1.1 Introduction
Divorce is a common phenomenon in today’s community. But still represent a major life stressor for the individuals involved, with potentially strong negative consequences for the mental and physical health of all members of the family. As a result the impact of divorce on child wellbeing has been the subject of research for several decades, and has long been viewed as the cause of a range of serious and enduring behavioral and emotional problems in children and adolescents (Kelly and Emery, 2003). Parents used to stay longer in marriage for the interest of their children’s welfare even if they faced marital problems. But now so many couples end their marriage even for a simple reason and become single parents (Gardner 2008).
As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the Aim and Objectives of the study. Others are Significance of the study, Scope of work, Research hypothesis and questions, Limitations of the Study and Definition of technical terms.
1.2 Background of Study
Divorce is the dissolution of marital relations; in this process marriage is completely broken down either in social or legal context. The Black Dictionary of law has defined divorce as “the legal separation of husband and wife affected by the judgment of decree of a court and either totally dissolving the married relations or suspending its effect so far as concern the combination of the practices (1994). Divorcees are free to remarry after divorce whereas separation may not allow it.
Divorce is nothing and in common senses it is taken easily somewhere in which a couple ends their marital relations and starts to remarry, but it may create some vital problems in the family, like adjusting to new life. Many divorced people remarry in Nigeria, as well as other parts of the world, and about half those who do are already parents. The result is the creation of “blended families”, also called “stepfamilies”. For instance, in 1992, over 11 percent of all American children were living with one biological parent and one stepparent. Estimates are that a fourth of American children will live with a stepparent before reaching the age of sixteen. By the year 2000, it has been estimated that, stepparent is expected to outnumber traditional nuclear families (Cherlin and Furstanberg, 2000).
Marriage is a social and cultural phenomenon and approved social pattern where by two or more persons establish a family. Sexual intercourse between the marital partners and subsumes reciprocal right and obligation between the spouses and their children. Marriage is a key means that enables to make a union between a man and woman, which may situate in different socioeconomic background. However, the forms of marriage are responsible to disruption of marital status and lead to divorce. In the present research 63.0 percent of divorce cases were under the arranged marriage, which may challenge to western divorce trend where, maximum cases of marriage are under love marriage which breakdown easily. Similarly, 37.0 percent of divorce cases are found within love marriage.
Similarly, unequal educational and economic statuses of the spouses were major cause of the divorce under arranged marriage, which has more or less endogamy nature. Similarly, 33.0 percent of male were generally disagreed on the process of their marriage. 7.40 percent married were exogamy, which failed to gain family support. Those marital circumstances have created the situation that supports to breakdown their marital relation. 33.0 percent of husbands and 60.0 percent of wives were at the age of 20 when they get married. This situation of age factor indicates that the divorcee had immaturity to their family life. Similarly, the high age difference in husband and wife and unequal educational status creates differ expectations from the marriage which strongly support to occur divorce gradually. so this study focuses on the sociological analysis of marriage and divorce, using Alimosho local government of Lagos State as a case study.
Therefore, in Alimosho local government of Lagos State where the research was carried out, the activities that was conducted is to know the Sociological Analysis of Marriage and Divorce.
1.3 Statement of Problems
The rate of divorce among couples in Nigeria and the world at large is really disturbing and alarming. Current trends suggest that close to two thirds of new marriage will end in divorce. For instance, nearly 32 percent of couples who divorce will do so before their fifth anniversary and about 63 percent before their tenth (Martin and Bumpass 1989 and National Centre for Health Statistics 1993). But, since the nineteenth century the proportion of marriages ended by death of a spouse has declined, while the proportion end by divorce has increased, more or less steadily.
Divorce rates climbed in the 1960s and 1970s reached a peak in the early 1980s, and have dropped slightly since then. Still the U.S. divorce rate remains high when compared with the rate in earlier eras and in other societies (Whites 1990). In the same vein, in recent years, Nigeria has witnessed the high rate of divorce as a result of urbanization and industrialization. The periods triggered to a monetary industrial economy. Thus, the extended family that used to resolve conflicts or misunderstandings arise between couples were no longer functioning effectively like in the past. The extended family structure eventually broke up in the process; and there was a shift towards the nuclear family system characterized by less involvement of members in the resolution of marital conflicts.
It has been observed over the years that children are always at the receiving of marital instability. The wellbeing of children is no longer a priority during marital instability, most children are often affected psychological due to lack to the fact they no longer enjoy and receive affections from their parents. Study has shown that the academic performance of students are mostly affected due to marital instability, most students who are victims of a broken home often lack the privilege of a good education. It has been observed that most children who are involved in crime are often from broken homes. Due to like of proper tutelage and parental guidance, most children are found involved in theft, murder, rape, burglary, robbery, etc. these problems necessitates the need to carry out a study on the sociological analysis of marriage and divorce.
1.4 Aim and Objectives of Study
The aim of the study is to carry out a sociological analysis of marriage and divorce using Alimosho local government of Lagos State as a case study. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:
- To ascertain the rate divorce among married couples in Alimosho Local government area.
- To find out the causes of divorce among married couples in Alimosho Local government area.
- To investigate the consequences of divorce on the wellbeing of the children.
- To examine the influence of childlessness on the rate of divorce among couples in Alimosho local government area.
- To know the effects of socio-economic factors on the rate divorce among couples in Alimosho Local government area.
1.5 Research Questions
The study came up with research questions so as to be able to ascertain the above stated objectives. The specific research questions for the study are stated below as follows:
- What is the rate divorce among married couples in Alimosho Local government area?
- What are the causes of divorce among married couples in Alimosho Local government area?
- What are the consequences of divorce on the wellbeing of the children?
- What is the influence of childlessness on the rate of divorce among couples in Alimosho local government area?
- What are the effects of socio-economic factors on the rate divorce among couples in Alimosho Local government area?
1.6 Research Hypothesis
In order to pursue the objective of this study, the following generalized statements have been designed to guide and aids in obtaining the result for the experiment to be conducted. For this work, the null hypothesis will be represented with H0 while the alternative hypothesis will be represented with hypothesis H1.
Hypothesis One
- H0: There is no significant factor militating divorce among married couples in Alimosho Local government area
- H0: There is a significant factor militating divorce among married couples in Alimosho Local government area
1.7 Significance of the Study
This study is significant to parents because it elucidates the factors responsible for divorce and how the reduce the rate of divorce among married couples. The study is also relevant to the government; the study shows the implication of joblessness on the rate of divorce among newly married couples.
This study will enhance the existing body of literature by contemplating the areas of the literature that have not yet been examined or considered and incorporating these factors into the current study. The study will thus form the basis for further studies in the field.
1.8 Scope of the Study
The scope of this study is restricted to the sociological analysis of marriage and divorce, using Alimosho Local government area of lagos State as a case study.
1.9 Limitations of the Study
During the course of this study, many things militated against its completion, some of which are:
- Time Constraint: The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
- Research material: availability of research material is a major setback to the scope of the study.
- Frequent power failure: This made the researcher append more money on fuel to ensure sustainable power.
- Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).
1.10 Definition of Terms
Marriage: Is the legally or formally recognized union of two people as partners in a personal relationship.
Divorce: Is the termination of a marriage or marital union, the canceling or reorganizing of the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage.
Marital Counselling: is concerned with assisting couples to understand where they are so that they may decide on their own volition which way to go.
Responsibilities: these are the taking care of the political, social, physical, mental and economic challenges that occurs in the home to bring about peace and stability.
