The topic of the article: many faces of divorce
Although traditionally, it is considered that marriage is a sacred union that is supposed to bring the wife and husband together “until death do them part,” in reality, choosing the right life partner is not that easy. As a result, many couples make a mistake, realizing that they are not quite compatible only when they have discovered the joy of marriage. This is not the only reason for a divorce, however; yet, no matter what the cause of a divorce is, it its purpose remains the same, i.e., preventing people from living an unhappy life.
However, due to considerable drops in the number of population, the question concerning the legitimacy of banning divorces on the basis of religious and moral norms has been raised. In their article Framing Divorce Reform, Michelle Adams and Scott Coltrane research the problem of divorce, its effects and its perception in the modern society (Adams and Coltrane).
In their research, Scott and Coltrane take a back seat to original research and indulge into analyzing the existing evidence concerning divorces, thus, making it clear that their study is based on theoretical assumptions concerning divorce rather than specific case studies.
As the results of the research show, the existing laws on divorce van be considered neither as the glue that will keep marriage together, nor as the means to make them feel responsible about each other; in any case, as long as at least one of the spouses feel that they do not belong together, the couple will inevitably get separated, whether legally or not.
Therefore, Scott and Coltrane stress, there is no point in reinforcing the propaganda of marriage as sacred bonds that are not to be broken. It must be admitted that in the contemporary society, with its new rules and moral principles, it is the trust between the partners that is appreciated most.
Generalizing the issue: divorce and its effects
Considering the given article as a whole, without getting into details, one must admit that Adams and Coltrane address not merely the issue of divorce as a phenomenon, but the problem of basic human freedoms being violated by society in the XXI century. Indeed, even though nowadays, every single human being has been provided with his or her inalienable right to make his or her own choices concerning private life and the choice of a partner, the attempts to control people’s private life have not ceased to exist yet.
Therefore, it can be assumed that, along with the problem of divorce, the article raises a nonetheless significant question regarding people’s right for a private life. In addition, the authors of the article raise an important question regarding the reasons for society to shun the people who decide to divorce.
Works Cited
Adams, Michelle and Scott Coltrane. “Framing Divorce Reform.” Shifting the Center: Understanding Contemporary Families. Ed. Susan Ferguson. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. 2010. 499–511. Print.
Marsiglo, William. “Overlooked Aspects of Stepfathering.” Shifting the Center: Understanding Contemporary Families. Ed. Susan Ferguson. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. 2010. 556–571. Print.