In your opinion, is feminism responsible for the high divorce rate in the US?

Question

In your opinion, is feminism to blame, in some way, for the high divorce rate here in the United States? Please, only intelligent answers (no rants). I'm just looking for your take on the matter.

Answer 1

yes, women are naturally wanting more control. TV shows like Everybody loves Raymond puts the guy profile down and gives women bigger egos and in turn they try to run down men's internal insticnt of being a leader/provider and natrually the two collide.
in my opinion...

Answer 2

Not really. Some might say that
the "empowerment" of women is what is to blame, but I feel that the "empowerment" has gradually been a positive step toward a healthier, more equal partnership in that women recognize their own self-worth. I have had two divorces, neither was because of whether I was or wasn't a feminist. My first husband started sleeping around when I was pregnant with our daughter and never gave it up. He walked out on us. My second husband gradually became abusive to the point of hitting me. Bad choices? In retrospect, of course they were. But the divorces that followed could not be attributed to "feminism". I don't think that my circumstances are very different than many other women who find themselves divorced. This isn't a rant, it's just plain experience.

Answer 3

Anyone who is independent financially is less likely to be controlled by another. So, if feminism has afforded women better jobs, and a better income, then they are more easily able to decide what they want and would not hesitate because of financial inability to divorce if they were unhappy in a relationship.

As the work force of females has increased, so has the divorce rate. This is not to say they caused the divorce, only that they now have more control than they did pre-1960s.

Answer 4

I think before feminism women were more likely to stay in bad marriages.

No... I think that over-the-top individualism and the idealization of romantic love are more to blame for the divorce rate. People don't get divorced because of ideologies (otherwise my folks would have split up over their debates about the IRA) they get divorced because someone is not living up to an expectation of Prince or Princess Charming.

Answer 5

In the cases where women used to just accept physical and mental abuse to avoid being spurned by society for having a "failed marriage" I would thankfully credit feminism.

I believe we are far from that movement being a conscious factor anymore. It served its purpose at its impetus to change values about gender roles and biases. Like most movements in American culture, it was a consideration that came, influenced our thinking and then all but disappeared from our conscious thoughts. To declare oneself a feminist these days is almost akin to declaring oneself a lesbian and only real lesbians want that sort of affiliation. In the beginning of the feminist movement that was probably a more scathing accusation of guilt by association; designed to stop the movement. A historically common tactic of men when trying to deflate the independent notions of women from eras out of mind. However, on deeper consideration, if I am right about that assertion, I suppose the ploy is still effective then, isn't it?

Answer 6

Feminism produces strong responsible women capable of contributing to a healthy productive partnership.
two types of 'marriage'
marriage - weddings and the fairytale life. people find out it is work and don't have the skills or want to put the effort into nurturing a relationship.


now marriage has been use as an institution in the u.s euro and middle east to hold women as property legally, a slave and slave Lilke status. a situation of one posse sing the other and taking the other as a personal servant = system done with married and dating couples and it is a compliment to say any group of women, or guys put a stop to that institution or got people out.

Answer 7

Not really. I think it's more about the all about me attitude than anything else. many people think it's easier to move on than it is to work it out. Anything short of death can be fixed. Now if a feminist was to say I am woman and I will not stand for that. Whatever that is. is just making a line at which they are no longer willing to work and will just quit.

Answer 8

I think there are a lot of reasons why people get divorced, not only feminism. Personally, I think the trouble in the U.S. comes from everyone yelling and screaming "ME! ME! MEEEEE!"
It's all about "ME!" so whenever their partners do something that isn't about the "ME!" they see it as that person being against them somehow.
I'm an American married to a Japanese woman. She is so far ahead of American women spiritually and mentally it is astronomical. Hell, she's way ahead of "ME!" too.

Answer 9

maybe a little part, i think woman do stand up for themselves alot more now and that they are more career orientated and not scared to on their own. But i also believe that people are not taking marriage as seriously as they use to...

Now most people just get divorced instead of trying to work at the marriage.

Answer 10

Actually, in my university sociology class, we learned that, statistically, the number one reason people in North America get divorced is because of an unequal distribution of housework. I guess that could be considered due to feminism, as housework used to be solely "women's work".

Answer 11

No. Actually, no, no, a thousand times no. My great-grandparents were divorced in 1905; my grandparents were divorced in 1935. People break up for a zillion reasons; equality isn't one of them. Let's face it -- Mr. Conservative next-to God himself, Ronald Reagan was divorced long before feminism. Newt Gingrich divorced his cancer stricken wife to marry his mistress.
The only impact feminism has had is to allow women to support themselves and live with dignity, not like chattel. (In earlier times, women were treated like household goods -- men kept them until they wore out.)