One of the biggest obstacles for spouses who are considering divorce is the way that their decision might be received by friends, family and co-workers. After all, it was not so long ago that a divorce brought a heavy burden of social stigma, and was an issue that brought on social stresses for both men and women. An evaluation of new and old statistics, however, suggests that divorce is more socially acceptable than ever, in Florida and across the nation.
Researchers looked at data collected in a 1954 survey, as well as surveys conducted in 1968, 1985 and 2001, as well as 2015. What emerged was a pattern in which respondents report feeling more comfortable with the morality of divorce. That pattern is also mirrored in the way that divorced people are treated in society.
This may seem like an obvious progression in the public’s perception of divorce, but these findings can be deeply important for some people who are uncertain about their own marital stability. There are people who still approach marriage and divorce from a perspective of morality, and who struggle with the idea of ending their marriage. The knowledge that their decision is one that is now widely accepted throughout society could help those people reach a decision that is in line with their personal needs.
According to survey data, 70 percent of married people find divorce to be “morally acceptable,” while 76 percent of never married respondents reach the same conclusion. The more recent surveys, from the years between 2015 and 2017, mark the first time that married people were nearly as likely as their unmarried counterparts to report that divorce is not against their moral beliefs. As time goes on, Florida residents may find that any lingering disapproval of divorce is less and less noticeable, both in personal and professional settings.
Source: gallup.com, “U.S. Divorce Rate Dips, but Moral Acceptability Hits New High“, Andrew Dugan, July 7, 2017
