Divorce Rates In America Essay

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The divorce rates in America are steadily decreasing. Actually they are at their lowest point in years. Many people believe that more than 50 percent of marriages will end in divorce and for the past 40 years this may have been true, but there has been a decline in recent years. Changes in the laws and different views by society may have a roll to play in this number and it may explain why it has decreased. Couples now are waiting later in life to get married. They are waiting until they are more financially stable, more mature, and their lives are more stable in general. In the 1950s, women married at age 20 and men at 23. The median age at first marriage has been rising rapidly ever since. We're now at an all time high of 27.1 for women and 29.1 for men (Nisen). …show more content…
The stigma surrounding this has greatly decreased over the years, society has changed and when society changes divorce rates do as well. Since people are living together before marriage this means that more ill-fated relationships end in a break-up instead of a divorce. The acceptance of single parents is also growing. For the most part marriage trends seem to resemble the trends in many other aspects of American life. For the upper class people life is much better than in than in the past in many ways. For the lower classAmericans their situations are much more complicated. “The effects of the divorce rates could last for many decades. As the children of more stable marriages grow up with the benefits and role models for successful future relationships (Middle).” Overall there are many different things that could pertain to the decrease in divorce rates in America. More women becoming education, the use of contraceptives, less people getting married, people living alone longer, and also co-habiting has become less stigmatized. Many of the different laws and changes in the way that society views things has had a major impact on these

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