negative effect on
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
“First comes to love, then comes marriage, then comes -- the big divorce party?” (Gagnon 124) Marriage can be a beautiful thing, but some couples are unable to maintain their relationship, because they choose divorce as a solution to cope with the problems between husband and wife. Divorce is definitely on the rise. The usual explanations are communication, balance, and commitment, and it's hard to disagree with them. Although age is assumed to be the main element of divorce, research indicates that there are more explanations for divorce.
Many people main life dream is to marry the person they have fall in love with someday. However, most of the time, this dream can be shattered. When the expectations they have for the relationship are not met, the marriage starting to fail and the end result can be devastating. When two people make a commitment to live with each order happily ever after, the worst thing that can happen is to deal with divorce. Therefore, there could be numerous factors or causes contributing to the end of a matrimonial union between two persons, such as lack of communication, infidelity and financial issues.