Divorce: Cause and Effect - Research Paper Example

?Introduction Family relationships are very important in ensuring that parties involved thrive together in peace. When people undertake marriages, itis expected to last till death parts the spouses apart. From cultural and religious views, marriage is valued and adored by many. The teachings presented give an overview of how marriage is expected to be. Due to the strong roots of culture and religion, they have been able to win most of the people across the world. Due to diversity in cultures and religions among various people, approaches to marriage and divorce differ but still have some similarities. In most cases, divorces are observed to have negative effect on individual spouses and children. This paper seeks to give an in-depth analysis of divorce cause and effect giving more emphasis on the detrimental and positive outcomes of divorce on families Divorce Upon marriage, the parties involved are endowed with specific roles and duties. Despite the joy experienced by many persons during marriage, there are various challenges that are experienced that result in the separation of the spouses (Cox, 2008). In order to ensure that divorce is conducted in a means fair to all, there are set rules and regulations that have been set to govern it (Rowthorn & Dnes, 2002). There are various types of divorce such as no-fault divorce, at-fault divorce, summary divorce, uncontested divorce, collaborative divorce, electronic divorce and mediated divorce among others. In the recent past, cases of divorce have been on the increase which has attracted more attention from various stakeholders. To most of the people in this field, divorced has been observed to have negative effect but keen evaluation of the entire process has revealed the presence of some merits. Causes of Divorce A. Financial conflicts It is evident that resources endowed to a person are essential in achievement of his/her goals and objectives. Money provides the family member with access to best medical checkups, schooling, houses, entertainment, clothing, and food among others. The achievement of such facilities and necessities enrich a person’s life and good interaction is evident. In case a dispute over money arises, it may be very destructive leading to divorce. B. Alcohol and substance use There are persons who are usually addicted to various drugs and substances, which may have adverse or lame effect on their health. During courtship, most people are overwhelmed by love for their partners and thus give compromises to their use of some drugs. After marriage, the persons spend more time together. As time goes by, the partner may realize that the drugs used by his partner may affect her health and thus may opt to divorce. C. Sexual Problems Sex is valued very much by married persons due to the fact it is the ultimate way of procreation and the partners are not restricted by the social or religious customs. At first, even if a partner has weakness in sex, he/she may be given time to improve. If the progress does not seem to yield promising results, breakup may be evident. D. Lack of communication Communication is very essential in the achievement of the set goals and objectives. In achievement of success in marriage, sharing of thoughts and personal information is necessary. In its absence, it may kill cooperation in the two parties and may lead to divorce. According to investigations conducted on divorce, lack of proper communication is observed to be the leading cause of divorce (Brentano & Stewart 2007). E. Family Ties Immediately after marriage, newly wed partners may have strong ties to their extended families. In some cases, the ties may be strong enough for a person to neglect some of his responsibilities to his/her partner. This usually leads to arise of conflict and divorce may occur. Advantages of divorce to the Children In some marriages, violence may be the cause of divorce. The violence may be directed to the partner or children. When violence is directed to children, it may instill fear and deny them freedom. This affects them psychologically and thus may have adverse effects on their growth and health. To such children, divorce is usually liberation despite it being painful to their parents in some cases. In case of violent confrontations between parents, the children usually find themselves taking sides. This brings division among the children thus denying them some privileges and rights from both parents. When divorce does occur, the children no longer have to take sides. This is usually good for them. After divorce has occurred, the partners’ victimization of their children reduces. As a result the children have ample time to spend with both parents. This usually narrows down the gap that may have been created between them and the parents prior to divorce. This bond is healthier and the children experience more affection. According to various researches conducted on the relationship between children and parent after divorce, it has been observed that parents become more attracted to personal development and well-being of their children than before (Fine & Harvey, 2010). Time management is very essential in ensuring that all deadlines are met. For children living with both parents, the parents usually play a very significant role in planning various activities for them. As a result, there is a higher probability that the children may be over dependent on their parent and thus be slow in developing time management skills. On the other hand, children with divorced parent have to plan and manage their duties with little assistance from their parents. This is usually very helpful in their development of time management and organization skills. Advantages of Divorce to the spouses The body weight of a person is very essential in ensuring they live healthy. In both cases, being either extremely light or overweight has serious instantaneous or long-term repercussions. From a research conducted on weight gain between men and women before and after marriage, women are observed to gain weight after marriage while men gain after divorce. In case the man was suffering from underweight condition, gaining of weight after divorce would be of great assistance to improving his health condition. After marriage, due to the defined nature of the roles played by each partner, women have most of their duties revolving around the house, which in most cases is less physical. As a result, they usually gain weight. After divorce, the men have no or few persons to assist them in undertaking their daily chores. In the process of avoiding the mess that may arise due to uncompleted duties, they usually indulge themselves into the activities. As they undertake the duties, they become prone to weight gain as their divorced wives did. At the age of marriage, most people usually have defined feeding and physical exercise. As a result, they are prone to gaining more weight due to uniformity in the various activities they undertake (Preidt, 2011). Divorce creates room for separation for persons who are no longer in love. This provides peace of mind to the oppressed parties and they can continue in undertaking their lifetime duties. For example divorced may be caused by lack of support from the spouse in achieving ones goals and objectives. In such a case, divorce is not perceived to be painful to the victim but liberation. For such a person, he/she can undertake her studies or venture into any business with success. On the other hand, the restriction may be perceived not to be rewarding to the person but in some cases, they may be preventing venture into risky activities. Despite this, personal freedom, which may be only achieved by some spouses by divorce, is very fundamental in personal and career development. In the case of family quarrels, the spouses involved may suffer physiologically. In some cases, victims may experience problems such as stress, which would lower productivity of the person. As a result, this health condition several complications may emerge. In most cases, quarrels are accompanied by battering. This not only causes physiological discomforts but also physical pain and injury. In order to heal from the suffering, medication is necessary. This uses many resources for no rewarding purpose. When such a person divorces, he/she is able to live a peaceful life. Who doesn’t aspire for peace in his life? Thus, divorce can be considered an avenue to peace in some cases (Cruse, 2007). Conclusion The cultural and religious teachings have been very essential in educating various persons on divorce and marriage. There are various causes of divorce such as finances, family ties, use of drugs and substances sexual problems and lack of communication among others. According to various investigations conducted, the negative effects of divorce have been given large publicity. Despite the many demerits resulting from divorce, there are many advantages that are reaped by both the parents and the children. The children never take side on argument anymore, strengthen the bond between them and the parents, and develop time management and organizational skills. To the parents, peace, end of physical and physiological problems and freedom to venture and realize their dreams are some of the advantages reaped. Thus, it is evident that divorce has detrimental and positive outcomes on families. References Brentano, C. & Stewart, A. (2007). Divorce: Causes and Consequences. London, UK: Yale University Press. P. 9-153. Cox, F. (2008). Human intimacy: marriage, the family, and its meaning. Stamford, Connecticut, USA: Cengage Learning. P. 460-490. Cruse, S. (1994). Life After Divorce: Create a New Beginning. Florida, USA: Health Communications. P. 29-67. Fine, M. & Harvey, J. (2010). Children of divorce: stories of loss and growth. London: Taylor & Francis. P.4. Preidt, R. (2011). Weight Gain Hits Women after Marriage, Men after Divorce. Retrieved on October 28, 2011 from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_115632.html Rowthorn, B. & Dnes, A. (2002). The law and economics of marriage and divorce. Cambridge, USA: Cambridge University Press. P.191. Read More