Divorce: It’s Normal Now
Last June, Gallop conducted a poll about the changing landscape of American morality. Many of the results were unsurprising:
- 84% of people say having an affair is immoral.
- 49% of people say having an abortion is immoral.
- 37% of people say homosexuality is immoral.
These are all numbers we more or less expect — not hugely different from the polls taken 10 or even 20 years ago. The number that has changed? People’s thoughts on divorce. 20 years ago, divorce was closer to abortion — 46% of people considered it immoral. 10 years ago, it was closest to homosexuality — 38% said it wasn’t a moral thing to do. Today, we’re down to 22%. More people consider gambling to be immoral than divorce.
Interestingly, according to Gallup Politics, the shift in attitudes has come largely among the older population. Attitudes about divorce in people under 55 are about the same today as they were two decades ago — but the older cohort has changed their views rather dramatically. Most likely, this is because there was a shift in perspective 20-25 years ago that has moved forward into the 55+ demographic as the people who experienced that shift aged. They taught their children the same values, so the younger generations have remained more-or-less in the same distribution as their elders.
In short, if you’re concerned that getting a divorce is going to leave you with a scarlet letter, it’s significantly less likely now than it has been at any point in American history. There are certainly communities where the predominant attitude is one that condemns divorce, but they’re getting smaller and smaller as time moves forward.
Thinking that perhaps your marriage is reaching the end of its lifespan? Do you need to talk to someone with the social and legal expertise to help you explore your options from here? Call Gucciardo Law today.
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We focus exclusively on family law matters so we are always available to answer your questions and help.
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