Divorce Sociology of the family

1 divorce

1.1 trends
1.2 parents: falling out of love
1.3 effect of divorce on children

divorce
trends

the divorce rate in western countries has increased on time. divorce rates have started decrease on last twenty years. in usa, divorce rate changed l.2 per 1000 marriages in 1860 3.0, 4.0 , 7.7 in 1890, 1900, 1920 to, 5.3, 4.7, 4.1 , 3.7 per 1000 marriages in 1979, 1990, 2000 , 2004 respectively. people less inclined stay in unhappy relationships keep family unit intact , maintain consistency in children s lives, way previous generations did. couples choose leave spouses in hope of bettering quality of lives; children being raised in complex mélange of step-parents, step-siblings, half siblings, , binuclear families.

divorce rates in canada , united states fluctuated in similar pattern, though united states still has highest divorce rate in world (50% higher canada s). many of today s marriages end in divorce, many different reasons. following of common causes:

parents: falling out of love

many scholars have attempted explain why humans enter relationships, stay in relationships , end relationships. levinger s (1965, 1976) theory on divorce based on theoretical tradition consisting of 3 basic components: attractions, barriers , alternatives. attraction in theory proportional rewards 1 gets relationship minus cost of relationship. things can seen gains relationship such love, sex, companionship, emotional support , daily assistance rewards of relationship. costs negative aspects of relationship such domestic violence, infidelity, quarrels , limitations on personal freedom. people tend stay in high rewards , low cost relationships. however, reverse situation, is, costly marriage few benefits not automatically lead divorce. couples must overcome barriers such religious beliefs, social stigma, , financial dependence or law restrictions before dissolve marriage. costly marriage not reason why couple may decide divorce. possibility of alternative situation, spouse better rewards partner or alone may lead divorce.

another theory explain why relationships end mate ejection theory , brian boutwell, j.c. barnes , k.m beaver. mate ejection theory looks @ dissolution of marriage evolutionary point of view, species seek reproduce. according theory there gender differences in process of ejection. example, woman more upset when husband emotionally cheats on , man more upset when wife physically cheats on him. reason stems evolutionary roots, man emotionally cheating on wife equates loss or reduction in resources wife raise children whereas act of physical infidelity wife threatens husband s chance pass on genes next generation via reproduction. both these circumstances call mate ejection. ancestral conditions favored dissolution of mateship constituted recurrent adaptive problem on human evolutionary history , imposed selection pressures evolution of strategic solutions. put differently, capability of emancipating relationships have conferred fitness benefit ancestral humans.

effect of divorce on children

three longitudinal studies on divorce: marin county project (the clinical study of 60 families began in 1971), virginia county study (a series of longitudinal studies on marriage, divorce , remarriage) , binuclear family studies of 98 families have helped expand literature on divorce. binuclear study based on findings marin county project , virginia county study. research has been used understand implications of divorce on children later on in life.

judith wallerstein, influential psychologist s research on effect of divorce(based on marin county project), on children suggests that, children divorced parents reach adulthood psychologically troubled individuals find difficult maintain satisfying relationships others . lot of quantitative research done other scholars agrees wallerstein s conclusion. has been shown children divorced parents have increased risk of: experiencing psychological problems, having troubled marriages, divorcing , having poor relationships parents father. wallerstein, however, has disputed extreme version of theory claims difference between children divorced , continuously married parents dramatic , pervasive. wallerstein s critics point out wallerstein s research results compromised because did not follow rules scientific research while compiling data. sample not random , used case studies support theories instead looking @ data holistically. in addition, wallerstein did not have control group in experiment.

one such opponent of wallerstein s extreme theory mavis hetherington argues negative effects of divorce on children have been exaggerated , children grow without long-term harm. hetherington s data showed 25% of children divorced parents reach adulthood serious social, emotional or psychological problem, compared 10% of children continuously married parents. 75% of children grow well-functioning adults.

twenty years after 98 families binuclear study interviewed; offspring these families interviewed. eighty-five percent of offspring interviewed , out of those, 23% had completed postgraduate training, 33% had completed college, 31% had completed post-secondary training, 10% had received high school diplomas , majority (85%) of interviewed children employed.