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Why are we nearly 4 times more like to divorce than people in other advanced countries like Italy, Portugal, etc? The next lowest country (excluding PR, which is a US commonwealth) is still one third lower.
1. Divorces here are easily obtainable
2. No social stigma attached
3. Women may be more financially independant
4. Cheating is not considered a culturally acceptable thing
1. Divorces here are easily obtainable
2. No social stigma attached
3. Women may be more financially independant
4. Cheating is not considered a culturally acceptable thing
Some of the things off the top of my head.....
DGF, while these are excellent points, a couple of them need more fleshing out to be more objective.
1. Divorces here ARE more easily obtainable. That much is inarguable, other than the fact that it ties into the others.
2. No social stigma attached. This has a great deal to do with family values in other countries. People are raised with the idea that family actually means something, and this ties in with so many aspects of cultural differences.
In other countries it's nothing for kids to live with their parents until such time as they marry, which is typically left until close to graduation from university. In our country kids are encouraged to get out on their own as soon as possible, often with parents practically kicking them out.
Kids staying with parents longer allows for a lot closer relationship because kids aren't striking out on their own ASAP, they're around the folks consistently at an age when they're old enough to really start questioning a lot of practical aspects of the world -- making for more mature adults by the time they strike out.
Because these "family values" are cultural, the entire society views them as relatively important -- to the point that even when legal marriage is viewed as less and less necessary, young couples who move in with one another are viewed by families as "couples" and encouraged to work out their differences. Alternately, because we take couples and marriage so lightly, the moment there's trouble we encourage people to cut and run.
This still ties back in -- and I just KNOW someone is going to jump on the notion of abuse -- but since American women are more financially independent they're NOT strongly encouraged to work things out, they're encouraged, even pressured, to get what they can and leave. That alone makes for a less cooperative partnership since the option of leaving is so readily available and easy to do, even advantageous.
Speaking of abuse, while it certainly happens, it's viewed as a thing NOT to be tolerated. People WILL try to mind their own business, but not with the "everybody, just look away, if we ignore it then it's not really happening" atmosphere one experiences here WHEN one is not dealing with those who instantly scream abuse. During my travels (some may argue, but this was certainly MY experience) the majority of families I encountered would deal with issues of abuse by gathering together, women talking to women, men talking to men. In the case of the men, forcefully if need be.
There are more but that covers enough of that for now.
Why are we nearly 4 times more like to divorce than people in other advanced countries like Italy, Portugal, etc? The next lowest country (excluding PR, which is a US commonwealth) is still one third lower.
Well, in all honesty, indiscretions and even perpetual infidelity while being married is a way of life in many countries. Also, in many countries women can't make it on their own financially.
I think most Americans think marriage is a joke and they'd rather just walk away from their marriage rather than work through it.
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