Global trends: Divorce

[stormbind]

My dearly missed friends, I have revisited civfanatics.com after a long time to deliver *hugs*

You're also the wisest discussion panel on the web, and I have question for you - why does society suffer divorce?

Historical statistics from 2002 suggest that it was a western problem. Sweden, for example, suffered a 53% divorce rate. At the other end of the spectrum, India showed a rate of only 1.1%

However, articles from 2008/2009 report spikes in countries. Japan hits 25%, and some Indian cities have reported a divorce rate above 40%. At least one of these articles has underscored the role of traditions, such as the historic need for a married couple to repay dowries over a life time. The rising ability of couples to repay their family loans early may pave the way for new extra-marital lifestyle preferences.

The association between wealth and divorce is not new. However, the former imperial societies of Europe did not experience high divorce rates despite possessing wealth. Consequently, I would suggest the cause may lie elsewhere.

My tentative suggestion is that every divorce spike (either globally or historically) has followed the rise of media culture and the mass distribution of changeable fashion trends.

What are your thoughts?

A couple of links.
http://www.asianaccess.org/a2blog/index.php?op=ViewArticle&articleId=188&blogId=3
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/18/AR2008091803911.html?hpid=sec-world

 

[nutranurse]

My thoughts are it is just that people these days are soft and not really willing to sit down and cope with problems that come with being in a committed relationship.

 

[Lillefix]

Historical statistics from 2002 suggest that it was a western problem.

It's a problem? I think it's better to have a high divorce rate than a low one. A high divorce rate shows that people have the courage and liberty to break out of bad marriages.

 

[RedRalph]

Well here in Ireland divorce was only legalised in 1995, but historically women generally didnt walk out of even an abustive relationship because the men tended to have all the financial power. thats not the case anymore, and I suspect there would be a correlation between equality of gender pay and divorce rates.

 

[stormbind]

RedRalphWiggum has underscored the most common suggestion. However, I see no statistics that favour it as an explanation. Specifically, the statistics do not show each individual's income. Consequently, the suggestion is based on a whim rather than evidence.

Is there a study that suggests wealthy women are at higher risk of experiencing divorce than poorer women in the same society?

 

[RedRalph]

RedRalphWiggum has underscored the most common suggestion. However, I see no statistics that favour it as an explanation. Specifically, the statistics do not show each individual's income. Consequently, the suggestion is based on a whim rather than evidence.

Is there a study that suggests wealthy women are at higher risk of experiencing divorce than poorer women in the same society?

I freely admit it's just anecdotal, but one would suspect there must be some truth in it. Regarding you last paragraph, that stat wouldn't mean much unless we knew exactly how much more likely poor women are to marry or just cohabit.

 

[Karalysia]

I am not concerned with a high rate of divorce. In fact I would like to see even more divorce. I was worried as the trend seemed to be leveling off in the US, but I find this news encouraging. I may go into divorce law perhaps.

 

[stormbind]

Fair enough. Are there any interesting correlations, such as rises in alcoholism and divorce?

 

[RedRalph]

Fair enough. Are there any interesting correlations, such as rises in alcoholism and divorce?

Here? Not that I'm aware of, but Ireland had had divorce for such a short time, its not a great place to draw statistics from.

 

[stormbind]

Well, I'm interested in understanding humanity rather than specific social groups

 

[TheLastOne36]

People in richer countries can afford a divorce, as well as I think there is more stress brought home back from work - from both partners.

This means when someone has a mid-life crisis, the other partner CAN stand up and leave which sadly might turn out to be the case with my parents.

 

[Yeekim]

why does society suffer heart transplants?

I am not concerned with a high rate of heart transplants. In fact I would like to see even more heart transplants.

 

[Karalysia]

Because divorces are a risky (actually I believe it has a good chance of success) medical procedure caused by a variety of serious medical conditions and aliments which may prove fatal. Totally brah.

There's nothing wrong with divorce because people should be with who they are happy with, people have the right to choose who they spend their time with, divorce simply allows this. In fact I would like to see divorces made easier and more streamlined. All that should be required for a divorce to occur is for one of the married parties to decide for whatever reason they may wish, that they no longer want to continue in their marriage. And that itself should be sufficient.

 

[JerichoHill]

Divorce increased in the last few decades because women starting working and could thusly take care of themselves, thus able to get out of bad relationships they otherwise would be forced to stay in for economic reasons alone. This is well proven in the academic literature in economics.

Citation (honestly, I just googled divorce and female employment and this first link is from the American Economic Journal):
www.iaes.org/journal2/aej/sept_04/Bremmer.pdf

Changes to divorce law to allow for unilateral divorce also increase the rate.

There is no evidence of media driven divorce in the academic literature.

 

[stormbind]

That is, again, the most common response and consequently fails to account for historic societies where the financial burden did not rest solely with the man. Specifically, it ignores the fact that women have been building careers for centuries in some western countries.

There may have been constraints on this. For example, Victorian women were restricted to careers that centred on domestic concerns (such as fashion, cookery, accounting, etc.) and their oportunities outside that circle expanded during both world wars. However, the high divorce rate is a significantly more recent phenomena. Consequently, the correlation between work and divorce might be a disproven.

That's why I am drawn to popular culture such as Bollywood and awful prime-time soap operas. Mass media relies on shock tactics to win ratings. An easy example is a 'story about divorce' in a society that does not tollerate it. I tentatively suggest that following exposure to such trashy stories on every radio and television channel for a generation, we see spikes in a society's acceptance of divorce. Furthermore, seeking trash on TV goes hand-in-hand with having a higher income and monotonous career.

My speculative hypothesis appears to be supported by the trends. For example, the adoption of fictional mass media in the USA (20th Century) and India (21st Century) immediately precipitated spikes in divorce rates.

 

[Yeekim]

Because divorces are a risky (actually I believe it has a good chance of success) medical procedure caused by a variety of serious medical conditions and aliments which may prove fatal. Totally brah.

After we were praised as the most intelligent discussion panel on the web, I was hoping I won't need to spell it out more, but oh well...
Asking why society suffers divorces is like asking why society suffers treatment of people with dangerous health issues
Wishing for more divorces is like wishing for more people with dangerous health issues.

 

[Lillefix]

Wishing for more divorces is like wishing for more people with dangerous health issues.

I disagree. If we continue to use this metaphor: Divorce is not the disease, it's the treatment.

 

[RedRalph]

Divorce increased in the last few decades because women starting working and could thusly take care of themselves, thus able to get out of bad relationships they otherwise would be forced to stay in for economic reasons alone. This is well proven in the academic literature in economics.

Citation (honestly, I just googled divorce and female employment and this first link is from the American Economic Journal):
www.iaes.org/journal2/aej/sept_04/Bremmer.pdf

Changes to divorce law to allow for unilateral divorce also increase the rate.

There is no evidence of media driven divorce in the academic literature.

It's always nice to have one's opinions transformed into facts

 

[Karalysia]

After we were praised as the most intelligent discussion panel on the web, I was hoping I won't need to spell it out more, but oh well...
Asking why society suffers divorces is like asking why society suffers treatment of people with dangerous health issues
Wishing for more divorces is like wishing for more people with dangerous health issues.

Bad comparison is bad.

 

[Yeekim]

I disagree. If we continue to use this metaphor: Divorce is not the disease, it's the treatment.

Didn't I say just that in the first of my two sentences?
However, much preferable for pains of getting a disease and having it treated is avoiding one in the first place, right?

Was I really being so difficult to understand?