SAINT THOMAS AQUINAS COLLEGE

Sogod, Southern Leyte

LEARNING MODULE NO. 14

Name: __________________________________________Score: _______________

Subject: Social Science and Philosophy

Objective:
1. To express their stand on Divorce issues
2. To enumerate the effects and reasons of Divorce.
Reference:

I. Lesson Note/Summary

Background: Marriage is not seen today as a sacred, unbreakable bond. People prefer living
separately than “suffering together” So divorce is no more a “no” in our society today. When a
married couple cannot get along due to some reasons, they decide to terminate the marriage.
termination of marriage is called divorce. Even if primitive societies, divorce was common. They
were divorced for barrenness, negligence of children, invalidism, old age, disagreeable
personality etc. the economic value of the wife and the husband in the primitive society helped
to limit the frequency of divorce. The economic factor was much stronger. The breaking of the
family is therefore, a concern of the society. Family may dissolve as a consequence of separation,
desertion or divorce. It is said desertion is poor man’s divorce as it is common in the poorer
groups.
Causes for divorce:

Numbers of explanations have been given for the marked increase of divorce, especially in
countries like U.S.A Russell says as the family feeling is very weak, there is a frequency of divorce.
For example, in France and India, divorce will comparatively rare even if it is easy. Adultery,
cruelty and desertion may not be more prevalent today than sixty years ago. It is possible that
the loosening of the social taboo and the easing of convictions have given many couples the
courage to come out in the open and end their incompatibility with legal divorce. Some of the
factors that have led to the increase in divorce are:
1. Industrialization: it has liberated women from economic dependence on men and given
them an equal status so neither of them must marry, nor stay married to solve their
economic problems. Because of this, it has probably had the consequence of allowing
family differences to be magnified out of proportion to the real significance.
Industrialization does not cause a divorce, but does weaken the emotions that often bind
family together in spite of difficulties.
2. Equality and Individualism- a psychological explanation for an increases rate of divorce is
strong feeling of individualism. This has reached against the virtue of tolerance, give and
take attitude required in the family relationships. Female emancipation has boosted the
woman’s ego and helped to destroy the paternal type of family. The feminist movement
has made her more self-assertive and thus endangered the old type of family stability.
3. The position of the father in the family: Russell insists that the modern father is losing his
form of position in the society. The father is busy earning a living and some of them
scarcely see their children and when he sees them, he hardly knows how to behave with
them. This is true both among the upper classes where family instability seems to be most
marked and among the lower classes where poverty does not permit the father to be
much of a parent. Among the middle class at present, the father is of utmost importance
as long as he earns a good income and can provide adequately for his offspring.
4. Childlessness- a large proportion of persons going in for a divorce, in the American society
are childless. The presence of a child in the family generally gives a married couple a
strong purpose that stabilizes their relationship. Once a couple becomes a parent, they
are able to keep their ego aside and there is a bond which ties them together. It has been
noted that in certain cases, the presence of children has helped in the reconciliation of
some divorced couples. In fact, 70% of childless marriages ultimately end up in divorce.
5. Infidelity- another vital factor frequently overlooked is that we have standards of strict
sexual morality and hence infidelity is commonly regarded as the greatest hurdle and the
wrong partner in the family usually feels that both pride and decency require a divorce
action. In countries like France, fidelity is not considered the most important factor for
the success of marriage. Adultery is not likely to provoke the husband or wife a petition
for divorce.
6. Lack of Sex Education- by and large, it has been seen that most marriages that end in
divorce are due to sexual compatibility. People often marry without proper
understanding of their sexual roles in marriage. Therefore, today the urgent need in is a
proper and so-called correct understanding of sex.
7. Divorce varies with occupation- Certain occupation assert more strain on the family life
than the other occupation. Certain occupations presuppose more temperament than the
other and attract the emotional tie. Other occupations where the husband is away from
the house for a longer or shorter period may lead to break-up in the family. Divorce is
 high among artists, physicians, musicians etc. this merely reflects the effect of the
occupation on family life with the resulting degree stability.
8. Divorce seems to reach it maximum about the fifth year of marriage, it is said that if a
couple can pull on for five years, the chances for the continuous success of marriage are
greatly increased. This is due to the fact that family requires an immense amount of
readjustment and each party to the contract must learn to get used to the matrimonial
state. In an economic system within which it is difficult for a young man or woman to
undertake responsibility of a wife or husband before 25 years of age and by then habits
become settled and readjustment to new relations is made with increasing difficulty.
Some other causes of divorce are uncontrollable interference such as parental intrusion,
(wide difference in education and religion between the partners, serious personality
defects and personal disappointments) results in the breaking of marriage.
Effects on Children:

• The issue of the custody of children is most delicate. If it is resolved properly then children
do not suffer.
• If handled with care children may develop to be responsible caring independent.
• If situation not handles properly, children may develop insecurity.

Legal Status:
Divorce has to be granted by the law authority. In India, it is granted only after using all other
means to reconcile (like counseling, Arbitration etc.) fail. Divorce maybe granted only under very
specific conditions.

Activity/Task:

1. Enumerate the causes of Divorce.