Has the Divorce Revolution Been Unsuccessful?

Perhaps, we have become too much creatures of habit and, therefore, habituated to follow set norms. The movement that tried to break away and lead an unconventional life was soon thwarted and we are back to doing what we do best, following rules. The whole notion of divorce gained momentum during this period when people no longer wanted to be bound by the shackles of marriage.

A Storm in the Tea Cup

Briefly, it looked like people were going to get carried away, with the seeming freedom that divorce offered. During the seventies, people started pushing forth the idea of total emancipation and equality of the sexes that had hitherto been frowned upon. Exploitative and oppressive relationships were no longer meant to be suffered and divorce was the weapon of escape. Encouraged by the euphoria of the movement, women began striking out on their own. The almost sacrosanct institution of marriage began to feel the first real signs of any threat. During this period, many people even chose to have children out of wedlock.

For a while, it seemed that divorce was indeed the ultimate weapon against an unhappy existence in a bad marriage. At last, it appeared there was a way out and, what more, there seemed to be societal approval. The ironic thing about the whole flower child movement of the seventies was, though the premise was freedom and happiness, it probably nurtured and gave birth to a generation of troubled and confused people.

The consequence of that period has been that divorce rates have been steadily on the rise. Women are far more emancipated and unwilling to be tied down. Marriage, today, is definitely more a union of equals, than ever before. While the upside is that bad marriages are suffered no more, the downside is that people do not work at making marriages work any more. Divorce does not occur without leaving a heart-break, confusion and a broken home behind.

The Negative Consequences of Divorce

While the institution of marriage does have chinks in its armour, overall it has been an institution that has offered us security, identity and a sense of belonging. There have been happy marriages and unhappy marriages. Even the happy marriages have required work and effort but have been fully worth it. Unhappy marriages may have trudged along because of the stigma which was attached to divorce. Now, even though unhappy marriages are easy to escape from, couples who could be happy together seem to be making less of an effort.

Divorce has been especially hard on children from a broken marriage. It has meant that their world has fallen apart and they are insecure about their future. This insecurity has led to some of these children growing up as angry, aggressive and complex adults who, in turn, may perpetuate dysfunctional relationships. Divided families meant running two households on the same income, which has led them to being poorer.

Divorce was meant to be a ticket to happiness; instead, people have got the wrong end of the stick and it has gone awry. Today people get divorced for the flimsiest of reasons and, therefore, adult relationships are fragile and unstable. Instead of increasing the levels of happiness in society, divorce has managed to do the opposite. Because of the number of broken families, we are becoming distrustful and afraid to love. Women are so caught up with being emancipated that they seem to have caught the bull by the tail.

Conclusion

Any kind of revolution has to be backed by a great deal of responsibility. This means that the long term consequences have to be taken into consideration. While the initial premise of divorce was positive and to allow people the right to lead a happy life, the support to go along with this has failed to keep abreast. Further, people have begun abusing the freedom divorce offers, by resorting to it for a very little cause. Society at large pays the price for prevailing social norms. The increase in divorce rates has meant a strong threat to the institution of marriage, without really offering a strong alternative.

Only time will tell, if the institution of marriage will survive the onslaught of divorce. Till then, one will have to witness the damage that the divorce revolution is going to leave behind.








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