Marital Instability: Past, Present, and Future

Abstract

This paper presents an overview of trends in marriage and divorce behavior among the adult population in the United States from the early twentieth century to the present time, focusing on the increasing incidence of marital dissolution through divorce. The discussion includes analyses of the probable causative impact of several types of changes on the stability of marriage: socioeconomic variables generally associated with divorce; overall social acceptability of divorce as reflected by lessened negative economic and social sanctions; and the roles of women in modern American society. The final section is devoted to a brief summation and offers related hypotheses regarding the future of marital stability in this country.