...explanations of the increase in the number of divorces since the 1960s Divorce refers a married couple ending their marriage contract between themselves. Official statistics show that the divorce rate has generally risen over the last 40 years; also there have been fluctuations during that time. Since the 1960s the numbers of divorces have increased greatly in the United Kingdom, the number of divorces doubled between 1961 and 1969, and had then doubled again by 1972. The upward trend continued, peaking in 1993 at 180,000. Since then, numbers have slightly decreased to 157,000 in 2001. This rate means that about 40% of marriages end in divorce. About 7 out of 10 applications for divorce come from women; this is in contrast to the situation in the past. For example, in 1946 only 37% of applications came from women – barely half todays figure. Sociologists have identified the following reasons for the increase in divorce: changes in the law, declining stigma and changing attitudes, secularisation, rising expectations of marriage and changes in the position of women. One explanation for the increase in the number of divorces since 1960 is the changes in law. Divorce was very difficult to do in the 19th century Britain, especially for women. Gradually, over time divorce has been made easier. There are three kinds of changes in the law; equalising the legal reasons for divorce been the sexes, widening the grounds for divorce and divorce being made cheaper. The most significant change...
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...Examine the reasons for the changing patterns of marriage and divorce over the last 50 years Sude Dramali Families in Britain are continually changing over time, but over the last 50 years there have been major changes. There has been a huge increase in the numbers of divorce, and a decrease in the number of marriages. The divorce rate has especially increased, as now one-half of new marriages today are likely to end in divorce. New forms of the family are rising, such as lone parents, same sex marriages and cohabitation. These changes mean that families and households today bear little resemblance to those of fifty years ago, and the "typical family" no longer seems to exists. One of the reasons for the changing pattern of marriage and divorce is the changing role of women. Feminists might argue that women's expectations of life and the quality of their relationship have risen during the last century, and so are less likely to accept a traditional housewife role. Around three quarters of divorce petitions are initiated by women, which would imply that more women are unhappy with they're marriages than men are. On top of this; the employment of married women has dramatically increased, and now it is the norm for married women with children to also be in employment. This change is reflected in TV shows and films, as the mother role is no longer portrayed as only being a housewife, but also as a working mother with her own career. Being employed increases women's financial...
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...Examine the reasons for the changes in the patterns of marriage In the last 30 years, the British society has experienced many changes affecting the family. There have been changes in attitudes to and expectations of family life, as well as official changes such as government legislation. Society has been affected by feminism, which has led to increased awareness of women’s rights and freedoms, as well as postmodernism and secularisation. The changes resulting have affected marriage rates, which are decreasing, and more people are now marrying later in life and more than once. More people are choosing to cohabit, either before or instead of marrying, and this is becoming increasingly common in young couples. Divorce rates have also increased in the last 30 years, following changes in legislation and attitudes. As society’s view of a ‘conventional family’ has changed over the last 30 years, the acceptable norms have widened. In the past, an unmarried woman would be looked down on, as it was expected that women would marry and invest their time in raising a family. If they didn’t, it could be presumed that could they couldn’t find a willing partner, or that there was something wrong with them. Although 95.1% of British women still marry before they are 49, it has become more acceptable to choose not to get married, and rather than being looked down on, single women are more likely to be viewed as strong, focussed, and independent. This means there is less pressure on...
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...The Causes of Heartbreak In America, there is one divorce approximately every 36 seconds. That's nearly 2,400 divorces per day, 16,800 divorces per week and 876,000 divorces a year. From the beginning of time people all across the world have been determined to find something called love, to begin a family of their own and enter into a sacred and wild adventure called marriage. Living together and depending on one another for mutual love, support and essential necessities is no easy task. For some the responsibilities of marriage become overwhelming or the problems within a marriage become so serious they cannot be solved, and couples all across the nation are choosing to end their marriage in a divorce. It is sad to say but although most people take their whole lives to decide to enter into marriage, most only take a few moments to consider ending one. Divorce rates continue to rise and rise in modern times and it could easily be said that divorce is the instant gratification married couples are turning to in order to cope in today’s society. There are many factors that go into the decision of ending one’s marriage but some factors that are changing the marriage game today are woman’s growing roles in society as self efficient individuals, economic and financial problems and a lack of communication or proper problem solving efforts and the effects of divorce and even more damaging than the divorce itself. With the edition of the nineteenth amendment to constitution giving...
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...Divorce is an excellent solution to a family problem if all other attempts to fix the problems have been attempted, and have been unsuccessful. Divorce should not be considered as soon as a family problem arises, but will and may be considered. Though a divorce should not be consider at first, or even be an option. But divorce does offer an overall solution if all else fails trying to come up with an answer to a family problem. Families will always be faced with some type of problem or issue over the years. A couple must be able to discuss things and compromise without feeling that they are being taking advantage of, or their opinion is not even considered. By not being able to have a reasonable solution between both parties in a marriage this sets up for problems in the future. The problems will most likely lead to a couple feeling there is nowhere to go in the marriage, and find that they are unhappy. There are also many reasons that a couple fill a divorce is needed. Divorce offers both people in the relationship a better since of happiness, a stable life for themselves and the family, and divorce allows a person to regain their identity. The option of filing for a divorce is a tough and very difficult decision that is brought onto a couple when faced with a family problem. Once the idea of divorce is considered or brought up, either by one of the people or both people in the marriage feel that the relationship cannot be repaired or worked on. In a marriage both people want...
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...Cause and Effects of Divorce Marriage symbolizes a unity between two people. Some marriages last and some result in divorce. For instance, a newlywed couple could start off exceedingly romantic. As the marriage progresses, more problems and issues arise that are left unsolved. Feelings could build up over time and every little action he or she does could increasingly annoy the other spouse. Conflicts are not resolved properly and as time passes, the couple may start to have more and more disagreements about unimportant subjects. There are three main causes of divorce: lack of communication, early marriages with unexpected pregnancies and drastic career changes, which are listed below. First of all, lack of communication is the main cause of divorce. Communication is the revealing of thoughts or ideas and is an important aspect of all relationships. If effective communication is not present in a marriage, then the relationship will suffer and slowly weaken. To have an effective communication with one's spouse, one should try to be as open as possible by revealing all emotions and feelings. A result of a failed marriage could be divorce. Divorce is common because there is a lack of effective communication. On the other hand, one might believe that a lack of communication is not the reason why divorce is common. The lack of communication in a relationship cannot be the single reason why marriages fail. All couples are not the same. It could be possible that they have good communication...
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...Divorce Divorce Most married couples dream of sharing their lives together in happiness and intimacy. Increasingly these days, both happiness and intimacy in marriage tend to wither. Couples spiral down to what they feel is an empty relationship and call it quits. “Divorce is the disruption of intimacy, a splitting a part of two interdependent people into two independent agents” (Schaie & Willis, 2002). Divorce is a stressful event for both partners and any children that may be involved. Marriage can result in divorce because of many factors including an increased life span in humans and life changes throughout spouses’ lives. “Divorces are listed as attributable to boredom, the exacerbation of pre-existing strains, and falling in love with someone outside of the marriage” (Ducanto, n.d.). Married couples on the verge of divorce can seek for help through marriage help centers and couples counseling. Those going through divorce can participate in divorce support groups which are integrated for men, women, and children. When intimacy and happiness die away, it is now socially acceptable to file for divorce. It is often a shock when divorce surfaces to a married relationship. “Research evidence confirms that a mutually shared decision to divorce is uncommon” (Schaie & Willis, 2002). Many instances the opposing spouse is caught off guard when approached with the announcement of pursing a divorce. The idea of living alone brings forth considerable anxiety whether...
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...Palak Patel Mrs. Roman Eng102 Date: 03/16/2012 Divorce in America In the 21st century, so many Americans are struggling with divorce. Studies show that approximately sixty percent of marriage in America ends in divorce, and this does not seem to be slow down (“Divorce”). Nowadays, divorce is more common as compared to the past. Furthermore, so many issues are related to divorce: couples do not want to compromise about their relationship, women are becoming more independent, and couples are getting married too young. According to Wilson, “couples who live together before marriage have higher divorce rates than those who do not, and less educated couples tend to divorce at higher rates than those with more education” (“Introduction to Divorce”). It is also possible that couples are getting married for the wrong reasons, and they are not putting enough effort into their relationship, and their marriages end in divorce. Children are struggling as well as their parents because when parents become divorced the children become divorced too. After parents get divorced, children face a lot of stress during their lives. In the 21st century, the divorce rate in the American family is increasing because married couples are refusing to compromise about their relationship which is posing a potential danger to children. The divorce rate continues to increase in America over last twenty five years. As a matter of facts, the divorce rate is higher in today’s society compared to the past...
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...Considering all the repercussions involved in divorce, such as economic and emotional damage, is it better to stay in an unhappy marriage for the sake of the children? Divorce creates a vicious family cycle that is most difficult to break once it has begun. Psychological, economic and emotional methods of thinking must be completely reconfigured in order to have a remote chance that the cycle in families will break. Divorce represents a catastrophic change in the marital cycle. Divorce may bring to light many areas of marital conflict that children could be previously unaware of (Hines, 1997). So much of a child’s happiness and fulfillment is dependent upon their parents. It may be difficult for children to avoid taking sides in parental disputes and conflicts that occur during or after the divorce or separation. How divorce affects the child and child-parent relationships, the legal implications of divorce on the couple, and the impact of divorce on the society at large will be examined. Much evidence from various sources concurs with the theory that children, who are directly exposed to divorce, suffer more than children from intact families in a variety of ways. They exhibit more conduct problems, more symptoms of psychological problems, lower academic achievement, more social difficulties and worse self-esteem (Amarto, 1997). Although various legal and therapeutic interventions are used to improve the well being of children of divorce, little research has been conducted to...
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...of premarital counselling 3 1.1.2 Purpose of Premarital Counselling 3 1.1.3 Purpose of the Helper 4 1.1.4 Relavent Core Relational Conditions 4 1.1.5 Degree Of Structure Needed 5 1.1.6 In What Format Does Counselling Take Place 5 1.2 MARRIAGE ENRICHMENT 7 1.2.1 Definition of Marriage Enrichment 7 1.2.2 Purpose of Marriage Enrichment Counselling 7 1.2.3 Purpose of the Helper 7 1.2.4 Relavent Core Relational Conditions 8 1.2.5 Degree of Structure needed 9 1.2.6 In What Format Does Counselling Take Place 9 1.3 COUPLES COUNSELLING 11 1.3.1 Definition of Couples Counsellin 11 1.3.2 Purpose of Couples Counselling 11 1.3.3 Purpose of the Helper 12 1.3.4 Relevant Core Relational Conditions 12 1.3.5 Degree of Structure needed 13 1.3.6 In What Format Does Counselling Take Place 14 1.4 DIVORCE COUNSELLING 16 1.4.1 Definition of Divorce Counselling 16 1.4.2 Purpose of Divorce Counselling 16 1.4.3 Purpose of the Helper 16 1.4.4 Relevant Core Relational Conditions 17 1.4.5 Degree of Structure needed 18 1.4.6 In What Format Does Counselling Take Place 19 1.5 DIVORCE MEDIATION 20 1.5.1 Definition of Divorce Mediation 20 1.5.2 Purpose of Couples Counselling 20 1.5.3 Purpose of the Helper 20 1.5.4 Relevant Core Relational Conditions 21 1.5.5 Degree of Structure needed 22 1.5.6 In What Format Does Counselling Take Place 22 Table of Service...
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...Divorce: Cause and Effect Essay Keecha Parker December 11, 2011 Introduction In this day and age divorce is occurring rapidly. From researching divorce statistics at least 50% of marriages will end in divorce if the current trends continue. Divorce simply means separation; disunion of things closely united according to the Accurate and Reliable Dictionary. Divorce can be a cause and effect therefore, throughout the paper the three causes will be explained and three effects will follow. Three Main Points From the research not all marriages fail for the same reasons one of the causes of divorce are communications problems. This may occur before the couple come together as one. Couples don’t communicate because of pressing issues that each individual may be experiencing or if the expectations was not clear from the beginning of the relationship. Also, talking about your feelings in a marriage is important because then you can figure out exactly how to improve in a relationship but if they are not discussed than this to can fail a marriage. Also, if a couple does not communicate pre-marital issues before tying the knot then they will realize during the marriage things should have been set before. Therefore, these issues can get worst during the marriage. Financial issues are a huge reason divorces occur often. In marriages financial hardships hurts marriages because of unemployement, uncertainty, unequal financial position, and excessive spending. With each of these factors...
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...The divorce rate in America is extremely high and a serious cause for concern. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, divorce will affect nearly half of those who marry. Hence, a divorce rate of 3.4 per 1,000 population will affect the 6.8 per 1,000 population who get married (CDC 2009). This high divorce rate can be attributed to financial, emotional, and/or physical problems of consenting partners. However, socioeconomic factors such as income, education, and social status seem to contribute greatly to the rates of divorce. Therefore, In order to formulate the problems of divorce we must address the institution of marriage. Marriage is a sacred institution that has been around for many centuries and the reasons for marriage are all but clear and concise. Pre-industrial revolution, people married for reasons such as financial, political, or social gains (Coontz 2005). Traditional gender roles were emplaced whereas, women were in charge of the domestic and emotional duties of the household and men were in charge of the financial duties of the relationship. Women did not have many options pre-industrial revolution and were forced to marry to gain economical support. External gains and non-emotional reasons were a major component in the selection of a marriage partner in this era, not much emphasis was placed on love and emotions. Today however, people marry for a variety of reasons including emotional and non-emotional reasons. In a study conducted...
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...Influence of culture on relationships There are differences between Western and none-western relationships in formation, marriage and divorce. In Western societies, individuals are permitted to form their own relationships with little family interference and on the basis of romantic attraction. Men and women also expect to have numerous relationships before they consider marriage with just one person and often may choose to live together and never get married. Due to globalization and the increase in travel, individuals in Western cultures can interact with a larger pool of potential partners. Moghaddam suggests, in non-western and collectivist culture, males are chosen for the females who are often chaperoned in the presence of that male, otherwise they may be seen as un-marriage worthy. As for marriage; Western societies relationships are usually monogamous, a relationship with just one person, with the average marriage age being 27 and gradually rising. Couples are expected to be together for a length of time before deciding to marry. Hsu claims Individualist cultures value freedom and individuality so that a person can still live their own life once married. This explains why the divorce rate is far higher in Western societies, happiness is valued and more forgiveness is given to those who divorce. An anomaly of this is the Catholic religion, predominant in Ireland and South America, where divorce is religiously seen as shameful. In comparison around 1/2 of the world experiences...
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...Anthropology: Marriage and Divorce The issue of marriage and divorce has become a very serious in America today, which is not exclusive to unbelievers. The percentage of Christian divorces is almost as high as those that are not believers. The question that can be asked is “Why?” My personal belief is that we as humans are suffering from a heart defect, which has caused a love deficit in our lives. Especially in the area of our personal relationships, with the primary being marital relations. We missed the glory that God wanted for the union of men and women. We are seeking to fix our heart defect with “love” from human relationships. This is the wrong way to fill our love defect. Only the Father, Son and Holy Spirit can and will do this for us. Keeping that love relationship in the center of your life will help and heal want needs healing. In today’s society too often, marriage is entered into with the idea of, “If this doesn’t work we can always get a divorce.” That way of thinking should be the first clue that you are not mature enough to be getting married, let alone it is not a loving thought for the other person. It is self-centered thinking. According to the Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, “Biblical teaching on marriage is epitomized in the statement,’ For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh’”(Gen.2:24).(Elwell 2001) Marriage is an exclusive relationship between one man...
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...things happen. Divorce just happens to be one of those things. In every marriage there are problems. No marriage is perfect. If the spouses choose not to share how they are feeling then chances of reaching a divorce at some point is very likely. I think that people do not take marriage vows serious. It seems that divorce is much easier than to work things out. “In the United States, researchers estimate that 40%–50% of all first marriages, and 60% of second marriages, will end in divorce. The most common reasons people give for their divorce are lack of commitment, too much arguing, infidelity, marrying too young, unrealistic expectations, lack of equality in the relationship, lack of preparation for marriage, and abuse,” according...
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