Divorce and Its Effects on the

Institutions of Families
XIAO WEN YU
PROFESSOR LOOKHOLDER
SOCIOLOGY 001

History and the Concepts of Family Institutions

Family is one of societys major social institutions.
The institution of family is bonded together through blood,

marriage, or adoption.
A few aspects of which describe what a family consists of are:
A nuclear family, which has a mother, father, and their
children.
An extended family, which has the characteristics of a nuclear
family in addition to a few other relatives.
Single-parent families, which consists of a single parent (either
mother or father) and their children.
Single-parent families are typically the result of a
phenomena called divorce.

What does a family do?

There are six primary functions of which families are

expected to do for each other, according to sociologist William

Ogburn.
Families are to:
Reproduce new members.
Socialize their children to conform to the values, norms,
and languages of their culture.
Protect each other.
Regulate sexual behavior.
Exercise affection and companionship.
Provide a supply of social status.

What does a family do?

Families are our first educators as children; they are the

ones who help us:

Gradually build our character and personalities.
Who we can depend on in times of difficulty.
Who we can turn to for moral support as well as:
Spiritual support
Material support.
Who teach us valuable lessons to utilize later on life.
Who we rely on to fulfill our essential needs.
To shape and conform to societal norms.

Facts and Statistics Pertaining to Divorce

With that being said, families are institutions of which function well

together rather than singularly.

Nuclear families are able to provide their children with an
environment that is favorable meaning their childrens basic needs
are met and are being provided with good moral support.
Whereas divorced families are unable to acquire and maintain the
sort of environment or support system that children need in order to
properly develop socially, mentally, and physically.
The crude rate of divorce, as of 2016, is 2-3 divorces per 1,000
individuals in the United States.
The percent-ever divorce rate, as of 2016, is 22% for women and 21%
for men.
The percent-ever divorce rate pertains to the percentage of all adults
in the United States who have ever been married.

This chart demonstrates

the crude statistics on
divorces from the year
1990 up to the year
2010.

It is indicative here that

the crude statistic on
divorce is between 2.0
and 3.0.

Around the year 2010,

the statistics ranged
from 2.0 2.5.

Crude Statistics on Divorce Rates

How Did Issues of Divorce Arise?

Researchers estimate that about 40-50% of first time marriages will end

in divorce.
They also estimate that approximately 60% of second time marriages
will end in divorce.
Several prevalent causes of divorce include:
Lack of commitment to one another.
Arguments.
Unrealistic expectations of one another as well as married life.
Lack of preparation (being married too young)
Spousal abuse
The most common reasons, as proven by statistical data, for divorce are:
Infidelity.
Lack of response to certain needs.

Major Participants of Divorce

The major participants of divorce include:

The father
Whose role is to provide protection to the child.
They tend to have primary status in the household as they are the
males.
The mother
Whose roles is to provide motherly love and affection to the children.
They tend to have a secondary status in the household, next to the
traditionally dominant male.
The child (and any siblings)
Who tends to get caught in the middle of divorces and are the ones
who end up suffering the most.
They are in the process of learning how to assume proper gender
identity roles from their parents, occupying a learning status.

Societal Views on Divorce

Members of society view divorce as an element in which has a

significant impact on the life of the child involved.

Children of divorce are:
Increasingly the victims of abuse and neglect.
They tend to suffer from behavioral and emotional problems
and are more likely to be involved in crimes.
They also demonstrate a diminished learning capacity due to
the fact that their parents are unable to provide them with any
support.
Divorces impacts are distributed amongst every member of the
family; however, several studies demonstrate that the children
are the ones who are effected the most.

This chart demonstrates,

shaded in royal blue,
that children of divorce
are more likely to
conduct actions such as
those mentioned in the
chart.

The blue bar is

significantly higher than
the yellow bar, which
represents intact
marriages, in all the
categories which further
demonstrates divorces
effects on their childrens
behavior.

Problem Behaviors of Children due

to the Marital Status of their
Parents

How Divorced Parents Perceive Themselves

When children are involved in divorce situations, neither parent

assumes their necessary role thus, the child consequently suffer.

Parents often blame themselves for putting each other, and their
children, through the stresses of divorce.
Young fathers (between the ages of 20-30 years old) tend to feel
as though they do have an important role in their childs life.
They also are feel as though their children feel rejected by
them.
Mothers feel as though they have put their children through a lot
and feel that it necessary to allow their children to do as they
please.
Since the children are able to do as they please, this may lead to
behavioral problems in both school and society.

How Has Divorce Changed over Time?

In recent years, rates of divorce has actually begun to decrease

rather than increase.

Crude divorce rates from the 1950s to the 1970s were
nearly doubled (they went from 25% to 50%).
However, as demonstrated earlier on, crude divorce rates
are now 2-3 divorces per 1,000 individuals.
It has also been reported that divorce rates are expected to
continually decrease in the near future.
This stems from the mere fact that many couples are either
not getting married, marriages are become more stable over
time, or that couples are marrying later on in life.

What Hasnt Changed About Divorce?

Though the rates of divorce are gradually decreasing, the effects on the children

caught in the middle of these situations remain the same.

Children continue to act out in response to stressful situations such as divorce.
Many are too young to understand why their parents will no longer be living
together or why they can no longer see their mother or father.
Many tend to be confused as what is regarded as a normal family and may
even adopt certain habits that they have unconsciously picked up from their
parents as young children.
Children are reflections of us; therefore, if they are to reflect our habits, the
cycle of divorce will only repeat.
In order to accommodate members of society, divorces need to be as stress-free
for their children as possible.
There should be less bickering around the child.
Arguments should ensue in the privacy of their bedroom or when the child is
out on a play date.

The Application of Conflict Theory to Divorce

Many societies tend to hold onto the tradition that males have more power than women

and prefer to reside in patriarchal societies rather than matriarchal societies.

Women tend to assume the traditional subservient role of a wife to their husband in
which she devotes her entire to him and his children.
This undoubtedly denies a woman of her individuality as her sense of self is overcome
by her husband.
Conflict theory presents itself in the face of divorce when the distribution of wealth is at

question between ex-husband and wife.

Both ex-husband and wife typically attempt to receive as much wealth as each of them
possibly could at the end of their divorce hearings.
The matter of wealth tends to be an extremely hot-button issue between ex-husbands
and wives as they both fight to receive the better end of their ultimate separation.
Conflict theory pertains to how social order is held by power and wealth rather than
conformation.
Ex-husband and wife are unable to come to a single consensus in regards to how their
wealth is to be split; therefore, both will persistently fight to receive the better end.

The Application of Functionalist Theory

Family is the basic building block of society.

They teach us how to perform crucial functions of socialization to children and provide them
with their necessary needs.
Compromisation happens to be a critical aspect in regards to the institution of families when
members are unable to compromise, situations arise.
A functionalist theorist would interpret divorce as benefit of which applies to both parties involved
as well as to society.
When a couple is unsatisfied with their marriage, they tend to become very irritable and stuck
which then causes a lot of tension within the existing household.
Staying in a marriage that makes both individuals unhappy leads to dysfunctional families
since both parents are unable to hold conversations without arguing or bickering.
By getting divorced from one another, both parties are able to acquire happier lives apart and
society is left with fewer dysfunctional families.
If both parents are able to come to terms in regards to the children involved, this may also
contribute to fewer children of divorce developing behavioral and emotions problems.
The topic of divorce may be suitable for some couples and may not be suitable for others.
Some couples are able to work out their relationships while others have hit the end of the road.

Works Cited

"California Divorce FAQs: Process, Requirements & More Information." DivorceNet.com. NOLO, n.d. Web. 04
Dec. 2016. <http://www.divorcenet.com/states/california/cafaq04>.
"Divorce and Child Well-Being." Parents Are Important. Notes on Parenting, 10 Dec. 2010. Web. 04 Dec. 2016.
<http://www.parentsareimportant.com/2010/12/divorce-and-child-well-being-what.html>.
Holmes, Steven A. "Traditional Family Stabilized in the 90's, Study Suggests." New York Times, 7 Mar. 1996.
Opposing Viewpoints in Context, login.ezp.pasadena.edu/login?
url=http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A150534704/OVIC?u=pasa19871&xid=39aa29b9. Accessed 4 Dec. 2016.
Jones, Audrey M. "Historical Divorce Rate." LoveToKnow. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2016.
<http://divorce.lovetoknow.com/Historical_Divorce_Rate_Statistics>.
Larson, Vicki. "Why Is No One Paying Attention To Divorced Dads?" The Huffington Post.
TheHuffingtonPost.com, 13 June 2013. Web. 04 Dec. 2016. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/vickilarson/divorced-dads_b_3389434.html>.
"Marriage and Divorce." US Census Bureau, Data Integration Division. U.S. Census Bureau, n.d. Web. 04 Dec.
2016. <https://www.census.gov/hhes/socdemo/marriage/>.
Miller, Claire Cain. "The Divorce Surge Is Over, but the Myth Lives On." The New York Times. The New York
Times, 01 Dec. 2014. Web. 04 Dec. 2016. <http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/02/upshot/the-divorce-surge-isover-but-the-myth-lives-on.html?_r=0>.
"Shocking Divorce Statistics." Washington Divorce & Family Lawyer. McKinley Irvin, 30 Oct. 2012. Web. 04 Dec.
2016. <https://www.mckinleyirvin.com/Family-Law-Blog/2012/October/32-Shocking-Divorce-Statistics.aspx>.
Trost, Jan E. "What Holds Marriages Together?." Acta Sociologica (Taylor & Francis Ltd) 29.4 (1986): 303-310.
Academic Search Premier. Web. 04 Dec. 2016.