CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Divorce is the dissolution of marital relations; it is a social or legal process in which marriage is completely broken down. Divorce is defined by the Black Dictionary of Law as “the legal separation of husband and wife effected by a court’s judgment of decree, either completely dissolving the married relations or suspending their effect so far as the combination of the practices” (1994). After a divorce, divorcees are able to remarry, whereas separation may not allow it.
Divorce is nothing more than the end of a couple’s marriage relationship and the beginning of a new one, but it can cause some serious problems in the family, such as transitioning to a new life.
In Nigeria, as well as other parts of the world, many divorced people remarry, and about half of those who do are already parents. As a result, “blended families,” also known as “stepfamilies,” emerge. For example, over 11% of all American children lived with one biological parent and one stepparent in 1992. According to estimates, one-fourth of American children will live with a stepparent before they turn sixteen. Stepparent families are expected to outnumber traditional nuclear families by the year 2000 (Cherlin and Furstanberg).
2000). It may be claimed that growing social acceptance of divorce was possibly the most important cause in the rise in divorce during the twentieth century. This, in particular, increased. Marriage is a social and cultural phenomena as well as an accepted social pattern in which two or more people form a family. Sexual intercourse between married couples includes reciprocal rights and responsibilities between spouses and their offspring. Marriage is an important tool for forming a bond between a man and a woman from various social backgrounds. The types of marriage, on the other hand, are responsible for marital discord and divorce. In the current study, 63.0% of divorce cases were planned marriages, which may pose a challenge to the western divorce pattern, in which the majority of marriages are love marriages that readily break down. Similarly, in love marriages account for 37.0 percent of divorce instances. Some research (Choudhary 1988, Pothan 1986, Metha 1975) on divorce in Indian society have found that exogamy marriage is the cause of divorce, however 8.40 percent of divorce cases were identified in this study under the endogamy marriage system. Basically, a young wife at the time of marriage, a marriage based on false information, or a forced marriage. 7.40 percent of educated women married illiterate men without her knowledge; they were completely unaware of it. Mr. S.A. and Miss P.R. were married with incorrect information in this case study. That was primarily based on their shared familial interests. Her spouse was only literate but in a relatively good financial position, whereas she was a matrix pass. After two years of marriage, their marital relationship has deteriorated. Similarly, in arranged marriages, which are more or less endogamy in nature, unequal educational and economic statuses of the spouses were a major cause of divorce. Similarly, 33.0% of men were dissatisfied with the way their marriage was proceeding. Exogamy, which failed to gain family support, accounted for 7.40 percent of all marriages. Those marital circumstances have created a situation that encourages them to end their relationship. When they married, 33.0 percent of men and 60.0 percent of wives were both under the age of 20. This age factor implies that the divorcee had a lack of maturity in their family life. Similarly, the large age gap between husband and wife, as well as different educational attainment, causes disparities in marriage expectations, which substantially favor the gradual occurrence of divorce.
STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
Divorce rates among spouses in Nigeria and around the world are extremely concerning and scary. According to current patterns, about two-thirds of new marriages will end in divorce. For example, approximately 32% of couples who divorce do so before their fifth anniversary, and 63% do so before their tenth (Martin and Bumpass 1989 and National Centre for Health Statistics 1993). However, since the nineteenth century, the proportion of marriages ending in death of a partner has decreased, while the proportion of marriages ending in divorce has consistently climbed.
Divorce rates rose throughout the 1960s and 1970s, peaked in the early 1980s, and have subsequently fallen significantly. Even Nevertheless, the divorce rate in the United States remains high.
The times when a monetary industrial economy was triggered. As a result, the extended family, which used to resolve conflicts or misunderstandings between couples, was no longer as effective as it had been. The extended family structure eventually disintegrated as a result of the process, and a change to a nuclear family system emerged, with members participating less in the resolution of marital issues.
Over the years, it has been noted that children are always the victims of marital insecurity. Children’s well-being is no longer a priority during marital strife, and most children suffer psychologically as a result of the fact that they no longer enjoy and get attention from their parents. According to research, students’ academic achievement is largely influenced by their parents.
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The overall goal of this research is to conduct a sociological examination of marriage and divorce in the Alimosho local government region. The following are the specific items:
1. Determine the divorce rate among married couples in the Alimosho Local Government Area.
2. To determine the causes of divorce in Alimosho Local Government Area married couples.
3. To look at the long-term effects of divorce on children’s well-being.
4. To investigate the impact of childlessness on the divorce rate in the Alimosho local government region.
5. To determine the impact of socioeconomic determinants on the divorce rate among couples in the Alimosho Local Government Area.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The following are the pertinent research questions for this study:
1. What is the divorce rate in Alimosho Local Government Area among married couples?
2. What are the causes of divorce in Alimosho Local Government Area married couples?
3. What are the long-term effects of divorce on children’s well-being?
4. What effect does childlessness have on the rate of divorce in the Alimosho local government area?
5. How do socioeconomic factors influence the rate of divorce among couples in Alimosho Local Government Area?
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
This study is important to parents because it explains the elements that cause divorce and how to lower the divorce rate among married couples. The study is particularly interesting to the government since it demonstrates the impact of unemployment on the divorce rate among newly married couples.
By considering sections of the literature that have not yet been researched or explored and including these aspects into the current study, this study will add to the existing body of literature. As a result, the research will serve as a foundation for future research in the sector.
SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The aim of this research is limited to a sociological examination of marriage and divorce in the Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State.
LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
Lack of time, respondent unwillingness to provide information, and restricted resources were among the key challenges the researchers faced in conducting this study.
DEFINITION OF TERMS
Marriage is defined as the legally or formally acknowledged union of two persons in a personal connection.
Divorce is defined as the dissolution or reorganization of a marriage or marital union, as well as the cancellation or reorganization of the legal obligations and responsibilities of marriage.
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