Sociological Explanations For The Divorce Phenomenon

A major change that has occurred in the Western family is an increased incidence in divorce. Whereas in the past, divorce was a relatively rare occurrence, in recent times it has become quite commonplace. This change is borne out clearly in census figures. For example thirty years ago in Australia, only one marriage in ten ended in divorce; nowadays the figure is more than one in three (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 1996: p.45). A consequence of this change has been a substantial increase in the number of single parent families and the attendant problems that this brings (Kilmartin, 1997). An important issue for sociologists, and indeed for all of society, is why these changes in marital patterns have occurred. In this essay I will seek to critically examine a number of sociological explanations for the divorce phenomenon and also consider the social policy implications that each explanation carries with it. It will be argued that the best explanations are to be found within a broad socio-economic framework. One type of explanation for rising divorce has focused on changes in laws relating to marriage. For example, Bilton, Bonnett and Jones (1987) argue that increased rates of divorce do not necessarily indicate that families are now more unstable. It is possible, they claim, that there has always been a degree of marital instability. They suggest that changes in the law have been significant, because they have provided unhappily married couples with access to aShow MoreRelatedSociological Explanations For The Divorce Phenomenon1154 Words   |  5 PagesA major change that has occurred in the Western family is an increased incidence in divorce. Whereas in the past, divorce was a relatively rare occurrence, in recent times it has become quite commonplace. This change is borne out clearly in census figures. For example thirty years ago in Australia, only one marriage in ten ended in divorce; nowadays the figure is more than one in three (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 1996: p.45). A co nsequence of this change has been a substantial increase in theRead More Cohabitation and its Effect on Marital Stability in the US Essay1725 Words   |  7 Pagescohabitation into sociological analyses and thinking, is crucial for evaluating family patterns, people’s lifestyles, children’s wellbeing and social changes more broadly. This essay presents some common explanation for cohabitation’s dramatic rise and identifies some analytic questions as to how cohabitation is increasingly a major barrier in the marital stability in the United States. Cohabitation, over the last two decades has gone from being a relatively uncommon social phenomenon to a commonplaceRead MoreAssess the View That Religion Is a Source of Instability and Conflict1094 Words   |  5 Pagesshape the way our world developed. 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Whereas in the past, divorce was a relatively rare occurrence, in recent times it has become quite commonplace. This change is borne out clearly in census figures. For example thirty years ago in Australia, only one marriage in ten ended in divorce; nowadays the figure is more than one in three (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 1996: p.45). A consequence of this change has been a substantial increase in the number of single parent families and the attendant problems that this brings (Kilmartin, 1997). An important issue for sociologists, and indeed for all of society, is why these changes in marital patterns have occurred. In this essay I will†¦show more content†¦One example of these changes is the raised material aspirations of families, which Hart suggests has put pressure on both spouses to become wage earners. Women as a result have been forced to become both homemakers and economic providers. According to Hart, the contradiction of these two roles has lead to conflict and this is the main cause of marital breakdown. It would appear that Hart s explanation cannot account for all cases of divorce - for example, marital breakdown is liable to occur in families where only the husband is working. Nevertheless, her approach, which is to relate changes in family relations to broader social forces, would seem to be more probing than one that looks only at legislative change. The two explanations described above have very different implications for social policy, especially in relation to how the problem of increasing marital instability might be dealt with. Bilton et al. (1995) offer a legal explanation and hence would see the solutions also being determined in this domain. If rises in divorce are thought to be the consequence of liberal divorce laws, the obvious way to stem this rise is to make them less obtainable. This approach, one imagines, would lead to a reduction in divorce statistics; however, it cannot really be held up as a genuine solution to the problems of marital stress andShow MoreRelatedSociological Explanations For The Divorce Phenomenon1154 Words   |  5 PagesA major change that has occurred in the Western family is an increased incidence in divorce. Whereas in the past, divorce was a relatively rare occurrence, in recent times it has become quite commonplace. This change is borne out clearly in census figures. For example thirty ye ars ago in Australia, only one marriage in ten ended in divorce; nowadays the figure is more than one in three (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 1996: p.45). 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Whilst some sociological theories such as functionalist sees religion as performing a positive function in society as it can lead to social solidarity, integrating people into society, other sociological theories such as Marxist and Feminist totally disagrees with this and would argue that religion leads to instability and conflict in society. Karl Marx a Marxist sees religion as an illusion and that the phenomenon of religion is part of what Marx refers to asRead MoreCauses of Suicide Essay1617 Words   |  7 Pagesthe least aware of the answer to this ninth leading cause of death. Scientists have discovered that the cause of this fatal behavior can be found both within and without the individual. Whether biological, sociological or psychological the question remains as to which one will provide explanations to suicidal behavior. Or perhaps, could the answer be that all these factors are somehow interrelated. Whatever the case may be the statistics are frighteningly real. There is more suicide deaths thanRead MoreSuicide Rates Among Active Duty Personnel Decreased1551 Words   |  7 Pagesjob and combat stress of the military and already existing life stressors. A Sociological Perspective The problem of military suicides is nothing new. Throughout the history of the United States there have been wars and as a result of the trauma and aftermath caused by war, suicide has always occurred in the military. Historically, the approach to suicide in the military was often attributed to an individual phenomenon resulting in the specific manner that service-members respond to understandingRead MoreClassical Sociological Theory2015 Words   |  9 Pagesï » ¿Name: Chow Ka Chun Simon; Ssid: 1155032615 Course Code: SOCI 3003 Classical Sociological Theories Professor : Chan Hoi Man Tutor : Joanne Luk Date : 12th November, 2014 Mid-term Exercise Topic: Discuss the meaning and significance of social fact. 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In a sociological study Emile Durkheim produced his theory ofRead MoreThe Development Of The Pair Bond1513 Words   |  7 Pagesmost often discussed when describing human interaction and that which is considered the most â€Å"ideal† or â€Å"normal† relationship (demonstrated by cultural morality and various forms of media) is that of the male-female couple. This pair-bonding is a phenomenon that exists to some degree in the natural world, but occurs most prominently in humans. The development of the pair-bond is one of the single most important aspe cts of human evolution, culture, and relationships as we understand them today. ThisRead MoreNorms And The Social System2752 Words   |  12 Pagesthe internalized and codified agreements about behavior and they differ between and among groups, organizations, institutions and societies. Figures such as Durkheim, Weber, Marshall and Pareto had great influence on Parsons in developing his sociological idea about means and ends. 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