Divorce Rate Increasing

Introduction

Historically, there have been many twists and turns in views of divorce both by society and individuals. Divorce rates in the United States remained fairly low until the early 1900s and then rose steadily from around 1910 until the 1990s, peaking at about a 50% divorce rate. However, there was a viewpoint that mother as the family member who suffered the greatest negative consequences. On the Contrary, there is a great influence of divorce on the physical health and psychosocial adjustment of the children and fathers of divorce and closes with suggested reforms to attenuate these negative consequences. Among divorced parents, fathers fare more poorly than mothers. Additionally, divorced fathers have higher and frequently much higher rates of the following maladies when compared to divorced mothers: depression, relationship problems, social isolation, alcohol abuse, drug abuse, work problems, job loss, and less frequent visits to physicians. Likewise, children of divorce fare more poorly than children of intact married families. However, there is scholarly debate regarding the magnitude of these health and behavioral differences of children.

Discussion

At the societal level, there are several causes of rising (or high) divorce rates. Since the Enlightenment era, marriage in Western societies has increasingly emphasized romantic love and self-fulfillment, in line with a broader trend toward individualism. In contrast to a marriage model that stresses duty and commitment, this individualistic marriage model is more fragile and subject to dissolution. These types of changes have begun to occur in countries with traditionally low rates of divorce-such as Japan, Indian, and Korea-as well. Some commentators emphasize the personal liberation aspect of a “divorce culture,” while others decry the same as reflecting a lack of commitment to marriage. Employment trends also play a role in divorce rates. Theoretically, women's employment could increase the likelihood of divorce by increasing women's ...