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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol. 9, No. 11
Publication Date: November 25, 2022
DOI:10.14738/assrj.911.13468. Rashid, S., Abedin, M., Mohammad, S. S., & Mahejabin, A. (2022). Divorce: Is Not Always Negative. Advances in Social Sciences
Research Journal, 9(11). 415-419.
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
Divorce: Is Not Always Negative
Sarawat Rashid
Joint Director, Rural Development Academy
Maupiya Abedin
Assistant Director, Rural Development Academy
Shaikh Shahriar Mohammad
Deputy Director, Rural Development Academy
Andalib Mahejabin
Deputy Director, Rural Development Academy
ABSTRACT
Marriage is the legal bond between a man and a woman to live together. Sometimes
this important bond turns into divorced due to various reasons. There is no doubt
that divorce has the negative consequences among human life and society as well.
Even after knowing the negatives impact of divorce the rate is increasing around
the world. This is also evident in Bangladesh. The divorce rate is 42 percent in the
entire country in terms of its total population. Rajshahi division is at the top in the
country in terms of divorce, according to the preliminary report of "Population and
Housing Census 2022"To find in-depth of divorce, the study conducted 15 case
studies (10 female and 05 male) form the village Khatiamari of Bogura Districts of
Rajshahi Division. The objective of this paper is to understand the reasons for
divorce are on the rise despite social stigmatization are those always negative. The
study found some reasons for divorce were not negative. Sociologists and
psychologists say that as the education rate among women is increasing, their
awareness and self-dependence is also increasing. Therefore women do not accept
wrongdoing to them. They prefer divorce than to unhealthy conjugal life even
having child with them. The study also found continuation of extramarital relations
without divorce is dishonorable to conjugal life. Divorce allows the freedom to meet
the person were meant to be with. In this study divorce proves that divorcee have
the courage to live a life of happiness.
Key words: Divorce, Marriage, Single parenting, Infidelity
INTRODUCTION
According to the social scientists society and state are necessary for the development of human
civilization. The first step of society is the family. Family life begins with marriage. Therefore,
the importance of marriage in the development of human civilization is immense. Marriage is
the legal bond between a man and a woman to live together. They begin their journey together,
sharing all their emotions, feelings, and sorrows with each other. It is through marriage that a
man and a woman become partners in each other's activities.
(https://opentextbc.ca).Sometimes this important bond turns into divorced due to various
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reasons. Divorce is a formal ending of a marriage. It’s more permanent than a separation and
involves a legal process. If someone gets a divorce, that means the marriage is officially over.
Divorce also has social consequences for adults, children and society as well. In the patriarchal
society like Bangladesh divorce is considered dishonorable to the divorce and also to the family.
Because of that, in most cases they prefer to keep the issues hidden if possible. Due to which
divorce is still a kind of taboo in the society. Renowned Bangladeshi Sociologist Mahbooba
Nasreen said that the effect of divorce on men and women is different. "I think all over the world
divorce affects women more than men. Because we think they are dependent," she said. "There
is a concept called feminization of poverty in economics. Women are the poorest of the poor. If
they are not economically and socially dominant then the impact of divorce on them is negative
compared to men." She also mentioned that the society does not try to understand the mental
condition of women and they are blamed more for divorce (https://www.thedailystar.net).
Even after knowing the negatives impact of divorce the rate is increasing around the world. The
divorce rates around the world is 4.08 per 1,000 married persons as of May 2022. Divorce is
becoming more widespread in today’s society.
Country wise divorce rate
Source: https://www.advokatsmart.no
“Coming out of the penumbras: World culture and cross-national variation in divorce rates,”
was published in the December 2018 issue of Social Forces by the sociologist Irvine Cheng- Tong Lir Wang and Evan Schofer. The report was based on the analyzed nearly four decades of
divorce data (1970-2008) from 84 countries around the world. They looked at changes in rates
of divorce over time and in different places. According to the report globally, in between 1970
and 2008, the divorce rate has more than doubled, from 2.6 divorces for every 1,000 married
people to 5.5. Those results are averaged across all the regions of the world that they studied.
They indicated some societal factors that might be relevant to rates of divorce, such as a nation’s
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Rashid, S., Abedin, M., Mohammad, S. S., & Mahejabin, A. (2022). Divorce: Is Not Always Negative. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal,
9(11). 415-419.
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.911.13468
level of economic development and the proportion of their women who are in the workforce.
They also wanted to learn about global norms and values, such as the belief in human rights
and gender equality, and whether they had anything to do with rates of divorce.
(https://www.psychologytoday.com).
Besides those reasons recently, the pandemic has added more strain and caused damage to
relationships. For this reason, divorce rates around the world remain high
(https://jbsolicitors.com.au). This is also evident in Bangladesh. The divorce rate is 42 percent
in the entire country in terms of its total population. On the other hand, married people
comprise of 65.26 percent of the population. Rajshahi division is at the top in the country in
terms of divorce, according to the preliminary report of "Population and Housing Census 2022".
The rate of divorce in the division is 61 percent, shows the report released on July 27, 2022.
(https://www.thedailystar.net). According to the BBC in the capital city Dhaka, there was one
divorce every 38 minutes in 2020 (https://www.bbc.com).
To find in-depth of divorce, the study conducted 15 case studies (10 female and 05 male) form
the village Khatiamari of Bogura Districts of Rajshahi Division. The objective of this paper is to
understand the reasons for divorce are on the rise despite social stigmatization are those
always negative.
Divorce a new lease on life
By analysing the overall dowry situation, reported statistics indicate that it is only the tip of the
iceberg, mentioned Taskin Fahmina on her study “Are you a silent observer of dowry and
related violence?”(http://odhikar.org). The same study reported that every year many women
in Bangladesh are killed and physically abused and many committed suicide because of the
vicious dowry practice and related violence. This study found poor men are more likely to
marry into financially solvent families than their own. Many of them had the tendency to start
business with dowry. When they did not get the money as their demand, they physically abuse
the wife. The study also found that one of the respondents was afraid that she would be sold to
be sent to work as maid in the Middle East Country ill legally for not being able to pay the dowry.
Respondents and her family no longer wanted to tolerate all the oppression and injustice with
them. They protested. Even if there was no remedy, they decided divorce was better than
enduring torture. No doubt that marriage is a sense of security of relation but in this case
divorce gives them a new lease on life.
Single parenting better than bad parenting
Children are the main victims of divorce. They grew up as children of 'Broken Families' which
hinders their normal mental growth. They suffer from a kind of 'identity crisis' Psychiatrists
feel, “If children are deprived of the normal companionship and love of their parents, their lives
become abnormal. They see the society, the family as negative that is horrible.”
Barbara Dafoe Whitehead, a researcher and writer on marriage, family, child rearing, wrote in
a book called “The Divorce Culture”, published in 1997, that in the 1950s, most unhappy couples
in the world did not divorce because of children and fear of social stigma. The relationship
between husband and wife became bitter, but they kept the unhappy relationship by the sake
of child’s. In the 1960s, the divorce rate increased rapidly. Considering the welfare of children
and adolescents in the family, the divorce laws in the United States have been made difficult
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and various restrictions and compensations have been imposed on the divorcee. But the law
soon proved ineffective. In a 1962 opinion poll of women, 51 percent of women said they would
not stay in an unhappy relationship just for the sake of the child. In a similar survey in 1977,
the number of women giving the same opinion increased to 80 percent. In UK 200 case studies
conducted to know the effects of parental separation on children. Studies have shown that the
effects of parental separation on children are temporary. Sometimes the child suffers from
mental depression and lethargy. Then with the passage of time the difficulties are overcome
earlier compare to children of unhappy couple.
In the society of Bangladesh has becoming a part of globalization experiencing similar incidents.
(https://www.dw.com).
In the study area one of the respondents mentioned her husband used to come drunk every day
and beat her in front of the child. Child was cried and scared. Once her husband beat her and
broke her arm. She decided to divorce. She thought that the child is freed from the daily fear
and that is good for mental health.
Infidelity
Mistrust is increasing between husband and wife due to various reasons. Now both are
working, going out mingling with their colleagues, friends and acquaintances. Social scientists
think that some men and women are involved in extramarital romance after marriage due to
mistrust. Negatively use of mobile phones, internet and social media enhance extra marital
relation. One of the respondents said that his wife had an extramarital affair with someone she
knew through Facebook. The respondent tried to get his wife out of the extramarital affair. His
wife promised that she would not continue any more extramarital affairs but continued.
Respondent divorced his wife and said that he was free from that awful feeling from being with
the wrong person. He wanted to start a new family again.
Financial control
American couples find themselves facing there are many ways finances can cause problems in
a relationship. Those are mainly:
• Disagreements overspending or saving habits
• Issues with power dynamics due to different incomes
• Financial instability
• One spouse holding control of all finances
(https://www.orshanlaw.com).
These issues are common in some cases. A respondent said that she earned but her husband
took all her money and spending on addiction. She could not help her poor parents even in
times of need. Another respondent said that he is the only son and earning member of his
parent. His wife disagreed whenever he wanted to pay money for his mother's illness. Two
respondents reported that quarrels had become their daily routine. These two respondents
said that the decision to divorce before having children was appropriate because the problems
with financial disagreement would never be solved.
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Rashid, S., Abedin, M., Mohammad, S. S., & Mahejabin, A. (2022). Divorce: Is Not Always Negative. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal,
9(11). 415-419.
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.911.13468
Prolonged absence
Psychologists found physical intimacy, spending quality time is essential for emotional bonding
and happy married life (https://www.oprahdaily.com). When husband and wife are away from
each other for long periods of time there is no opportunities showing regular affections, care
and respects. When the intimacy stops the conjugal life might be in threat. The case found a
husband and wife stayed together for only two months after marriage. Husband went out of the
country. No communication except for occasional phone calls during data collection. It was two
years of marriage. The wife’s family decided to divorce as they thought it was not a healthy
married life rather barrier for new steps of life.
CONCLUSION
There is no doubt that divorce has the negative consequences among human life and society as
well. The study found some reasons for divorce were not negative. Sociologists and
psychologists say that as the education rate among women is increasing, their awareness and
self-dependence is also increasing. Therefore women do not accept wrongdoing to them. They
prefer divorce than to unhealthy conjugal life even having child with them. The study also found
continuation of extramarital relations without divorce is dishonorable to conjugal life. Divorce
allows the freedom to meet the person were meant to be with. In this study divorce proves that
divorces overcome the social stigma and they have the courage to live a life of happiness.
References
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