This information was originally published on January 12, 2009 on http://www.msn.com.
The divorce level in the United States has fallen to its lowest level since 1970. The rate of divorce gradually increased through the 1960s, and skyrocketed in the 1970s and 1980s with the advent of no-fault divorce in every state. However, the divorce rate gradually decreased in the 1990s and 2000s. The highest rate of divorce was recorded in 1981 as 5.3 divorces per 1,000 couples. It has now fallen to 3.6 divorces per 1,000 couples.
There are several different theories as to why the rate of divorce is declining. Some experts argue that the lower divorce rate is not an indication that more people are choosing to stay together in the long-term. Instead, they argue that less people are choosing to marry and are instead co-habitating. In fact, the rate of persons choosing to co-habitate rather than marry has increased ten-fold since 1960, and the rate of marriage has decreased by about thirty percent over the past twenty-five years. The end of long-term co-habitating relationships is not documented in the studies performed on the marital divorce rate, and may therefore account for the lower divorce rate for those who choose to marry. These experts postulate that many people who choose not to marry grew up in the divorce-prone 1970s and 1980s, and are therefore more skeptical about entering into marriage. Other persons choose to co-habitate rather than enter into a marriage because co-habitation is increasingly socially acceptable. Some persons also refuse to marry because they feel it is inappropriate to do so until such a time when same-sex marriage is legalized.
Other experts argue that the decrease in the divorce rate is attributable to the "divorce-divide." Proponents of the divorce-divide theory argue that the divorce rate is indeed falling for college-educated, affluent couples, but not for couples who are less affluent and educated. The difference could be attributable to many factors. Affluent couples often have less concerns about money, which eliminates or reduces a source of tension in the home. Many college-educated individuals also wait longer to get married than those with a high school degree. Marrying at an older age has been linked in many studies to greater stability in marriage. Furthermore, some research has demonstrated that educated couples are more willing to bend traditional gender roles. This flexibility may also improve the stability of marriage.
Government initiatives directed toward the stabilization of marriage may also have contributed to the lower divorce rate. Little research demonstrates the efficacy of these programs. Nonetheless, many states now offer marriage-strengthening programs or marital counseling to assist couples experiencing difficulty in their marriages. The federal government has also spent nearly $200 million nationwide in the past five years on its Healthy Marriage initiative. These programs focus on improving communication and changing the way that participants cope with anger and stress within the marriage. Increased communication and coping skills may in turn also contribute to the lower divorce rate.
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