Debate Discussion: Divorce

Historically, divorce was viewed as a sin and was prohibited because religious beliefs and doctrines viewed marriage as a Holy

All things considered, divorce should not be a word that is commonly used. A man and woman should be married for all the right reasons, until one or both passes away. Divorce does not just harm the couple, but the children are affected as well. Some children turn to depression, cheating, drugs, and stealing while others are happy with the decision made by their parents. Hopefully as the years progress, divorce rates will

Divorce is more common and much more socially accepted than it was fifty to one hundred years ago. Couples tend to divorce because it is easier than staying married and working through their problems. Most married couples thinking about divorce are so busy worrying about themselves that they fail to realize how large an impact their actions can have on their children and extended family.

Often times there are couples that get married but have chosen not to stay with one another because of a difference in opinion, this is called divorce.

Sociologically speaking divorce from structural functionalism point of view is seen as a failure of society as compared to individual faults. The view has a macroscopic lens that sees that society should provide adequate education and guidelines to couples making their marriages suc-cessful. This can be done by effectively communicating with each other, creating harmony and consistency among partners. Symbolic/social interactionism view divorce as an individual deci-sion by two people influenced by their social habits and environment. The view is of microscopic nature because all it comes down to is choices made by an individual deriving from their interac-tions in the society. In most societies divorce is an expensive procedure as it involves

As generations pass by, divorce is becoming more of a social norm than a problem between two individuals. Divorce once was a private household issue but it became widespread only a couple of decades ago. According to the statistics, in the 1950s only 3% of families got divorced and in the 1960s it was already 10%. In the 1980s, 33% of families opted for divorce due to various environmental factors. Recent studies in Canada today, show that the rate of divorce is changing to an extent such that 4 in 10 marriages end in separation. Divorce is a sensitive concept which lies beyond two individuals simply falling out of love as is both the cause and an effect. The many factors that contribute to divorce are extramarital affairs, financial struggles, and the lack of communication.

Throughout time, practices that were once never used, become more common. In the 1600s divorce was a forbidden practice or a last resort. Since then, laws have changed, and so hasn’t the stigma related with divorce. The guilt and fault that divorce once carried has vanished. According to the book Should I Keep Trying to Work it out, “In the United States, researchers estimate that 40%–50% of all first marriages will end in divorce or permanent separation. The risk of divorce is even higher for second marriages, about 60%.” (Hawkins 42). As it became more common for couples in America to separate, divorce gradually became a normal part of so many lives. Why are so many couples separating now? Through research on EBSCO, and other findings, I will attempt to explain this question that so many people ask in today’s world. The divorce rate in America is drastically increasing over time due to new laws, certain generations, and relationship issues.

Divorce is a very common word in today's society. According to the American Heritage Dictionary, "divorce is the legal dissolution of a marriage or a complete or radical severance of closely connected things"(Pickett, 2000). This dissolution of marriage has increased very rapidly in the past fifty years. In 1950 the ratio of divorce to marriage was one in every four; in 1977 that statistic became one in two. Currently one in every two first marriages results in divorce. In second marriages that figure is considerably higher, with a 67% average (National Vital Statistics Report, 2001). One critical aspect of divorce is often not taken into consideration: How it affects children. Every year 1.1 million children are affected by divorce

Divorce is a rising social issue in the United States of America, but it is not a new concept. Divorce has been a social issue since at least 1867 when for every 35.9 marriages, one couple were to get a divorce (Huth, 1947). Although divorce is not a new concept, it has become more social acceptance which is raising the divorce rate over the years. Another controversial topic in divorce is when the two people divorcing have a child or children together. Approximately 150,000-200,000 children in the United States of America are affected by divorce yearly (Huth, 1947).

According to Oxford Dictionaries (n.d.), Divorce is ‘”the legal dissolution of a marriage by a court or other competent body; legally dissolve one's marriage with someone.” Throughout the twentieth century, the family dynamics have drastically changed. During the course of the twentieth century the family unit has been impacted by the countless amounts of marriages ending in divorce (Hiller & Recoules, 2013, p 77). For one to be able to fully understand how the topic of divorce relates to marriages, families, and blended families one must examine the cost of divorce has on the family unit. The core of this paper will examine the cost of divorce and the effects it has on the children within the family unit. The paper is organized as follows.

“The divorce rate in this country is approximately 50% and is seems to have become more commonplace that people are willing to get a divorce for myriad of reasons, instead of working things out.” (Martinez) Divorce causes many problems, but what the couple that is getting divorced does not know is that they are hurting people other than themselves. Many couples struggle with reasons why they should divorce and others work through issues trying to save their marriage (Martinez). Divorce impacts everyone in the family. The decision to divorce has to be made based on each family’s morals, beliefs and individual situation.

Divorce is becoming all too popular in our society today. When a couple experience tough times or have one too many arguments, they automatically think divorce. Despite its prevalence couples are not prepared for it’s long, drawn out, hurtful process. Divorce does not only hurt the individuals involved, it also affects the children tremendously. While many people don’t think divorce is a bad thing. Hollywood makes divorce look cool and uneventful. When in all reality, it is disruptive. Some people would say that divorce is a lazy way out of a marriage; the cowardly thing to do when a situation presents itself. Divorce is not the only answer to marital problems, in most cases.

However, if one of the individuals in the marriage is resisting the divorce, or situations are complex, such as children being involved, then divorces can take a long time to finalize and can become extremely messy affairs. The constant arguing, disagreements, snide comments and hateful words that occur during this time frame, which most likely started before the topic of divorce was even brought up, can take a toll on not just the two individuals whose marriage is ending, but everyone else who is involved, no matter how little their involvement is.

Divorce is the suspension of the marital coalition under the terms legally summoned by the court. The couple is then set free of their obligations towards each to other

Broken families are on since the beginning of humanity. In fact, divorce, which has been very common in today’s societies, is the major cause that leads to family devastation. However, although, in some cases, divorce is the only solution for a family to live in peace, one must think many times before taking such decision, and that is because of many .