The Debate:

The divorce rate has been on a major rise over the past few decades. Women's rights have escalated throughout the course of the previous century and continue the rise in rise in this one. Humankind is searching for sexual equality, but is "equality" really the answer? Scientifically we excel in different areas. Is there a connection between the divorce rate and women's rights?

hmmmm, well there's more women in the workforce since things are more equal. since both are going to work all day everyday now, that has an effect on relationships. u're both worn out from being at work all day, stressed, ect. i don't know my full opinion on this yet, i'll wait till more people answer. i think there's a lot of factors that go into the increased divorce rate. i can definitely see this being one though.

^Yeah, I'm not afraid to say anything, but I want to think before I reply. I haven't found the right words for what I want to say. It just seemed like a good debate topic. The first original one in a while.

Money is the root of evil.

I'm going to explain in full detail more later, when I hear other people's opinion.

Root of all evil

But seriously now, can I blame the feminists?

I'm thinking about how as we type.

Correlation does not mean causation.
Since you haven't really developed any sort of meaningful relationship between the two variables I would rather not comment. Altogether though, the premise appears quite absurd.

^ I like the phrasing of that answer.


I just read a very interesting rough draft in my History of NYC in the 20th Century seminar today. Her paper was on the development of radical feminism in NYC, and specifically how feminism was shaped in New York. I think that this topic could be argued both ways. But of course, it has to be kept in mind that divorces are a lot more easier to obtain today than they were say even 20 years ago. And say, half of the number of divorces are filed for by women. It could be said that because of women's rights and the argument for women's equality that it has shaped women today to be able to go to court and file for divorce. So, if "equality" between the genders did not exist today, divorce rates may be 1/4 lower or some percentage lower because it would be more difficult for women to obtain a divorce.

What about factors such as the increase of two breadwinners in each household or the increase of young people getting married?

I don't think women's rights is a problem by itself. It probably just adds to the equation.

^ yea agreed. i think it may affect it, indirectly

Please NoSex; it's midnight over here, I've been up for 19 straight hours and you need to use little words.

Back to the feminist point:

I still think I can blame them. Somehow.

In all seriousness, it's probably a combination of factors. Marriage is a more traditional religious bonding. Equality and, ahem, feminism, have become modern-day buzzwords and so have 'career women' and 'singe mothers'.

A change in lifestyle rather than women's rights?

Well, to play a devil's advocate.

Can't we say that the rise of the "career woman" and the "single mother" is a result of "feminism" empowering more and more women to attend such roles?

^ Oh, you clever thing.

I think you could assume that, yes.

I think that it's possible. If women begin to see the "career woman" as a role model I think it will definitely cause problems. They may struggle with the idea of what role they think they are supposed to play and what they actually are playing. This will definitely cause problems. People become stress and irritable when they aren't achieving their "goals". Even if they don't realize that they are their goals.

My mother for example doesn't know how to be anything but a house wife, but her sisters are career women and she's always trying to be one. My mother however cannot be one, and it frustrates her deeply. I believe that she takes it out on everyone else without realizing what her real problem is. She flips out when someone tells her she's not the type to have a job, she goes out and gets a job, and she quits the job within a month. It's pathetic... she was born a house wife. xD

In the end, it's still only one factor leading to and from another factor that = the divorce rate. But even though arguing that women's rights is the root of the problem is a stretch, considering that feminism heavily influenced our current social structure, it definitely is a big part of this. I like to see how people will debate because there are so many ways to counter either opposition. If anyone's up to it, that is.

And at least your mom is good at one of the two, whereas I'm not sure I can do either. Haha. I can't really cook, damn it. I can't even bake cookies right.

This post has been edited by Spirited Away: Dec 4 2007, 10:06 PM

I also think that feminism heavily influenced the divorce rate, but I can't quite find the right angle to support my point of view so I haven't really said a lot about it. I think it's ironic how Nate jumps in and apposes the idea, yet all the women after him took the side to support the idea that feminism heavily influenced the divorce rate.

Oh my God, my mother is great at cooking, interior design, sewing, and painting. She also loves children, but yet she still seems to fight herself over not having a job.

I think I am one of those girls that is meant to be a housewife. When John gets home from work it really pleases me to have dinner ready and the house tidied. I get a feeling of satisfaction from doing things at my pace in my home that a job could never give me.
I know I have to work though, and that makes me sad.

I don't know how I feel about the correlation between the two. I had never really thought about it before. I will think it over and deduce an opinion.

^I agree.

Also I can't really connect how women's rights and the divorce rate is connected..I think their just two individual cases. I think if couples discussed more about women's rights and came to an agreement then that would lower the divorce rate...if that was the factor.

It's possible you two never thought about this because you never questioned whether your rights were at stake or not. Before you think about something, you have to have a reason to do it. You enjoy doing what you do. There is no reason for you to think about it. You're both happy with that idea.

Many women rebel against the idea of being a "house wife" as if it's something negative. I feel as if housewives have lost a lot of respect in the past couple of decades. However, I have a lot of respect for someone who gets things like that done because I have such a hard time doing them.

Quite frankly I just don't feel like I'm good at it. I feel inadequate when I do those things. I feel the same way a large percentage of women feel when installing a video card on their home computer or changing the oil in your car. It's not out of reach. You can do it, but you just don't feel confident when you're doing it. I personally feel like I'm lost or something. Like I'm not doing it right.

Life's a bitch, then you marry one.

The rise of the "single mother" is not a result of feminism. The feminism movement is near its death. The number of feminist single moms is probably not that high.

^what's ur opinion on what the rise of the "single mother" is caused by?

I agree.


There's lots of people who don't go out and do something just because they've gained that right. It might be a factor, but there are deffinately bigger factors.

That's almost EXACTLY how John described his feelings about housework to me. I also change the oil and fix the computers, though.

My mom once worked at a place where she made a dollar less an hour than a man that had been hired after her doing the same thing. Women were treated terribly there, even though they were the most efficient workers. I know that there are injustices like that out there, but I don't see how that strains a relationship as long as women leave their work related stress at the door.

yeah but how often can someone leave their work related stress at the door?