Divorce:

1) Find a newspaper, magazine, or journal article or blog that discusses any aspect of recent research on divorce…then:

A) Provide a full reference for the article in APA format at the top of your blog post. This includes the author name, title of the article, title of the scholarly journal of newspaper/magazine name etc. the title of the article.

APA formatting instruction website

Beech, Hannah (2006, Oct. 30) Breaking up is easy to do. Retrieved (2011, June 29) from http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1552060-1,00.html

This article is about how a woman from Shanghai, China and many women in her country viewed divorce as an exotic American concept. These women abided by Confucian tradition which advises that a virtuous wife should serve her husband like God, no matter what. However, these women have come to realize that they no longer wanted to just exist in a marriage and began to go against the Chinese tradition and file for divorce. The most striking element about the divorce boom in China is that it’s overwhelmingly women who terminate their marriage due to infidelity (by the husband). However, there is still an element that keeps some women in their marriages regardless of the infidelity, “alimony”. Alimony is a new concept that is just beginning to enter Chinese society, so though unhappy in their marriage, some women stay for fear of not being able to provide for their children.

Then, using what you learned from the Readings by Rutter (#16) and Li (#17) in your RISMAN textbook.

B) Describe and then explain what the divorce statistics mean.

Reference both articles to show you have read the chapters. Use your own words, but note page numbers.

It is common knowledge that most unhappy marriages lead toward divorce. Research has shown that men and women in unhappy marriages were 25 times more likely to have serious depression (Rutter,p166). People in unhappy marriages who divorce usually have “psychological advantages” than people who do not leave the unhappy marriage (Rutter,p165). How parent show one another love has a direct effect on the child/children in the relationship. If there is a “lack of love” between parents, there is most likely a less loving relationship between parent and child. The “lack of love” usually results in divorce, and can also create behavior problems in the child (Li, p175-76).

C) Discuss whether or not the research/statistics seem accurate and evaluate the method used or the sample population.

The statistics seem accurate until they are compared with other research statistics. Li used a longitudinal study that measured changes in the behavior of children whose parents were not divorced at the beginning of the study but divorced later (Risman, p175). There are so many factors that influence the results of the research. For example, married women who were victims of domestic violence have higher levels of depression compared to married women in happy relationships (Risman, p166). Also, it is stated that children who parents have bad temperaments, they too would likely have the same temperament. The research would seem more accurate had they included studies comparing other groups, (i.e. children of parents who stayed married during the same time period as the study) When reading research/statistics one should ask did the study include a comparison group and take selection bias into account? Did the researchers measure things carefully? (Risman, p169).

D) How could the research be improved?

There is always room for improvement in all research. Perhaps studying how these children interact in their own marriage, with their children. Are they repeating the patterns of their parents? Extending the research from 8^th grade to high school and onto college, how does divorce affect their interpersonal skills in the classroom, around their peers, and in the work place.