Divorce: Causes and Effects - Essay Example

The primary cause of divorce is poor communication between marriage partners. More true is the fact that communication plays a very fundamental role in the sustenance of marriage. However, times arise when the links of effective communication simply die. Family issues become hard to solve amicably due to a lack of proper communication (Clarke-Stewart and Cornelia, 17-25). Additionally, poor communication causes misunderstanding. More often than not, small issues, which could have been solved through communication, are not handled. As a consequence, misunderstanding and mistrust result. Partners no longer trust each other and opt to divorce or separate.

A good relationship begins with a good foundation. This explains why effective and efficient courtship is important. However, the challenges of modern society have made it difficult to have effective courtship. An appreciable number of couples are often resulting in courtship over social platforms such as Facebook. Physical meetings during courtship where couples can learn from one another are curtailed. Additionally, a busy lifestyle as people seek to make ends meet amidst overwhelming competition makes it difficult if not impossible to have effective courtship (Wolcott and Hughes, web). Therefore, marriages become founded on the wrong foundations. Many are the couples who find themselves incompatible years after they have been married. Despite concerted efforts to adapt to the situation, chances are that such marriages will not work resulting in divorce. The partners simply get tired of one another and opt for divorce.

Marriage is an important institution and just like any other concept of life, it requires discipline. However, it has increasingly become difficult to maintain the discipline and integrity of family relationships. Advanced communication, transport, and other forms of technology have made it possible for couples to cheat without being caught. Further, the levels of socialization among the society have played an appreciable role in increasing infidelity (Wolcott and Hughes, web). For instance, the dress code has changed with time and it is common for scantily dressed people to report to work. Coupled with increased feelings of liberalization and moral status, couples often fail to maintain their discipline and end up cheating on their partners. It is quite difficult to retain cheating partners, especially with the looming HIV crisis. Therefore, partners who are involved in infidelity end up divorced.

Certainly, the global economic crisis has stretched even into families. Money has become a scarce resource not only to the government but to the family units as well. Families require money for daily sustenance without which issues arise (the United States. Bureau of the Census, 17-30). Although each couple has a family obligation, more often than not, financial obligations rest upon the husband. During the financial crisis in the family, the other couple feels let down since their family needs are not met. Conversely, fighting over the control of family resources creates a rift between the couples as each tries to gain an upper hand on finances (Couchenour and Kent, 147-153). As tension rises, other family concepts such as sound sexual relationships fail. Additionally, time set for family connection is spent on income generation. This causes the couples to detach emotionally, physically and eventually, divorce becomes the only viable option.

Alcohol and substance abuse has been flagged as one of the causes of misery not only to families but to the whole society as well. Couples involved in alcohol, drug, and substance abuse are not emotionally, financially, sexually, and most importantly, physically available for their partners (Wolcott and Hughes, web). More notably, this issue is even more pronounced where both partners are involved in alcohol abuse. Further involvement in alcohol and substance abuse becomes a prerequisite for family violence, absentee parenthood, infidelity, poor sexual performance among other issues. Any or a combination of these effects triggers tension between the family partners (Sosamma, 24). When one or both partners are fed up with the marriage relationship, they end up divorcing.

Causes of divorce are as many as marriages themselves. However, the most prevalent include poor communication, poor family foundations, and drug, and substance abuse, money issues among others. Most of these issues affect the trust, confidence, and expectations of the partners. Consequently, families end up divorced.