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Essay Samples on Divorce

Divorce is a complex and deeply personal process that involves the legal dissolution of a marriage. It marks the end of a once-promising union and triggers a range of emotions, from sadness and anger to relief and newfound independence. Understanding the intricacies of divorce and its effects is crucial when writing college essays about divorce.

How to Write College Essays About Divorce

When exploring the subject of divorce, it is important to delve into the factors that contribute to its occurrence and look at college essays about divorce examples. These can include communication issues, incompatibility, domestic abuse, financial strain, or even external factors such as societal expectations or cultural norms. Discussing these causes helps paint a comprehensive picture of the complexities surrounding divorce.

To provide a well-rounded perspective for an example of college essay about divorce, consider including statistics or research findings related to divorce rates, average durations of marriages, or common age groups affected by divorce. This data can help support your arguments and provide a factual foundation for your essay.

Additionally, it is crucial to examine the legal aspects of divorce. Different jurisdictions have specific laws and regulations governing the process, including property division, alimony, child custody, and visitation rights. Incorporating information about these legal frameworks can add depth to your essay and showcase a comprehensive understanding of divorce proceedings.

While divorce can be emotionally challenging, it also offers opportunities for personal growth and self-discovery. Discuss the psychological and emotional impacts divorce can have on individuals, as well as strategies for coping and rebuilding one’s life after the end of a marriage.

Lastly, explore the societal implications of divorce. Analyze how divorce impacts the perception of marriage, family structures, and gender roles. Consider the evolving attitudes towards divorce in different cultures and how society supports or stigmatizes individuals going through this process in the divorce essay example.

Cause and Effect of Broken Family: Exploring the Impact on Individuals and Society

A broken family, characterized by divorce, separation, or strained relationships among family members, can have profound effects on individuals and society as a whole. This essay delves into the cause and effect of broken families, and examines the far-reaching consequences on emotional well-being, academic performance,...

Growing Up with Divorced Parents: Discussing the Topic of Divorce With Your Children

“Kids need parents not part-time visitors with a checkbook” how important it is to have to a male figure and a woman figure In your childhood? Understanding that your child’s growing stages could be affected because the child's parent doesn't want involvement with them. How...

Growing Up With Divorced Parents: The Impact of Divorce on the Children

Introduction Evidence suggests that children of divorced or separated parents have a higher tendency of being diagnosed with affective disorders such as depression, in comparison to children with parents who are still together. However, the effect size of this finding is weak. The reasons that...

The Effects Of Divorce On Children

Introduction: Divorces are common; unfortunately, the children are the victims of this decision. One out of every two marriages today end up in a divorce, and many divorced families include children. Parents who are getting divorced every now and then are stressed over the impact...

The Effects Of Divorce On Children In America

Introduction Every year, over a million American youngsters endure the separation of their parents. Separation makes hopeless mischief all included, yet most particularly to the kids. In spite of the fact that it may be appeared to profit a few people in some individual cases,...

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The Effects Of Divorce On Children And Young Adolescents

Introduction The Star Online recorded an alarming figure in 2015 – one divorce every 10 minutes in Malaysia! According to the latest statistics released the Department of Statistics Malaysia in 28 December 2018, there are about 50,000 divorce cases per year in 2016 and 2017....

The Causes Of Divorce That Lead To The Annulment

The purpose of this paper is to elaborate on the major causes of divorce, psychological effects and how to cope with it. An increase in amount of U.S. couples divorcing is growing. Statistics stated in the paper is proof. The lacks of communication, physical and...

• Marriage and Family

The Causes Of Divorce And The Ruined Marriages

Divorce is becoming more common in today's society. Webster defines divorce as an act of separation. For each marriage, the reasons of divorce vary. The main reasons for divorce are lack of commitment, lack of communication, financial problems and infidelity. A lack of commitment is...

• Divorce Rate

The Causes Of Divorce: The Reason Marriage Fails

Divorce among married couples is more popular than ever in today's day and age. Webster's specified divorce is the formal breakup of a relationship. Statistics show that the major causes of divorces are: infidelity, lack of communication, lack of commitment, and financial problems. A lack...

The Causes And Effects Of Divorce

In today’s world, we are encountering a variety of social problems. From the lack of healthcare, poverty, alcohol and drug abuse, crime, unemployment, and much more. Then, there are the type of social problems that society often faces behind closed doors. For instance, one of...

Main Reasons For Divorce In The United States And How It Impacts Family

Approximately 50 percent of marriages in the United States end in separation or divorce. As many understand, this disunion brings about change, oftentimes negative. The majority of households witness increased conflicts among family members, distance, and health-related issues. The increase in division among so many...

My Personal Opinion On Why Divorce Shouldn't Be Legalized

Healthy marriages are important for couples, mental and physical health. However, based on the 2019 American Psychological Association statistics, Divorce has affected 40 to 50% of the total number of married couples all over the globe and has become one of the most prominent contemporary...

Common Social Problems Encountered In Family Life And How They Affect The Marriage

In this paper I will be addressing some common social problems a family faces. A social problem is an issue that influences a large number of individuals within a society. The social problems I will be discussing in this paper are divorce, violence, financial problems,...

• Infertility

Divorce Rates In Kenya And Means To Reduce Them

Introduction Family is the essential unit of human cooperation, accommodating both generational renewal and individual linkage to the bigger society as it has been for a huge number of years. We can therefore argue that Family is the most fundamental part of society. It is...

Divorce Process And Finances In Hennepin County

The divorce rate in Minnesota is 10% — one of the highest divorce rates in the country, government statistics reveal. Money is the leading cause of stress in relationships and has been found to be responsible for at least 21% of divorces. Married couples considering...

• Child Custody

Comparison of Cohabitation and Marriage: Advantages and Disadvantages

In our modern world, there are so many couples that are adapting to the idea of living together with their partners as an alternative to marriage or just to get a taste of how marriage is. Cohabitation and marriage are quite different in various ways...

• Cohabitation

Report on the Family Structure of the UK and Changes Within It

What are the different types of family in the UK and how common are they? Using statistical evidence discuss to what changes are occurring in the structure of families in Britain. The different types of family in the UK. Single person household It represents 29%...

Issues with Divorce in Roman Catholic Marriage

Divorce refers to putting an end to a matrimonial union, whereby, both couples may go separate ways. Christians use the Bible as a guideline when addressing issues of marriage (religiously recognized marital union) and Christian life, while in the union. In the new testament, the...

• Christian Marriage

Why Divorces Become More Frequent: Research Study

Pothen (2002), studied 200 divorced men and 200 divorced women. She found that husbands and wives had great expectations about their future partners before marriage, which were not fulfilled in marriage. Strains in their marital life started when these expectations did not meet reality. Majority...

Divorce and Its Rate: Literature Review

Brian, (2011) stated “Separation is linked with highly increased risk of so many psychological and social problems throughout the life span of a person. While experiencing the parental separation most of the family members specially children got rough reactions towards divorce during the process but...

• Literature Review

Problem of Divorce Rate in Canada and Its Effect on Children

Sadly, the world we live in today is made up of many problems and sad truths that seem to be growing faster than we can imagine, one in which we see most often in society today that is overlooked. This problem we face today is...

How Divorce Has Affected My Future Relationships

I did not grow up in a stereotypical family home with loving parents and siblings. At five years old, my parents had separated to get divorced. My mother received full custody. We moved to a neighboring city to remain close to my father. Although they...

• Family Relationships

Family and Marriage: The Rate and Percentage of Divorced

Family and marriage is a significant factor in the public arena today. A decent family structure can shape youngsters' lives as they change from youth to adulthood, anyway, a poor family structure could be the defeat of numerous kids in the present society. Numerous components...

A Smart Exit Strategy Before Initiating The Divorce Process

Of all the financially draining and time-consuming legal hassles you can possibly encounter in your lifetime, divorce is among the most difficult. Unfortunately, divorce is a cold reality that many couples must face when their idealistic marriage fantasies go wrong. However, the best thing you...

Divorce and Custody: Sources of Information That Can Support Your Case

Electronically stored Information is increasingly a focus in divorce and child custody cases. Discovered evidence can be used to support or refute legal claims including infidelity, income and spousal/child abuse or neglect. However, this evidence must be handled correctly or you risk having it rejected...

Causes of Divorce Cases in Malaysia and How to Avoid Them Increasing

There are a lot of divorce cases happened in Malaysia. According to Malay Mail. (2014, March 3). The divorce cases have dramatically increased in only eight years from 2004. In 2012, 56,760 separations were recorded, which is equivalent to a marriage separate every 10 minutes....

Parents' Divorce & Its Impact On Children

Divorce is portrayed as the authentic end of a marriage, anyway in its bona fide sense there is fundamentally more to it than essentially the complete of a relationship. Nowadays various social associations end in divorce, and shockingly the lion's share of them end at...

• Parent-Child Relationship

Some Hardships In Human Relations

For a great deal of untouchables who don't know there is a tremendous measure of reason that causes this tormented condition. Infer a 2006 review by DivorceMagazine.com that asked scrutinizes what had caused their parcel or separation, I found that unfaithfulness or extramarital issue is...

• Relationship

Examining Injustice in Alimony Laws on Examples of Divorce Cases in Quebec

In Canada, the first ever official divorce laws were adopted in 1960. Back then, marriage was the norm for couples. However, nowadays, couples tend not to get married and opt for common law unions. Despite this situation, spousal support laws haven’t been changed. This essay...

Best topics on Divorce

1. Cause and Effect of Broken Family: Exploring the Impact on Individuals and Society

2. Growing Up with Divorced Parents: Discussing the Topic of Divorce With Your Children

3. Growing Up With Divorced Parents: The Impact of Divorce on the Children

4. The Effects Of Divorce On Children

5. The Effects Of Divorce On Children In America

6. The Effects Of Divorce On Children And Young Adolescents

7. The Causes Of Divorce That Lead To The Annulment

8. The Causes Of Divorce And The Ruined Marriages

9. The Causes Of Divorce: The Reason Marriage Fails

10. The Causes And Effects Of Divorce

11. Main Reasons For Divorce In The United States And How It Impacts Family

12. My Personal Opinion On Why Divorce Shouldn’t Be Legalized

13. Common Social Problems Encountered In Family Life And How They Affect The Marriage

14. Divorce Rates In Kenya And Means To Reduce Them

15. Divorce Process And Finances In Hennepin County

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Divorce - Free Essay Examples And Topic Ideas

Divorce is the termination of a marriage by legal action, requiring a petition or complaint for divorce by one party. Essays could explore the social, psychological, and economic effects of divorce, the legal process involved, and the impact on families, especially children. Comparative analysis of divorce laws and rates across different cultures or countries could also be insightful. A substantial compilation of free essay instances related to Divorce you can find at PapersOwl Website. You can use our samples for inspiration to write your own essay, research paper, or just to explore a new topic for yourself.

Children and Divorce

Divorce brings with it significant changes in the lives of children regardless of their age. They are forced to live with entirely new and challenging circumstances, and there is a need for fast adaptation to curb the aftermath effects. For children, watching parents break their marriage and leave each other can be a devastating, confusing, and stressful event. Therefore we need to consider the psychological, social and physical effects resulting from a divorce so that children can be helped to […]

Effects of Divorce on Families

The most basic effects of separation on kids or young adults incorporate an effect on their psychological changes, proper social skills, scholarly accomplishments and even behavior impacts that can carry on over the span of adulthood. The most recognized effects that divorce has on kids present themselves in the way that children will begin to reprimand themselves for the separation, there is a sense of vulnerability in elements of life that were previously concrete, there are social issues that emerge, […]

Women after the American Revolution

Although the Revolutionary War provided a new perspective of women’s roles in politics and the household, there was not lasting change after the end of the war. Coverture is the status that a woman is essentially property of her husband, and is to remain under his command. During the post-revolutionary era, ideas of coverture still existed in America, even if new rights given to women began to spark their want for equality. Before the American Revolution, women had a very […]

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Effects of Marriage and Divorce on Children

Development during early childhood is very important. It shapes who a person is in their actions, values, and ideals for the rest of their life. Divorce can affect how a child develops cognitively. Due to the stress of conflict, potential lack of attention or loss of resources the child receives during divorce it can be detrimental to how a young child cognitively develops and can have impacts on their life in the moment, but also long-term consequences. The self-image of […]

Divorce is a Disaster

On average, a person spends about two years thinking about divorce before taking action. Although many people think divorce should be an easy process laws should be enacted that make divorce harder to obtain because it affects children life a lot, and it causes economic hardship. Many believe that laws should not be harder that make divorce harder to obtain. As Margarette said, "If a marriage is not achieving goals in love, or is abusive, divorce laws should not be […]

Women’s Rights in the Middle East

Brigham Young once said, "You educate a man; you educate a man. You educate women; you educate a generation" (Digital Empowerment Foundation). Education is very important to the young women in the Middle East and religion can cause conflict, it is not just about private faith. There are many titles that a woman can be given such as, a woman's main job is to take care of their children, they are not allowed to show any hair of skin, and […]

Divorce as a Legal Dissolution of a Marriage

Divorce is known to be a legal dissolution of a marriage by a court order or any legal body. It divides a families social financial and emotional well being. It is a situation that calls for much attention because it is not something to celebrate about, therefore, it should not be the solution to a failed marriage. Divorce is not the solution to failed marriages because, it has its drawbacks, which include; it has a negative effect on a couple's […]

Divorce and Tragedy

Imagine going between two different households to visit one parent while living with the daily absence of one parent. Many children live through this ongoing challenge, this sometimes unpredictable surprise hurts children more than the separating couple. Thus, reactions to divorce can be an anxious one that will only delay a child's adjustment to growing older. While many may believe that children will get over the split of their parents, divorce actually can cause more problems in that child's life […]

Old Traditions: Modern-Day Transformations

The ultimate goal of any link between couples is marriage. Various ways are used today for which can be used to help individuals to meet that someone special; whether you meet them on your own, get introduced by friends, through blind dates, or website dating; there is something out there to assist you. But there is an old tradition from the Medieval Era in history that is making its way back into Modern-day society and relationships – arranged marriages. Modern-day […]

Affects of Divorce

It has been contemplated whether or not a parent's divorce truly impacts teens. Some might argue that divorce can lead to a better childhood and state of mind, rather than continuing to live with parents who constantly argue and fight. However, in reality, it is not merely about separation; it is about the psychological and behavioral changes that teenagers may experience. Throughout the process, a teen's perspective can change radically, just as their behaviors might. Divorce can leave a teen […]

Psychological Damage to a Child after Divorce

According to Stanton, approximately 45 percent of children born to married parents are likely to see their parents divorce before they reach the age of 18. Recently divorce over time has become very normal. Before the the 1960s it was not seen as regularly. The mindset was believed that it was more important for a child to grow up with a family than a parents need for marital happiness. Both parents had to keep up with an unhappy marriage for […]

Suicide and Depression

Every year thousands of people take their own life. People (especially teenagers) have depression and causes them to feel lonely and makes them feel like they don't have a purpose in the world. There is a lot of problems that teens go through that most people don’t see which can lead to teen suicide. Such as stress, cyberbullying, and in some cases it includes family issues. These problems may seem too hard or embarrassing to overcome. For some, suicide may […]

History of Divorce

Background: "I just got a divorce," is a phrase that is becoming more of a social norm in today's society more than ever. According to the Oxford dictionary divorce is defined as such: The legal dissolution of a marriage by a court of other competent body ("Divorce"). Meaning, as soon as all the documents are signed by both the parties involved, the legal marriage, through the court, is officially over. Just because the documents were signed on a certain date, […]

The Damage of Divorce on Children

Divorce has been an very prevalent and staggering topic in our current era of being doubly so as a citizen of the United States of America. Before even conducting this study, I was always curious and confused as to the outcome of divorce more specifically the effects on the child. I was always asking family members or those in my secondary group how the experience was and what did you take from what happend or was happening. The majority of […]

Divorced from Reality

No matter how it is perceived, divorce is without a doubt known to be one of the most traumatic and life changing experiences one can go through. According to statistics provided by the American Psychological Association in February 2018, about 40% to 50% of married couples in the United States divorce (Harrington and Buckingham). Many families across the world, not just in the U.S., are torn apart through marriage; these broken marriages heavily affect children and impact their life in […]

Divorce and Adolescent Suicidal Behaviours

Family functioning undoubtedly has a significant role to play in understanding both, the etiology, as well as the treatment of adolescent suicidality. Evidence consistently demonstrates that when family structures, dynamics, and processes are disturbed, there is a higher risk of not only adolescent suicide ideation, but also suicide attempts (Pfeffer, 1989). The fact that literature investigating the relationships between family functioning and adolescent suicide is lacking (Adams, Overholder, & Lehnert, 1994) is cause for worry, since family life is one […]

Effects of Gender Roles on Women

Although the life of a women’s has improved greatly since the early 90’s, women still today experience great disadvantages compared to a man. What hasn’t changed in this country is gender roles associated with marriage. There are many movements and groups whose main goal is to empower and support women but, gender role stereotypes are reinforced in women which make them feel obligated to occupy the role as the homemaker in heterosexual marriages. The male breadwinner and female homemaker family […]

Divorce and Juvenile Delinquency

Introduction Crime can be considered to be one of the toughest challenges that society has tried to manage over the year. This increase in crime has raised the concerns of developing new tactics to prevent crime and reduce the likelihood of crime happening. In order for the decrease in crime to happen, it is paramount that individuals understand the many dynamics of crime and why it is on the steady rise. Research has been shown to identify a correlation between […]

Hebrew and American Marriage Divorce Laws

There are many differences between Hebrew and American marriage and divorce laws. Hebrew law dates back approximately three thousand years when God gave Moses the Ten Commandments. Hebrew law relies heavily on scripture and cultural traditions. The Torah, known as the 5 Books of Moses, contains the biblical laws of Judaism. The Talmud is a collection of rabbinic law published by Rabbi Judah the Patriarch around 200 CE. Hebrew laws derive from these writings. On the other hand, the US […]

Questions before Filing for Divorce

Are you contemplating divorce? Be prepared to face emotions that you didn't think you would have. While dealing with the emotions, be sure that you are also getting prepared for the actual divorce and life afterward. Here are the most important questions to ask yourself before scheduling a consultation with our Orlando Divorce Attorney. Is Divorce the Right Option? Once you tell your spouse that you want a divorce and actually start the process, it is almost impossible to go […]

Divorce Children’s Psychological Desolation

Marriage is the traditional view of legally binding two individuals together 'til death. While marriage may work for others, some come to terms of separating due to a numerous of reasons. Divorce is the legal action of terminating a marriage between two married individuals. This can be a stressful factor for the entire family especially for the children involved. Between the emotional and psychological implications of divorce, children take this problem into adulthood. In a study done by Hurre, Junkkari, […]

Parents in Indian Family

AGD Many Indians who have traditional parents do not get their say in who they want to marry. The parents are the ones who ultimately decide who will be their child’s husband or wife. BACKGROUND This is how it is in India. While India has culturally and independently changed over the past decades, arranged marriages is something that has not and will likely not change in a long time. THESIS An arranged marriage can be a good for some things, […]

Probability of Divorce Today

Nowadays is more probability that people get divorce. Many women prefer to be alone, they don’t need a husband to live an a good economy. Nowadays, woman do the same duties as a men that why they prefer the divorce because they don’t need that support of the husband. Divorce is very easy to do nowadays unlike the past. This topic has a lot to talk about, since there are many teenagers and children who are affected by these cases […]

Effects of Divorce on College-aged Students

Introduction All around the nation thousands of children from divorced parents are suffering from the backlash of a family separation. These negative effects can range from academic or emotional instability. In the case of Blake's overwhelming issue, his parents recently divorced shortly after his move to college. His mother's dependency on him affects Blake's academics and social relationships. Due to having to go home every weekend, his girlfriend is upset and his grades are failing. In addition to this, he […]

Marriage and Divorce

Marriage is a very common in society today and many people believe they need to be married to have their lives complete. But with many marriages they end in very nasty divorces. I am going to begin talking about marriage rates in 2018 (FP-18-20) and then I will be discussing the divorce rates in 2018 (FP-18-21). Society is very focused on finding a spouse and then throwing a huge wedding spending an unnecessary amount of money. The rate of women […]

Divorce in Florida

Humans are unique beings with unique lives. These differences bleed over into marriages and, ultimately, divorce. Some marriages end barely before they begin, while others can take a couple through decades together. No matter how long a marriage lasts, it can still end in divorce. Throughout Florida, we are seeing a rise in long-term marriages coming to an end. This means a rise in senior citizens seeking a divorce. If you are in that population and considering divorce, seek advice […]

Being Rich doesn’t Guarantee

Being rich doesn't guarantee your happiness (Chatzky 12). Money is important in the world we live in but in chapter one, Sophie Tucker Was Wrong, Jean Chatzy tells us that money will make life easier if manage well but is not supposed to be the source of one's long term happiness. One page twenty-two it says that happiness is the process of enjoying what you are doing and not what you own. I learned money is a temporary fix for […]

Moderating Factors for Children of Divorce

Many people in America are children of divorced families. It's said that more than 16 million people in America have divorced and not remarried (Anderson, Taylor, & Logio, 2015, pg. 319). It's no argument that divorce is detrimental to children. A study about children and their adjustment to divorce states that children might experience the loss of a parental figure, and the quality of parenting might decline (Kelly and Emery, 2003). This means that children are often left without the […]

Analyzing the Effect Divorce has on Behavior and Emotions in Children

Dr. Andreas Schick, of the University of Heidelberg, conducted a study to show the effects that divorce has on a child. Schick looked to see if children of divorced parents are generally more fearful, have lower self esteem, evaluate their competence differently, and have more behavior problems. Along with looking into the difference between separated and non-separated families, a child’s gender can be looked at as a factor in this experiment. Another factor that was analyzed in this case is […]

The Main Causes of Divorce

Married with someone is an important decision of everyone life, so most people think carefully before they get married, and they all expect they will have a longevity married. However, some couples could not maintain their relationship after living together anymore, so they get a divorce which is one of the way to solve the problems between wife and husband. There are many reasons lead to couples’ divorce, but in my opinion, there are three main causes of divorce are […]

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Divorce as a Social Problem

Updated 23 August 2023

Downloads 38

Category Life ,  Family ,  Social Issues ,  Sociology

Topic Divorce

Divorce and Its Impact on Society

Divorce is one of the most complex social problems that affect various societies across the world. It has been widely accepted in the society, and since its legalization in the United States of America in 1857, divorce became popular in the 1970s and recent years, more than 50 percent of marriages end up in dissolution (Divorce 167). Divorce rates have been increasing and its now widely accepted in different societies, this is attributed to the fact that divorce has close ties with a relationship that exists between a group of people or between two individuals. The relationship between individuals or groups is governed by external and internal factors that influence the outcome of the relationship. These factors determine whether a marriage relationship will end in divorce or not. In the recent past, society seems to have accepted divorce as part of their lives, and this has made it difficult to find ways to deal with the problem of divorce. The causal factors that have made divorce to become a social phenomenon have a close association with relationships between individuals, because of this, divorce has become accepted as a way of life, and it has become a social problem.

Rising Divorce Rates in the United States

The rates of divorce in the United States of America have been increasing in recent years. According to statistics, most marriages throughout the United States of America last for about six years. According to the divorce reports, many young people have been opting for divorce as the most effective way to deal with issues in their marriage. It can be seen that young people are not ready to settle or live in a family setting. Several causal factors are responsible for turning divorce into a social problem. One of the major causes of divorce in the United States is poor decisions that are made mainly by young people when selecting their marriage mates. These poor decisions lead to marital conflicts which cause the dissolution of marriages. Additionally, divorce can be caused by the quality and the nature of the relationships of individuals; this means that if married partners have respect for each other and are flexible, chances of divorce will be minimal. Marital problems and the nature of relationships in the United States of America are the leading causes of divorce. Handling these issues has not been done effectively, because of this, divorce rates have been increasing making divorce to become a social problem in the country.

Social and Cultural Factors

The culture and social structure of the people living in the United States have also played a significant role in the increasing rates of divorce in the country. For the longest time, women in America have been able to support themselves and their kids without the help of their husbands. The divorced and unmarried women and men in the United States also enjoy similar opportunities both economic, political and legal with those who are married. Because of this, people do not find any reason to be in a marriage when something goes wrong. The fact that one can still enjoy the freedoms and rights just as those who have been married has led to the increased rates of divorce. The attitude of the people in the United States regarding divorce has also played a significant role in turning divorce into a social problem. Many Americans know that there are many other forms of families and not only extended and nuclear families. Single families are also seen as families who have made many people have still the feeling of belonging into a family even when divorce has taken place.

International Perspective on Divorce

Just like in the United States of America, the rate of divorce has been increasing in different societies across the world. Most countries in the world have established structures that allow for divorce to take place legally. In these societies, one of the major causes of divorce is the economic situation, when there is economic depression or recession, many people often get lack happiness. In such situations, people need to make up more time to improve their lives; they lack concentration on their marriages and in most cases, this ends up in divorce. Women have also become economically independent, they can be able to survive on their own and do not need to be in relationships (Kennedy & Steven 592). Other social factors like violence in the marriage have also led to increased rates of divorce. Across the world, many women suffer from domestic violence; the case is similar to men. Divorce appears to be the only solution that they have to end the marital problems that they have. Many people, especially the youth have also changed a lot. Unlike in the past, religious principles and teachings that are against divorce are not followed (Voena 2298). Because of this, they embrace divorce as an easy way to end a relationship with a partner in case they have problems.

Obstacles in Addressing Divorce as a Social Problem

Handling the divorce as a social problem faces several obstacles, the obstacles faced include; lack of data that is accurate and updated regarding the issue of divorce, lack of such data makes it difficult to obtain indicators and perform an accurate statistical data about this problem. By directing resources towards the study of this issue, a more elaborate understanding of the issue of divorce can be developed, and ways of solving the problem can be developed.

Works Cited

Divorce, After. "AND REMARRIAGE." Journal of Marriage and the Family 59.1 (2015): 165-176.

Kennedy, Sheela, and Steven Ruggles. "Breaking up is hard to count: The rise of divorce in the United States, 1980–2010." Demography 51.2 (2014): 587-598.

Voena, Alessandra. "Yours, Mine, and Ours: Do Divorce Laws Affect the Intertemporal Behavior of Married Couples?" American Economic Review 105.8 (2015): 2295-2332.

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The Causes of Divorce

1. introduction.

An analysis of marriage and divorce statistics and information on a variety of psychological and sociological factors that influence the stability and longevity of a marriage. The purpose of this paper is to provide the reader with a clear understanding of the many issues that lead to divorce on both the personal and societal level. In order to do this, the paper begins by clearly defining the concept of divorce and its long-term impact on both the children and the divorcing individuals. After this, the paper looks at the ways in which personal psychological issues may influence the longevity of a marriage. This includes examining the concept of the self-fulfilling prophecy and the extent to which depression and dependency can act as a precursor to divorce. Although many psychological difficulties can lead to divorce, the section primarily focuses on the impact of personality and, more specifically, neuroticism due to its maladaptive and often detrimental nature. This section was constructed using evidence from numerous studies in areas of psychology and sociology, including an informative study at the University of Iowa.

2. Factors Contributing to Divorce

Partners who fail to talk effectively with each other would quickly find themselves heading down the slippery slope to divorce. This is especially true in today's fast-paced society where, often, both partners are working and have little time to spend together. In such situations, there is a tendency to make assumptions about what the other partner feels or thinks, as there is little communication. Assuming one knows what the other is thinking is dangerous ground for any relationship. Without actual words from one partner to the other, assumptions lead to misunderstandings. This often results in the other partner feeling neglected or unimportant, which can ultimately cause each to grow apart. Without communication, there is no understanding, and without understanding, there is no way for a couple to have a successful marriage. It is for this reason a marriage with little communication may result in divorce. Infidelity is one of the most common causes of marriage breakdown. The foundation of a marriage is built on the trust between a husband and a wife, and if this trust is broken, the marriage is almost certainly going to end. Infidelity results in feelings of betrayal which is accompanied by a deep sense of hurt. It is very hard for the person who has been cheated on to understand why it has happened. They often blame themselves and question what they could have done to prevent it. This then leads to feelings of inadequacy, spurring on a lack of self-esteem. A person may feel that the pain is too overwhelming and divorce is the only answer. For the partner who has cheated, there is often a great deal of guilt and feelings of inadequacy. They may try to save the marriage but feel that the trust that has been broken is impossible to regain. This is another case where divorce would be sought.

2.1. Lack of Communication

Lack of communication can be a serious problem in a marriage. Whether the problem is the inability to talk at all about the deep, personal issues that can create a barrier between the spouses, or simply an inability to listen to one another, it can be a slow but sure death for a relationship. One cause of a lack of communication can be the busyness of life from work to the rearing of children. This can leave someone feeling like they are only living to take care of responsibilities and there is no time to just 'be' with one another. Also, when life becomes stressful, with burdening careers or insufficient finances, communication often becomes a complaining or arguing session and the simple joys of marriage are forgotten. A lack of communication due to the faltering of one or both partners' ability to show emotions can lead to a feeling of disconnect from the other person, or that they do not feel loved. Often when a male is raised in a culture discouraging the showing of emotions, his partner can see this emotional 'repression' as a lack of love or care for her. The feeling she feels is not reciprocated can cause a split between the two. On the other hand, if one member of the couple is overly emotional, they can become a nuisance to the other, appearing whiny or over-dramatic. This can also cause a loss of respect from one or both partners. All of these cases can result in the eventual dissolution of the marriage.

2.2. Infidelity

Infidelity refers to relationships in which an individual engages in sexual activity with another person outside the relationship. It happens when there is a breakdown of boundaries coupled with a loss of intimate connection within the marriage. Infidelity is the result of a violation of agreements within an intimate relationship. Affairs are difficult to define, since they are generated within individual perceptions/feelings regarding the relationship and the level of intimacy between the two. Emotional affairs, which do not include actual sexual contact, can be just as detrimental. In some ways, emotional affairs are more damaging to marriage because the emotional commitment has been broken. This loss of emotional connection can cause further damage within the relationship. The way in which one discovers infidelity varies greatly and can profoundly affect the degree of damage to the relationship. Often infidelity is never discovered, but when it is, it is most often discovered by a partner unexpectedly (in some instances, it is revealed intentionally). This revelation tends to be traumatic for the spouse who has been betrayed. They are suddenly faced with an act of great deception and betrayal. This leads to the exploration of how the infidelity occurred, with a search for causes within the relationship and the individual who committed the act. Influential factors include low moral commitment to the relationship, the acceptance of infidelity, the double standard regarding infidelity, and general tolerance of the act. Should the act of infidelity lead to termination of the relationship, there are generally fewer legal consequences than seen with other cases leading to divorce.

2.3. Financial Issues

So, money problems could be compared with either a lack of communication or the result of too much communication about the wrong things. The reason for this statement is that often overspending or drastic spending reduction occurs, and the financially independent, or now dependent, party has no clue what happened. Such a situation often leads to resentment and anger on the part of one partner, who feels financially duped, and guilt or shame from the other, and hidden feelings of anger and resentment about the breakup of the loss of financial security of their old lifestyle. In this way, financial problems can destroy a marriage over time. In the early stages, the results of debt, mismanagement, or simply being underpaid can cause intense stress on one or both parties, often affecting the mood at home and their ability to perform at work, thereby one day affecting their chief source of income. This is one of the main things that lead to the final straw of divorce. Damage to the children through split or single parenting can also be the result of financial issues. So, the detrimental effects of financial issues upon a marriage can span from its early stages right through until each individual's death.

3. Impact of Divorce on Individuals and Society

Families are vulnerable to crises of many kinds, but non-normative stress such as divorce has very deleterious effects. Often, the experience of loss and the fear of abandonment lead to depression. It seems inevitable that those who experience a lot of stress will be prone to stress-related illness. Therefore, in the short term, there is evidence that children of divorce suffer more from headaches, stomach aches, psychological problems, and other general health problems than those from intact families. When couples separate, there is usually a decline in the living standard of both the husband and the wife. This is because maintaining a similar standard of living would be dependent upon the couple having more resources while living apart than they had while they were together. It is particularly problematic for wives whose earning potential is much lower. They suffer substantially higher rates of poverty than divorced men or married couples. This evidence supports the hypothesis that if couples were to engage in potential claiming behavior, they would be more likely to stay together because that is the most resource-generating strategy overall.

3.1. Emotional Consequences

The emotional impact of divorce on individuals is great. The literature suggests that the experience of divorce results in a higher incidence of emotional disturbance. This is likely to be experienced by both the leaver and the left, though the initiator may not experience these feelings until much later in the divorce process. The actual divorce is often experienced as an unexpected personal crisis. The process of going through the divorce can also evoke many feelings of anger, resentment, guilt, anxiety, and fear. These feelings tend to be pervasive and long-lasting. Despite the commonly held belief that divorce is a freeing experience, for many it means the unraveling of the entire life they have known and the start of a still distant and unknown future. This can be an isolating experience for some people, and they may find that friends and family are so uncomfortable with the situation that they too become distant. The transition to being single again can be a challenging experience and for some it may be too much to bear. Children are also deeply affected by divorce and its aftermath. In a society where many people define themselves by their families, the dissolution of the family can be a painful experience. Many children feel they are the cause of the divorce, and are filled with feelings of guilt. They may also experience a sense of having no secure place in the world, no longer having the support and comfort of both parents at home. This can be a big loss for some children, and they will grieve the absence of what they have known to be their family. Changes in financial situation often lead to changes in school, and for children change of any kind can be a scary and unwelcoming prospect. Behavior of children can range from very rebellious to withdrawal and even to trying to act as the caretaker of the parent who is most in need. Considerable research has shown that children of divorce are at greater risk than children in intact families for emotional, behavioral, social and academic problems.

3.2. Economic Consequences

Economic consequences of divorce Economic independence is crucial to achieving equal rights for women and men, and to the full participation of women in all aspects of society. It is argued that, in the process of doing a 'man's job' – in paid employment or in the home – the woman's health and identity are likely to be diminished, thus making her more susceptible to divorce, and less able to successfully support the costs of the process or generate an adequate income for herself and her children afterwards. It is beyond the scope of this review to explore in depth the various effects of divorce on women's and men's employment, and on the division of assets and ongoing financial support. However, it is clear that, regardless of employment status at the time of divorce, many women and their children experience a large drop in living standards and a much higher risk of poverty compared to their married counterparts, and compared to divorced men. This is despite the fact that men, on average, are better off after divorce. The change in women's living standards is strongly correlated with their level of access to child support or maintenance, and with the extent to which children are living in poverty. Stepfamilies may also be at increased risk of poverty due to the added financial strain of maintaining two households and any child support or ongoing financial obligations from the prior family. Coming from an economic perspective, the effects of divorce can be felt a generation beyond the two partners who are separating. At a societal level, it is a major determinant of increased income inequality and child poverty. Changes in divorce patterns have contributed to growth in the proportion of children living in families with an 'earnings-poor' non-custodial parent, and associated increase in the share of these children receiving benefits. Child poverty in sole mother families is significantly higher in many countries, including New Zealand, compared to poverty rates for children in married couple families.

3.3. Social Consequences

Divorce has a profound effect on all members of the family. The social consequences for the parent who has custody of the children are usually more severe than those experienced by the parent who has visitation rights. This may be attributed to the fact that the custodial parents' lives are centered around their children. A loss of custody, of course, would be the most severe blow to a parent. However, custodial parents may suffer socially through self-imposed isolation. Whether they have lost custody or not, they may feel uncomfortable in social situations that they previously shared with their former spouse and his or her friends. Also, the motive to set a good example for their children may lead divorcees to forego social activities that they feel are not in line with the image that they wish to project. As a result of discomfort or lack of invitation, many divorcees drop out of old social circles. The dwindling of their circle of friends often intensifies feelings of loneliness, which may actually be furthered by sensations of alienation from their own children. Children's experiences with divorce also depend on their own personalities and coping skills, the situations of their parents at the time of divorce, and the way in which the parents approach the divorce. One general consequence for the child is that they move from a two-parent family to a single-parent family. As stated previously, since the overwhelming majority of single-parent families are led by the mother, children usually wind up in the custody of the mother. This change often results in a decline of the child's living standard to one of a lower socio-economic status. With the loss of a parent through divorce, children often feel a great sense of abandonment. This may be magnified by the style of the now absent parent. For instance, if a child's father has always worked long hours during the week but spent large portions of the weekend with his child, the child would experience the loss more severely in comparison to a child for whom the father was there every night before bed. In extreme cases, the loss of a parent to divorce can result in severe mental health problems for the child. However, it is difficult to determine whether the problems stem from the divorce itself or the pre-existing conditions of the child and the economic problems of the custodial parent.

4. Strategies for Reducing Divorce Rates

Currently, approximately half of marriages in the United States end in divorce, and health marriage is viewed as the foundation for family and child well-being. Because the welfare of families is strongly linked to the status of marriage, it is important to understand why marriages end in divorce and what public policies might affect divorce rates. Marriage counseling is one of the best known methods for helping to repair a broken marriage and stop divorce. Lawrence Stone writes that, "The transition from the childhood to the modern pattern of marriage requires more extraordinary adjustments than before" and goes on to suggest that the increasing complexity of modern marriage may be too much for some couples. In suggesting this, Stone argues that more couples are coming to marriage with unresolved psychological issues from their childhoods, and that unresolved issues or deeper psychological problems are likely to contribute to divorce. Assuming that this statement holds, what is suggested is that by identifying and treating such potential problems early in marriage with more couples counseling aimed at prevention, couples will be less likely to end the marriage. Stone further suggests that sociological and psychological studies have offered a range of useful information regarding marriage to educate couples in premarital planning and counselors who might offer guidance in free facilities offered in poorer neighborhoods. As this paper comes from a sociological standpoint, the use of sociological information for better understanding marriage promises the potential to be a future study in reducing divorce. While this suggestion requires further research to be fully understood, it offers a method of enriching the marriages of young couples that can be expected to reduce divorce. Another method of preventing divorce on which sociological data and public policy might have a large impact is the offering of "education in financial management for couples who later divorce and remarry, the hope might be in lowering the incidence of divorce in the second marriage, where it is known to be higher than the first". While this statement assumes that a second marriage will be more successful than the first, the idea of focusing on preventing divorce in second marriages sounds well for both the couples who experienced divorce (often a difficult experience when children are involved) and their children from the first marriage, who often become the stepfamily for the couple, a prime candidate for family policy aimed at social welfare.

4.1. Marriage Counseling

Marriage counseling is a primary strategy in attempting to preserve a troubled marriage. Hopes were high in the 1970s with the advent of the "new breed" of marriage counselors who were trained not to take sides in marital therapy. These counselors were using new techniques in behavioral sciences in a relatively short period of time. Researchers, however, were not seeing the results they had hoped for. Lorin, which conducted the most comprehensive study on the effectiveness of marriage counseling, found that 50% of the couples in their sample that received marriage therapy divorced within 5 years, while 30% of couples that received no therapy at all reported improvements in their marriages. These findings were consistent over a 20-year period in that 25% of couples who had experienced marital therapy reported it had made their relationship worse, while only 50% felt it made their relationship better. There is certainly room for improvement in these statistics in the field of therapy; hopefully, that will become a trend. There are many different approaches and techniques that therapists use in order to help couples seeking marriage counseling. The goal of most therapies is to help the couple change the view of their relationship. This is done by teaching the couple to recognize destructive patterns and how to create a more satisfying relationship. This type of approach often helps the couple resolve immediate issues. Other types of therapies involve using education to increase a couple's skills in areas such as communication or conflict resolution. An example of this would be teaching a couple to use "I" statements rather than "You are doing" statements when discussing concerns. This could be a good technique in preventing a discussion turning into an argument. Usually, these types of therapies are skill-based and take a short amount of time to complete. Finally, there are therapies that take a more insight-based approach. This requires the identification of the deeper issues in the relationship. This is often done by individuals rather than with the spouse in order to not cause further stress. This would pinpoint specific issues such as depression in one of the spouses and work to heal it. Despite the difference in the approaches techniques, the ultimate goal hopes to be prevention of relationship dissolution.

4.2. Financial Education

Financial problems are the leading cause of divorce. This finding is also substantiated by previous studies. conducted an econometric study of the relationship between premarital cohabitation and marital quality. They found that cohabitors tend to have less commitment in the relationship and hence reduce the likelihood of investing in the relation compared with non-cohabitors. The commitment is consistently the willingness to sacrifice resources and energy for the relation, which can be done effectively with effective communication. Too little commitment and its non-effective investment reduce the joint family income, the expected payoff from marriage, and hence elevate the risk of divorce. The same thing is also explained by the theory of anticipated future income. This theory states that individuals tend to take actions that affect their future income if the value of the future income changes. This can be seen from the employment of married women. The changing values of gender roles have encouraged women to enter the workforce because the opportunity cost of their time decreases. This can be seen empirically that during 1960-80 there is more than a 20 percent increase in the rate of women's employment. This theory, of course, has the implicit assumption that the individual has effective forecasting on the expected payoff of their actions. If there is uncertainty about the action, the decision-maker will contemplate the risk loss and income fluctuations, which is a kind of joint decision making and contemplation about the future of the family's economic condition. Too much reflection and contemplation without effective joint decision making will increase the risk of divorce. The same thing is said by , who stated that commitment will increase the probability that the couple will seek to preserve the relationship when it is being threatened by economic hardship, aka commitment acts as a resistance to end the relationship. The commitment act is there to preserve the expected income and reduce the rate of actions that affect future income as a reaction to the negative income shock. The complex and multidimensional relation between economic factors and marriage has been proven by the empirical research. Retrospective interviews of both partner couples and a longitudinal quantitative study are used to determine the associations between economic condition and various types of marital instability. The study concludes that economic hardship and low income are the single largest contributors to the risks of marital instability and that the effects are very likely to be causal in nature. This finding is then continued to be reproduced by the studies of , who studied the association between sudden involuntary job loss with marital instability, and then the method of , who used econometric regression to study the relation between various economic factors with the probability of divorce in the US. This consistent and multilateral empirical evidence has drawn a conclusion that the improvement of economic well-being is a very effective way to prevent divorce.

4.3. Relationship Building Programs

Programs for teaching couples to strengthen their commitment can be suitable for all types of couples looking to prevent relationship breakdown. They cater to strong, satisfied couples as well as those in distress. The primary focus of Relationship or Marriage Education programs is to help couples help themselves by learning and practicing new skills. The emphasis is on prevention, and the aim is to reduce the risk of relationship breakdown in the future. Typically, this kind of program would be run as a series of workshops. Group work can be helpful as it allows couples to see that others are experiencing similar issues and they are not alone. The group setting can also help to normalize relationship difficulties and reduce the stigma attached to seeking help for relationship distress. Usually, these types of programs are skill-based and teach couples to foster positive relationship habits. They encourage change and growth in the relationship and aim to enhance the quality of the relationship for the couple. A good quality relationship education program will endeavor to be inclusive and consider cultural, economic, and social factors that may impact on marginalized and/or vulnerable population groups. This type of intervention may also be helpful for preparing couples for marriage. Some government sectors have considered making pre-marital education a prerequisite to obtaining a marriage license in an effort to reduce the number of unsuccessful marriages. Relationship and Marriage Education Programs can come in the form of couple, family, or group interventions. They may be offered by professional organizations such as a counseling agency or psychology practice, community or religious groups. Often, these kinds of programs are promoted and delivered on a large scale using media outlets such as radio advertising and newspaper articles. The accessibility of these types of programs is advantageous for reaching a wide audience and reducing the stigma associated with seeking help for relationship difficulties. Many couples or individuals may perceive counseling as intrusive or only for those with severe relationship problems. This type of program has the potential to reach those who are reluctant to enter formal counseling and help them address relationship issues before they become severe.

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Divorce as a Social Issue - Essay Example

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The Morality of Getting Divorced

Justin mcbrayer considers when divorce is morally permissable, and when it isn’t..

It’s almost impossible to find someone whose life has not been significantly affected by divorce. Given this, the decision to end a marriage may be one of the most significant moral decisions a person ever makes. So under what conditions is it morally permissible to get a divorce?

To say that something is morally permissible means that there is no moral obligation requiring you to act differently. So getting divorced will be morally permissible only if you can do so while meeting all your moral obligations. So what are the moral obligations that might make ending a marriage morally problematic?

What Makes Marriage Morally Special?

Many ethicists agree that getting married generates special moral obligations that one would not otherwise have. It makes some actions required that would otherwise not be, for example, sacrificing something for your partner’s sake, and makes some actions wrong that would otherwise not be, for example, having sex with a non-partner. But what explains the fact that when two people marry, new moral obligations are created?

Marriage creates moral obligations primarily because it involves promise-making. Promise-making is a way of generating moral obligations – if I promise to pick you up at the airport, then I have taken on a moral obligation to do so. And whatever else a wedding ceremony may be, it is an event during which two people make promises to one another. It follows that getting married is a way of generating new moral obligations.

Some ethicists resist this line of thought. They insist that marriage promises have no power to create new moral obligations. According to these philosophers, this is because marital vows are promises to feel a certain way or to have certain emotions towards one’s partner, but we have no control over our feelings or emotions, and it makes no sense to say that someone is morally obligated to do something that is beyond her control. Thus, promising to do something the doing of which one cannot control does not result in a new moral obligation.

There are at least two good reasons to reject this analysis. First, it is plausible that in the marriage context we are promising to do things that are in our control or over which we have indirect control. For example, when we get married we pledge to do our best to bring about a certain emotional state, or make an unconditional commitment to another person. Second, and more importantly, anyone who has been to a wedding can see that although there are often emotional components to marital vows, there are obvious behavioral components as well. In fact, most of us see getting married as a promise to do something for our partner. Consider the following wedding vow, taken at random from an online search:

“I, [name], take you, [name], to be my [husband/wife], my constant friend, my faithful partner and my love from this day forward. In the presence of God, our family and friends, I offer you my solemn vow to be your faithful partner in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, and in joy as well as in sorrow. I promise to love you unconditionally, to support you in your goals, to honor and respect you, to laugh with you and cry with you, and to cherish you for as long as we both shall live.”

Notice how heavily this vow focuses on actions compared to emotions: support one’s partner, honor one’s partner, respect one’s partner, and so on. Even the emotional content is easily understood in a behavioral sense: to be a faithful partner in sickness and health clearly has a behavioral component. To see this, imagine the following thought-experiment. Suppose Landon makes the aforementioned promise to Hannah. Suppose next that he feels all the right things toward her (for example, he is in love with her), but that his behavior is wildly erratic – he sleeps around, is verbally abusive to Hannah, abandons her when she is ill, etc. Would anyone be willing to say that Landon has fulfilled his wedding vow? Surely not. This shows that we see wedding vows as promises not simply to feel a certain way, but primarily as promises to act a certain way.

So marital vows do create new moral obligations. Furthermore, we typically think that the strength of the moral obligation generated by making a promise varies with the seriousness of the promise-making, the clarity of the promises made, and the consequences of breaking the promise. Marital promises score high in all three categories. A wedding vow, celebrated with all the pomp and circumstance many people can afford, is one of the most serious promises most people ever make. And although the clarity of wedding vows is not universal, many couples carefully construct the wording of their vows, spending a long time talking through what they are and are not willing to promise one another. Finally, breaking a marriage promise often has devastating effects for numerous people. In all, then, it appears that the marriage promise creates a strong and special obligation between the marriage partners.

Illegitimate Promises

Marriage obligations exist because of promises, then. So in order to determine whether divorce is morally permissible, we need to determine whether it would violate marriage promises.

First, it follows that divorce is morally permissible if marital promises have failed to generate special moral obligations in the first place. We noted that making a promise does usually generate moral duties. However, not all promises generate obligations. In particular, promises generate new obligations only when the person making the promise is autonomous , and informed, and does so willingly. Otherwise, the promise is morally illegitimate. We might say that it is not a real promise.

Sometimes a partner is coerced into marriage. Such coercion affects the condition that the marriage promise be made willingly . When angry parents force a scared pregnant girl to marry the father of her unborn child, it is implausible that either she or he does so entirely willingly. Alternatively, a marriage partner might be too young, too mentally undeveloped, or otherwise incompetent to make a morally binding pledge such as is required for a true marriage promise. In such cases, the promises are not made by a fully autonomous agent. When a thirteen-year-old girl marries a much older man, as is common in some cultures, it is implausible that she is emotionally and intellectually developed enough to give fully autonomous consent to the kind of promise made between partners in a marriage. Finally, a marriage partner might have been too ignorant of the situation or nature of the other partner, or even blatantly deceived by them. In such a case, the promise is not made by a suitably informed agent. For instance, when a girl deceives her partner about the fact that she is HIV positive, such deception annuls their marital promises.

In all of these cases, the marital promises are illegitimate, and hence they create no special moral duties between the partners. And if there are no such special moral duties, then it is morally permissible to sever the relationship through divorce.

Bilateral Divorce

If I promise to pick you up from the airport, but you find another ride, you may release me from my promise. Just as making a legitimate promise creates an obligation, releasing someone from a promise eliminates an obligation. Thus, one straightforward way for divorce to be morally permissible would be for both partners to release the other from their respective marital promises. Call that a ‘bilateral’ divorce – a divorce by mutual consent.

You might think that even if the two partners agree to end a marriage, it is still wrong to do so if their promises were made before God. However, a promise before someone is different than a promise to someone. A promise made before you makes you a witness, whereas a promise made to you makes you a beneficiary. You don’t have to get God’s permission in a case where He is not the beneficiary.

It is important to note two more things. First, even though a bilateral divorce is typically morally permissible – in other words, it is morally permissible all other things being equal – sometimes all other things are not equal. An obvious example of this kind of case involves families with children. Parents have moral obligations to their children as well as to each other. Insofar as these obligations require that parents refrain from doing what is bad for their children, and insofar as divorce is bad for children, then other factors notwithstanding, these same parental obligations require that parents refrain from getting a divorce, at least while the children are young enough to suffer harm from it.

Second, many people are troubled by apparently cavalier divorces. Hollywood stars who get married apparently on a whim and divorced six months later provide typical examples. These cases appear to be cases of bilateral divorce, and hence they are to that extent morally permissible. So what do we find so troubling about them? My suggestion is that there seems something amiss with the moral character of people who behave in this sort of way. What they do may, strictly speaking, be morally permissible, but the apparent attitude behind it reveals a moral vice: that they are quick to make promises that they are unable or unwilling to keep. People who casually make and abandon marital promises are not, morally speaking, the kind of people we want to be. This is not moral behaviour in the wider application of the term.

Divorce When A Partner Cannot Fulfill Their Duties

Moral philosophers often say that ought implies can. What they mean is that if you really ought to do something, this implies you must be able to do that thing. In other words, it is conceptually confused to say of someone that he ought to do something if it is impossible for him to do it. This principle is relevant to divorce in the following way: if you become unable to do what you have promised to do, then you cannot have a moral obligation to do that thing. And hence divorce will be morally permissible any time one of the partners is literally unable to keep the marital promise. However, determining whether a divorce is permissible for this reason requires being clear about what marital promises are about.

In many cases, marital promises are about goals over which we have indirect control. Two plausible candidates for the goals that marital promises are aimed at are: (A) the goal of fostering a loving relationship between the partners, and (B) the long-term goal of making a partner’s life better.

Suppose that these are both plausible candidates for what we are pledging when we get married. If the goal is (B), we have the following interesting result: when staying together does not make your partner’s life better, in the long run, then your marital promises do not obligate you to stay together. For example, suppose one of the partners becomes involved in an extramarital affair, and that she and her lover are happy building their lives together. In this case, it is morally permissible for the other partner to initiate a divorce on the grounds that his promise to his partner was aimed at making her life better and he is unable to do so given the current situation. Because he cannot do so, he has no moral obligation to do so. Thus, in this sort of circumstance it may be morally permissible to formally mutually end the relationship.

Unilateral Divorce

A ‘unilateral’ divorce happens when only one of the partners desires the dissolution of the marriage. Since promises produce moral obligations, the obligations from marital promises make it morally wrong to seek a unilateral divorce in many cases. Consider the case of a man who wants to divorce his wife on the grounds that she has been recently diagnosed with a chronic degenerative disease. This is not a morally permissable ground for divorce. In particular, neither non-reciprocation nor the lack of happiness of one of the partners justifies unilateral divorce.

Many people who divorce cite the fact that their partners did not reciprocate in certain ways as justification for the divorce. Their partners weren’t ‘doing their part’ in the relationship. Whether this counts as a morally adequate reason to get a divorce depends on whether the marriage promises were unconditional or conditional, and the nature of the conditions. Take, for instance, the promise to be sexually faithful to one’s partner. On an unconditional reading, this promise says, ‘No matter what happens, I promise to be sexually faithful to you’. However, on a conditional reading, the promise might say, ‘I will be sexually faithful to you so long as you are sexually faithful to me’. On the unconditional reading, one has a moral reason to be sexually faithful to one’s partner regardless of what he or she has done. On the conditional reading, one has a moral reason to be sexually faithful to one’s partner if and only if he or she has also been sexually faithful. Generally, if marital promises are conditional, then the non-reciprocation of a partner in such a way would cancel out the moral obligation generated, and hence a divorce would be morally permissible. But if marital promises are unconditional, then the non-reciprocation of a partner is morally irrelevant, and hence a divorce would be morally impermissible.

Does happiness, or the lack of it, count as a valid condition for divorce?

Regarding the (supposed) right to be happy, many people cite their ongoing unhappiness as the justification for their divorce. The idea is that if it becomes impossible for a person to be genuinely happy while married to their partner, it is morally permissible for them to divorce that partner.

Two things should be noted in response to this line of thought. First, a right to be happy is at best a negative right: it is at best the right to pursue happiness as long as you can do so without violating the rights of others. But this sort of right doesn’t mean that a divorce is morally permissible, even if it is true that one cannot be happy without a divorce. Compare this with the negative right to own a car (that is, the right to take steps to own a car as long as you can do so without violating the rights of others). This right doesn’t mean that stealing a car is morally permissible, even if it is true that you cannot get one without stealing it. The crucial issue in both cases is whether the action in question would violate a moral obligation, and in both cases it would: breaking a marital promise in the first case, and the obligation not to steal in the second. Second, we don’t ordinarily think that one can get out of a promise, like any other sort of contract, simply because performance of the promise or contract will cause one unhappiness. Consider a standard commercial contract: one business cannot renege on a contract with another business even if doing so would be crucial for the profits or success of the first business. Or suppose I promise to pick you up from the airport, but on the appointed day realize that I would be happier doing other things. This does not mean that I no longer have a moral obligation to pick you up from the airport. By the same reasoning, one’s happiness, or lack of it, does not on its own make breaking a marital promise morally permissable.

Thoughts To Take Away

Many divorces are morally permissible. These include cases in which the marriage promise was illegitimate, scenarios in which one of the partners is unable to fulfill the promises, and considered bilateral divorce. But many divorces are also morally wrong, including those in which the partners have other obligations that require them to stay together, at least for a time, and unilateral divorces in which one partner’s non-reciprocation or one’s right to be happy is cited as the sole reason for the divorce.

There are two take-away thoughts. First, we should be very careful with the promises that we make to our marriage partner on our wedding day. These promises ground special moral obligations, and yet they are all too often vague, unclear, or impossible to fulfill. Partners entering into a marriage should have explicit conversations about their expectations for the future, the promises they are willing to make to one another, and the unconditional or conditional nature of such promises. Second, we should also be very careful about the decision to get a divorce. Whether a divorce is morally permissible depends on a great many things, including the content of the promises made between the partners.Merely citing a right to be happy does not dissolve the moral obligations we have in other areas of life. Nor does it on its own obviate the moral obligation we have to stick with a spouse when doing so makes us unhappy.

© Dr Justin P. McBrayer 2017

Justin McBrayer is a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Innsbruck and Associate Professor of Philosophy at Fort Lewis College, the liberal arts college for the state of Colorado.

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108 Social Issues Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

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Social issues are complex and multifaceted problems that affect individuals, communities, and societies as a whole. These issues can range from poverty and inequality to discrimination and environmental degradation. Writing an essay on a social issue can be a daunting task, but it can also be a rewarding experience that allows you to explore and analyze important topics that impact the world around you.

To help you get started, here are 108 social issues essay topic ideas and examples that you can use as inspiration for your next writing assignment:

• The impact of social media on mental health
• Income inequality and its effects on society
• Police brutality and the Black Lives Matter movement
• The rise of fake news and its impact on democracy
• Gender inequality in the workplace
• Climate change and its effects on vulnerable communities
• The opioid crisis and its impact on communities
• The criminal justice system and racial disparities
• Homelessness and poverty in America
• The refugee crisis and global migration patterns
• LGBTQ+ rights and discrimination
• The rise of nationalism and its impact on global politics
• Gun control and mass shootings in America
• Environmental racism and its effects on marginalized communities
• The impact of globalization on developing countries
• Mental health stigma and access to treatment
• Cyberbullying and online harassment
• The #MeToo movement and sexual harassment in the workplace
• Access to healthcare and the rising cost of medical care
• The impact of technology on social relationships
• Food insecurity and hunger in America
• The effects of gentrification on low-income communities
• Disability rights and accessibility
• The criminalization of poverty and homelessness
• Human trafficking and modern-day slavery
• The impact of colonialism on indigenous communities
• The rise of authoritarianism and threats to democracy
• The education achievement gap and disparities in schools
• Mental health challenges facing college students
• The impact of social isolation on mental health
• The influence of religion on social norms and values
• The effects of gentrification on cultural identity
• The impact of social media on political discourse
• The role of activism in social change
• Access to clean water and sanitation in developing countries
• The impact of social media on body image and self-esteem
• The effects of income inequality on public health
• The criminalization of drug addiction and mental illness
• The impact of climate change on indigenous communities

These are just a few examples of social issues that you can explore in your essay. Remember to choose a topic that you are passionate about and that you feel strongly about. Researching and writing about social issues can be a powerful way to raise awareness and advocate for change in the world. Good luck with your essay!

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Home / Essay Samples / Life / Divorce / Divorce and the Sociological Imagination

Divorce And The Sociological Imagination

• Category: Life , Literature , Sociology
• Topic: Divorce , Literature Review , Sociological Imagination

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