Divorce Rate In America

Divorce, is a word everyone hates to hear but happens at an alarming rate in today’s society. The official definition of divorce is, the legal dissolution of a marriage by a court. In the past, divorce was quite a rare occurrence, but the divorce rate in America is growing faster than any other country. There are several reasons for the divorce rate to be rising; this can be due to an increase in individualism, a transition in women’s roles, and the different expectations for marriage which have changed over the past couple of decades, among other reasons. Although, there is often more than one factor that contributes to a couple making the ultimate decision to divorce. The American divorce rate is twice as high as Canada and ten times

Those who are more religious are less likely to get a divorce due to their strong spiritual ties, while those who are less religious or atheist are much more likely to get a divorce. (Macionis, 2014) Divorce rates are much higher among those who do not attend college and among people with low-paying jobs. (Macionis, 2014) This is believed to be because those with higher education, often wait later to marry, have stable good-paying jobs, and are more content with their personal goals and life. If a person has been divorced once, the risk of a second divorce rises. (Macionis, 2014) Sociologists believe this is due to the fact that you make come to very serious conclusion to divorce, and when you leave one marriage it often makes you feel as if marriage is less permanent, and able to leave again. Couples who marry due to an unexpected pregnancy, are very likely to divorce due to the stress that having a child brings. (Macionis, 2014) It has been shown that the older women are, the more stable a marriage will be due to the fact that they are more realistic about their needs and wants from a marriage. ("Typical

Cohabitation is the sharing of a household by an unmarried couple. (Macionis, 2014) About six percent of all households in the United States are cohabitating people. (Macionis, 2014) This percentage may not seem large, but about half of the people between fifteen and forty-four years old have cohabitated at some point. (Macionis, 2014) People view cohabitation as a test to see if a marriage will work out, but it does not often work out this way. (Donevan) Most couples cohabitate for approximately three years, after this time period: three in ten couples will continue to cohabitate, four in ten will marry, and three in ten will break up. In summary, only two out of five couples will marry. (Macionis, 2014) There are many factors that cause cohabitation to go awry; there is a greater emphasis that is placed on individualism and couples are less committed to marriage as a permanent institution. Cohabitation offers an alternative to marriage and leaves an easy way out of the relationship. Although in the end eighty-five percent of couples that cohabitate, divorce. (Macionis,