[oneguyinohio]

Are marriage and family relationships really worse now than in previous generations?

I have been wondering about the rates of divorce and broken homes in current times compared to past centuries.

Divorce or changing spouses was present in previous generations, or family members did not have as long of life expectancies, leading to shorter durations of marriage.

Women also did not have the same rights as they do today.

Is there any link to expanded rights for women causing increased divorce, or are there other factors fueling the problem?

Considering the numbers of families in the past, who experienced the loss of a parent... through death or some other means... is there really a difference in today's single parent families as far as the outcome for the children? Are the numbers all that different other than the cause being divorce or death of one of the parents?

[talaniman]

I don't have any stats, but I know people are hooking up and breaking up a lot more than they use to. Even with fathers sharing custody, people get together in months of knowing each other then break up two or three years later, only to have someone else, 7 months down the road. Hard to have a stable home for the kids that way, and that's the foundation for our society in my view, a stable home, with consistent rules, and expected conduct. That's just with the ones that live together, as I think the marriages have no chance any more, because its to easy to call it quits, and follow your heart, to your own happiness. Again, the kids pay the price for a lack of stability, and consistent upbringing as shared custody, has them going back and forth, like yo-yo's. People just act like they have no clue as to what it takes for a solid relationship, no loyalty, no commitment, and no sacrifice for home and family. Just, "I'm not happy so I'm outta here" Heck who cares if the grass is greener on the other side, as long as there is grass. The world isn't changing people are, for the good? How would I know.

[Choux]

I think one of the main problems is the increase in wealth in society, individuals have good earning power and can live alone, families can live in their own housing unit.. . that allowed for the rise of the nuclear family after WWII and the loss of extended family in close vicinity. Often, the generations lived in the same home or close by... the grandmother and the mother worked together... the men got support from each other.

Divorce wasn't socially acceptable until about the early 1960's or so. Married couple just put up with each other because there wasn't any real alternative... most women couldn't go out and get a job to support themselves all by themselves due to oppression. When I was in high school in the late 1950's, all I had to consider for a career was teacher, secretary, or nurse. It truly was a different time.

Children really suffer from being in a single parent family, or two parent family, for that matter for there isn't any other adult nearby, grandma and gramdpa, to offer another loving adult for the kids to relate to and to counteract the mistakes the parent or parents make.