Is feminism the cause for the upsurge in divorce rates in America?

Question

Divorce rates spiked arounf 1968-1970...

Answer 1

I doubt it.  I think the main cause of the rise in divorce rates is easy availability of divorce, and lack of social stigma attached to it.

Societies that have high divorce rates are not necessarily socieites in which feminism is rampant.  for instance, many very 'traditional' muslim countries have high divorce rates, due to the easy availability of divorce.  i understand that the Maldives, which is a Muslim society and not conspicuously feminist, has the highest divorce rate in the world.

Answer 2

Feminism helped make it easier for people to get divorced. If it had been that easy fifty years before, the rate would probably be about the same.

Answer 3

Correlation is not causation.

Answer 4

Yes.

Answer 5

I don't believe that people would get divorces if they were happy with their marriages.  Does feminism have a link to unhappy marriages?  It's possible, but I feel it's quite unlikely.  The fact of the matter is that people fight.

I think some of the cause is the current focus on instant gratification.  Rather than people working through fights and dealing with problems through cooperation, it seems that they give up, or act as though there isn't a problem.  Not to say that problems don't exist that can't be worked through, but just that some give up easier than others.  Marriage requires equal efforts from both parties, and while feminism might not like the traditional idea of marriage, I don't think they have a problem with both parties putting in their 50%.  I suppose this isn't as simple as it sounds, and I've never been married, so I don't think my opinion counts on the matter anyway, haha.

Answer 6

I do not think feminism it's self is the cause of divorce however I believe feminism allowed women in abusive environments to get out of them.  These days divorce is more likely to be linked to people's lack of devotion, morals and over attitude that marriage is disposable.

Answer 7

Uh, no.

The uspsurge pre-dated the height of feminism.

If what you say is true, and they spiked 68-70, then the only reasonable conclusion would be that feminism SLOWED or reversed the trend.

Answer 8

Feminism is by far not the only social movement and change in America during the last 50 years.

Couples who participate in a feminist relationship(defined as man and wife have equal say in the marriage, share chores and raising kids)  Have better s*x, lower divorce rates...and by definition are a healthy relationship.  So one could also argue that the feminist movement is keeping divorce rates down.

Answer 9

YES!!!!!! FEMINISTS DONT VALUE MARRIAGE.

Answer 10

No-do you have any reasons to think divorce increased due to feminism vs the pill or industrialization or women's educational opportunities increasing or women's job opportunities changing or because of a general rebellion against the oppressiveness of traditional marriage?

Answer 11

I would say yes and no.  The reason I say yes because I believe that when the feminist rights started coming out is also the same time that "free thinkers" started speaking out and divorce became more acceptable.  Se before when a marriage was bad you were expected to sit it out and suck it up but now days people are more inclined to make excuses and take the easy way out, now I believe this is intertwined so deeply that no one can clearly say what it is that lead us to think so freely but I can recommend a book "The way we never were." See families today are exactly like they were back in the day but it is more acceptable to be who you are where as back then you had to hide your "separation"

Answer 12

I think it does play a major part.. I feel that people are very confused about their roles in society.. I mean both men and women... Men expect certain things.. and women often expect others... Feminism has really changed roles in our society.

Answer 13

I think it made getting out of bad marriages easier but that's it. People were in loveless marriages long before feminism. The difference was that they lived separate lives even in the same household or someone walked out and disappeared for good. At least with a divorce, people are making a clean break and are free to go on with their lives.