Premium Essay

The Increasing Divorce Rate in America

In:

Submitted By mam1986
Words 1206
Pages 5
Running head: THE INCREASING DIVORCE RATE IN AMERICA

The Increasing Divorce Rate In America
Mohammed Alsalman
Saint John College, University of New Brunswick, Saint John
EAP Level 5, Writing and Research
May 25, 2010

Outline

I. Lack of time together and incorrect views about life can be determined as some of the reasons that divorce is increasing in America.
Couples in America are spending less time together than in the past which has lead to an increase in the divorce rate. A. Workaholism
1. Main priority is work (Young & Harding, 2007, p.7) a. Interview with a workaholic and his spouse about their divorce (Piotrowski & Vodanovich, 2008, p.103). B. TV 1. Favorite programs are so important (Young & Harding, 2007, p. 28)
a. 60% having TVs in all bedrooms of the house (Young & Harding, 2007, p. 112).
Another major problem that is causing the increasing divorce rate in America is people have the wrong idea about life.
A. The priority of the individual 1. Individual happiness is priority (Young, 2008, p. 25) a. Divorce due to irreconcilable differences in first three years (Young, 2008, Incompatibility section, para.10)
B. Love is good 1. The Cinderella story. a. Interview conducted with 500 American children about love (Smith & Westen , 2007, p.17).
In conclusion, understanding the minimal amount of time couples spend together and the culture’s problematic views about life is essential if there is to be any hope of controlling the spreading epidemic of divorce in America.

The Increasing Divorce Rate In America In people’s life there are many kinds of problems. Problems are different in

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Eng 102

...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...

Words: 2288 - Pages: 10

Premium Essay

Divorce in America

...Divorce and the Destruction of the Family Ron Swanson Western Washington University The Destruction of the Family Throughout history, societies that valued traditional marriage and sexual abstinence were able to remain fundamentally strong and have flourished. Once a society decides to abandon these simple principles, destruction inevitably follows. J. Unwin (1934) wrote, “In human records, there is no instance of a society retaining its energy after a complete new generation has inherited a tradition which does not insist on prenuptial and postnuptial continence” (Unwin, 1934, p. 174). In today’s society, family and marriage are not defined by the traditional definition handed down through several millennia of history; rather the definition has been warped, and a new unstable version of the family has been accepted by our society. Traditional marriage is by its nature, the foundation of the family. The family is the building block of society, and marriage is the basis of the family. The devaluation of the conventional family, and more specifically, the destruction of traditional marriage by divorce, can have no other outcome but the destruction of our society. There are many reasons to evaluate why we have arrived at this state in our society: the growth of consumerism and commercialism, influence of Hollywood over our lives, the decline of religiosity in the United States, the decline of the social order and neighborhood relationships. All of these reasons are legitimate...

Words: 3540 - Pages: 15

Premium Essay

Divorce Effecting Children

...In 2011 the divorce rate in Maryland 2.9 per 1,000 total populations residing in the area. The divorce rate throughout the whole United States in 2010 was 3.6 per 1,000 total populations. (Marriage and Divorce) The rate that people are getting divorced is an increasing number by weeks to months to years. The little to no thought that gets put into people getting married, but do not realize the negative outcomes divorce has on a single person. “20 to 25 percent of children do show signs that they are not dealing well with this change in the relationship between their mothers and fathers, and some of the problems they develop may continue into adult life.” (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services) Divorce for children can be a confusing and sensitive topic to live through or talk about, it can be frightening, life changing, and unpredictable. Divorce has a negative affect on children they drop out of school, abuse substances, behave in sexual acts, relationships with their parents decline, and social classes might be affected. The first divorce in America was on January 5, 1643. “In the first record of a legal divorce in the American colonies, Anne Clarke of the Massachusetts Bay Colony is granted a divorce from her absent and adulterous husband, Denis Clarke, by the Quarter Court of Boston, Massachusetts. In a signed and sealed affidavit presented to John Winthrop Jr., the son of the colony's founder, Denis Clarke admitted to abandoning his wife, with whom he had two children...

Words: 1712 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Divorce

...to be, I think you should summarize a bit more, so that your thesis is a bit more clear, instead of being inquisitive. E.g.: Shockingly, the U.S. has the biggest incarceration (or imprisonment) rate than other nations. The perhaps biggest thing that causes such a catastrophe is the fact that so many children in the U.S. don’t grow up with two moral, strong-based parents. :P} The truth is is that most kids don’t have this privilege. In fact for a lot of kids the importance of the family is not taken seriously and is taken for granted by those who do experience it. Without a strong based family, a child loses key lessons from his or her parents: and when a child grows up with out knowing right from wrong the end result can be devastating. A child that grows up in a dysfunctional{what is dysfunctional to you may not be to others…may want to be a little more specific} family is at greater risk to do drugs, drop out of school, be sexually active, be abused, and live in poverty.((< definitely cite this. Although it may seem like common sense, it would be much more credible with a source for the info added in.)) [Divorce seems almost normal in America. The moment the marriage gets hard divorce is the decision immediately made]. {Reflects paragraph well: but be more assertive: “Divorce is an average agenda in everyday American life.”} What happened to “till death do us part”, not “till hard...

Words: 1374 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Divorce

...Divorce in the United States Tajaunna Pope Sociology Professor Darcy Schiller 3/19/14 Divorce or “dissolution of marriage” is a legal process in which a judge or other authority of the court breaks the bonds of matrimony between couples. This restores them to being single and able to remarry another individual. U.S. divorce rates are the highest in the world. There isn’t any data to show why divorce rates are higher than other countries. In the United States, researchers estimate that 40-50% of all first marriages end in divorce, and second marriages follow by 60%. Studies show that there are many factors that are associated with the increasing prevalence of divorce: lack of commitment, changes in laws, changes in gender roles, the media, and the changing views of divorce – just to name a few. These are just a few, but I think these are at the top of list. Lack of commitment is one of the most common reasons for divorce. Besides love, there are other reasons to stay married. In today’s society, once the love is gone, the marriage ends. It used to be about raising the children and providing a foundation for them, as well as financial security. The importance of this has diminished. Past generations used to endure a lot more in their marriages then the current generations. Working to save your marriage seems to be a thing of the past. Today, it seems much easier to quit and move on to the next best thing. Couples are lazy and feel they shouldn’t have to work for their marriage...

Words: 740 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Modern Family Myth

...Debunking the Modern Family Myth According to Stephanie Coontz in “What We Really Miss About The 1950’s”, the 1950’s were symbolic in terms of the nuclear American family. The “typical” nuclear American family structure consisted of an unemployed stay-at-home mom, working dad, a child or two, and a suburban home. In her article, she refers to the 1950’s as being the optimal time period for family’s where the ideology in television shows such as “Father Knows Best” and “Leave It To Beaver” was not just a depiction of how life was supposed to be lived, but an accurate portrayal of how life actually was back then. Today, the once commonly known family structure has been modified and tweaked and the standard image of a modern day family is no longer exactly how it looked 60 years ago. Twenty-first century culture has opened the door for many new views including the redefining of the typical structure of a family; in today’s world the model family is no longer just between a male and a female but also includes homosexual couples (Male/Male or Female/Female). Before complying with the definition of how the traditional family should be, we must be able to first define what a marriage truly is. Marriage as defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary is “the intimate or close union of two individuals”, though the definition seems stable enough it isn’t the only definition of marriage and the idea of marriage itself is actually quite wide spread as we see in Evan Wolfson’s “What is Marriage...

Words: 1147 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Divorce

...Millions of married couples in America file for divorce everyday. The causes are numerous ranging from boredom of the spouse to violent treatment. Couples who get a divorce often have children, which are the most affected when a divorce occurs. Divorces usually lead to separation of belongings (including children), absence of one parent during children’s growth, and destruction of the family unit. When a divorce is filed it means that a couple has reached a point in which they can not stand to be with each other. The ones who suffer the most in these cases are the products of the love the couple once had for each other: their children. After a divorce takes effect, each of the parent’s belongings are usually evenly divided. The things that can be easily divided include a house, car, and bank accounts. But, children are not things that we can sell or divide. For this reason, divorced couples fight in court for the custody of their children. Each parent has to present their case and demonstrate that he or she is the most capable parent to take care of the children. This includes economic, social, and other aspects of life. Once a judge decides who the children will stay with (usually the mother) the other parent will have no other choice but to limit himself to visitations to his or her children. Some might even be obliged to pay a monthly amount for child support. After custody is won by one of the parents, children will have to adjust to living with just that parent most of...

Words: 632 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Gay Marriage

...to experience sexual, affection, or romantic attractions primarily to" people of the same sex; ". They do not have such kind of feelings for females. In normal marriage two people one male and one female start their lives together but in gay marriage males of same sex start living together. All over the world, homosexuals exists whether openly or hidden. In America, almost 10 percent of the population is gay. In many parts of the world such as Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Iran, India etc it is considered to be wrong and it is not considered good there but no one can help the feelings of any person. Whether same sex marriage should be legalized or not is more of a religious debate then a political one. Marriage is considered to be a sacred union between man and woman but in America, everyone has the right to pursuit happiness and everyone has the free will. It can have a positive and negative effect on the society depending on the type of society on which people are living in. Reduction in Marriage Benefits For many years now, same sex marriage has been the top of leading religious and secular controversies in America. It is a complex and strange topic. People have both opposing and favorable view points for gay marriages. One of the many reasons why states provides many benefits to people who get marry is because marriage by its nature provides the normal, stable, affectionate and moral conditions for the upbringing of the children. This helps in completing the nation and strengthening...

Words: 1918 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Blended Families

...life for her and her 10 year old brother has been like a rollercoaster. Their lives have changed drastically in the last four months with trying to adjust to a new state, home and school. She has to cope with her feelings of abandonment, frustration and state of despair. How will she adapt to this sudden change in her life? This is just one of a many instances of how divorce’s and blended families affect our children and will affect the next generation. One of the many problems facing America appears to be either the absence of one parent or blending into another family through adoptions, foster care, and gay relationships. The traditional American family has declined over the years and the divorce rate continues to be on the rise. Why? There is a variety of reasons why married couple divorce. Some due to financial matters, infidelity, unrealistic expectations, lack of communications, mental and physical abuse. One out of two marriages end in divorce. Sixty percent of second marriages fail, according to the U S Census Bureau 66% of all marriages and living together situations end in break Mise 2 up when children are in involved. Due to this, large volume of divorce’s single parent households are common and create a void in home management. In most cases the mother maintains custody of the children and her concern is not just a financial burden with raising kids, but also her...

Words: 903 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Marriage

...EFFECTS OF DIVORCE ON CHILDREN A Research Paper Presented to Dr. Antonio R. Yango College of International Hospitality Management University of Perpetual Help System Laguna In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Course Communication Arts 2 By Lianne Grace P. Caraan March 2012 INTRODUCTION Divorce harms! That is undisputed, to what extent and to what degree is the question we have set out to examine? The research that has been carried out, has been critiqued for biased-ness in sampling and later interpretation of data. Most researchers have determined that children of divorce have difficulty forming relationship of their own, are more likely to divorce themselves, are more prone to depression, become less religious and have reduced educational and financial attainment. In short the overall effect is proclaimed to be negative. There are most positive aspects out of divorce especially when there is no alternative option? We will examine these issues in detail and also see what sort of option does parents in conflict have and with what implications. All jokes abt couples who renovate their homes and then divorce, but it's not the upheaval of construction that causes people to part, but rather the prior tensions that caused them to make one last show of solidarity before admitting defeat. As a Catholic nation we are lucky because we were raised how to value our family that is why divorce advocates do not succeed in making it happen in...

Words: 2349 - Pages: 10

Premium Essay

Essay

...Topic:  Are children harmed by divorce Divorce Harms Children Introduction Divorce harms! That is undisputed, to what extent and to what degree is the question we have set out to examine? The research that has been carried out, has been critiqued for biased ness in sampling and later interpretation of data. Most researchers have determined that children of divorce have difficulty forming relationship of their own, are more likely to divorce themselves, are more prone to depression, become less religious and have reduced educational and financial attainment. In short the overall effect is proclaimed to be negative. There are most positive aspects out of divorce especially when there is no alternative option? We will examine these issues in detail and also see what sort of option does parents in conflict have and with what implications. Marital Dissolution The sanctity of marriage as an institution may be open to question as increasing number of children are either being reared by single parent, or being forced with a single parent because of non marital childhood. Children may have an unquestioned right to parental support, be it emotional, psychological or financial – children of separated parents still have these needs and separation creates an indeterminable void that may sustain beyond childhood. Judith (1994) believes that women and men have fundamentally different behaviors vis-à-vis marriage child bearing and care of children. Women normally take...

Words: 2226 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

Marriage and Divorce and the Way They Impact Women

...Marriage and Divorce and the Way They Impact Women There are a lot of factors that contribute to the reason why divorce has increased in the last twenty years. Some argue financial difficulty, serious illness, career failure, job loss, or even midlife crisis. Rarely does a person hear the possibility that it is because women have become more independent. A woman’s role in today’s marriage has changed drastically from the past. Women are evolving into being more independent outside the marriage. Women now have the same rights as men; therefore, they have more independence and impacts the way they view marriage and divorce. At the turn of the 20th century, if women found they were not happy in their marriage, they began to explore other options. Women decided that divorce was a viable option in order to get out of an unhappy marriage; consequently, the number of divorces grew. No matter how independent women have become, there is still inequality that puts men in front of women when divorce is involved. Women that choose divorce seem to suffer more financially because the workforce still pays men more than women in most careers. Women who opt for divorce and have children run a higher chance of poverty due to lower income compounded by the need to pay for childcare. In a situation where the husband’s income is relied upon, a no fault divorce can contribute to a woman’s struggle after divorce. Often after divorce women are poverty stricken. Men may be required to pay alimony...

Words: 3551 - Pages: 15

Premium Essay

Cultures in Comparison: Japan Versus the United States

...Culture may be one of the most significant influences on sexuality, since it characterizes a group of people by religion, cuisine, language, and social habits. Culture can influence whether someone is public or private about sexuality. The Japanese culture is unique in many ways, especially in sexuality. Japan is an island nation located in East Asia. This nation is governed in a democratic parliamentary style. It has a population just over 127 million that is remaining steady. Most Japanese citizens practice Shintoism and Buddhism as religions and speak the primary language Japanese. The inhabitants of Japan are generally thin since the obesity rate is extremely low estimated at three percent. The rate of people living with HIV/AIDS is estimated at 8,100 out of the entire population. On the contrary, the literacy rate is extremely high at ninety-nine percent. Based on statistical information and facts in history, the Japanese culture differs in many ways from the American culture in the United States. Sex education, pre-marital sexual activity, and marriage and family draw the line between sexuality in the Japanese and American cultures. Marriage and Family Marriage is considered to be a wonderful and sacred union between a man and a woman. After this union, the husband and wife would have children and create a family. As...

Words: 2243 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

Race and Gender

...Forbes Inc. Introduction Forbes Inc. is a business magazine provider in America that publishes biweekly. The company features original articles on the business industry, finance, marketing and investing. Forbes Inc. also provides reports on some other relate subjects such as communications, technology, law and science. Forbes headquarters are in the city of New York. The company faces tough competition in the category of national business magazine from Bloomberg and Fortune hence the performance strategies need to be set in such a way that the output is extremely original, reliable and of high quality (Forbes., 2009). The company depends greatly on young people in conducting surveys and collecting data and news update materials. However, for the recent past the company has experienced great problems with the young female workers who have just attained the marriage time. The young female workers are recording very poor performance in their areas of duty unlike the past when the young workers both male and females, were the key drivers of the company’s growth. Recent research has shown that many young parents especially mothers are currently undergoing through stressful lives as a result of changes in families’ dynamics and structures (Hadden & Borgatta, 2010). Background of the study The 20th century witnessed very remarkable adjustments in the families’ dynamics and structures in America and Western Europe. There are many smaller households in terms of family size...

Words: 2132 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

Mateselection

...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...

Words: 2641 - Pages: 11