Why is the Divorce Rate So High?
Intro to Sociology
April 25, 2006
A question that has been plaguing sociologists for years is the issue of high divorce rates. Since the 80's there has been an extremely high rate of divorce in our country. In statistics I found from 2004 the percentage of divorce was at 47(NCHS). This question has been studied vigorously, sociologist have looked in every direction for one solid reason that our divorce rate is so high, even compared to other developed countries. As of right now, a simple answer has not been found, but various theories have been formed to attempt explaining the problem.
There are two theories I chose to present in this paper, each with a different stance on the reasons behind
…show more content…
The fact that these things changed the same time that divorce rates have skyrocketed should show a direct correlation between divorce and one of the two theories, if not a combination of the two. I do not believe that there is one all-consuming answer for this problem. It seems with questions like this some people hope or assume there is one answer which will just encompass every angle and show that it is only because of that, and that is all that effected the question. I find this ridiculous, sociology is the study of human interactions, and we have yet to find a theory to cover "human interactions." In my opinion, and I'm sure that of many other sociologist we will never find that theory since people all discover different evidence for different theories and since none can be proven over any other, we can make use of what we have. With this in mind, if I had to choose one of the two theories I have presented I would choose the change in roles of women.
I think the theory of role change is more directly related to divorce than the falling-out of the institution of marriage. When surveys were taken from 333 men and women, one of the top reasons for divorce was ill fulfillment of marital role obligations (Thurnher). With the roles of women changing, role obligations also must change. As women get home only shortly before, or at the same time as men in dual-working households expectations that used to be
Women have shifted from their normal roles. From the successful Housewife’s of Atlanta, no more living under the shadow of their husbands. This is both on television and off. Women are now able to establish their own independency. Independency in a marriage is a good thing, right? This current state of society has taught us women that we need no man. Wrong. The fear of staying with a man for finical support is gone. Women of today are no longer having to depend on their husbands to support them. These minor but significant culture changes could have a lot to do with the divorce speed. Men and women need each other. This trend started in the 2000’s “Don’t depend on a man” and they didn’t, they became financially stable, so they did not have to rely on their husbands. Women still need husbands despite the high level of independency they may
Fagan, Patrick F., and Robert Rector. "The effects of divorce on America." World and I 15.10 (2000): 56-
There is a staggeringly large amount of divorces in the United States (US). In total, the US had a recorded total of 2,140,272 marriages in the year 2014 alone, and of those marriages, 813,862 ended up in divorce or annulment (Center for Disease Control). This means that as recently as 2014, there was a divorce rate of approximately 40%. This supports the statistics that the divorce rate for the US has stayed within 40-50% since the 1970’s (Austin Institute, 2014). While the numbers themselves are important, it is also important that the causes for the high divorce rate be explored, so that it can be known what pitfalls to avoid when participating in such an important union as marriage. There are many causes of divorce in the US such as conflicting gender roles, socioeconomic status, religious conflicts, physical abuse, emotional abuse, alcohol addictions, and many more (Amato & Previti, 2003). This paper will look at many of these reasons, but it will also focus on the differing reasons reported by men and women.
Once Societies rules on divorce changed divorce rates began to climb. A No-fault divorce rule came into effect in the 1950’s. This meant unlike before, they no longer needed to prove who was at fault in the marriage. By 1970, almost all states had laws allowing these no fault divorces. There is no doubt that this was a factor
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.
Starting from the beginning of the nineteen-sixties is when the evolution of divorces began to rise. More so from the 60s through the 80s the divorce rate began to double. As divorece began to rise it began to be over- determined. According to the online article of “National affairs under the evolution of divorce” connects to the percentage of couples divorcing around this time and what the effects were. “less than 20% of couples who married in 1950 ended up divorced, about 50% of couples who married in 1970 did”. This led to “Approximately half of the children born to married parents in
The dynamics in marriages also changed;
These includes changes in social levels over time, death rates, economic conditions and laws –the no-fault divorce laws, the reduction in fertility and the legalization of abortion increased the divorce rates in the 1980s. However, scholars believe that the single most important social change which made divorce possible was the increase in the employment of women and the economic independence that employment provided. For nearly all decades, the lifetime probability of divorce for women of all ages has been increasing. For women born in 1920, the likelihood of divorce by age 55 was 27 percent. This same level of divorce was reached at a much younger age (age 30) for women born in 1950. At least 40 percent of young adult women are likely to divorce. 16 percent are likely to divorce twice if current divorce rates continue. In Document 1, in the 1990s and 2000s, divorce rates appear to decline slightly.
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).
Most people argue that the family is in ‘crisis’. They point to the rapidly increasing divorce rate, cohabitation, illegitimacy and number of single parent families.
For my research project, I would like to explore the evolution of divorce/marriage and the consequences it has on todays society. In todays society the definition of family has dramatically changed, both by structure and by definition. Divorce is now the norm. Today in the United States it is believed that the divorce rate hovers at about 50% and that one of every six adults divorces two or more times. Why has this become normal, and what can we do to fix this? I believe that by taking a step back and focusing on marriage, and really knowing who your marrying, we could see a significant drop in divorce and the problems developing in each generation. Divorce is never something to be taken lightly. In this paper I will examine the unfolding of divorce and how it evolved into what it is today, therefore shed some light on possibilities to undercut the still rising divorce rate.
There are three main causes of divorce: changing in woman’s roles, stress in modern living, and lack of communication. The first significant cause of recent rise in the rates of divorce is a woman’s role being completely changed. In the past, men had to earn all the money to afford the expenses of the family, whereas woman only did housework. That led to the woman having no money
The sanctity of marriage has seemed to have disappeared with the arrival of the 21st century. Though marriage rates have always fluctuated in the past, current events have caused divorce rates to increase. According to recent statistics made by the census bureau, the divorce rate in America is roughly 50 percent. There are a myriad of speculations as to why more people are not staying together. One reason is that people are getting married for the wrong reasons, such as unplanned pregnancies. Another reason is that women have become more independent so that they are not forced in to being in a marriage where they are not happy. Last, lenient divorce laws make it much easier for many couples to get divorced. Combined, these three
In conclusion due to changes in roles of both women and men divorce is on the rise, and is leaving a huge negative on the ones we love most our children. Divorce
Building on research conducted in prior decades, family scholars have continued to document the major risk factors for divorce. These factors include marrying as a teenager, being poor, experiencing unemployment, having a low level of education, living with one's future spouse or another partner prior to marriage, having a premarital birth, bringing children from a previous union into a new marriage (especially among mothers), marrying someone of a different race, being in a second- or higher order marriage, and growing up in a household without two continuously married parents (Amato & DeBoer, 2001; Bramlett & Mosher, 2002; Bratter & King, 2008; Sweeney & Phillips, 2004; Teachman, 2002).