Divorce and Stigma: The Case of Traditional Societies
- Written by John Bui
Many societies across the globe still do not consider divorce as “natural” or “acceptable.” Men and women face social stigmas in some traditional societies if they choose to move ahead with a divorce.
Why is this the case? What are the negative effects of this? What kinds of impacts does this stigmatisation have on the parties who wish to get a divorce?
The objective of this article is to understand the causes for this stigmatisation and explore the impacts of stigmatisation of divorce in society.
In some societies men and women are made to feel ashamed or made to feel a sense of failure if they opt to get a divorce. For this reason, it is not uncommon to find that some prefer staying in the marriage, even if they know that the relationship is not going to work out.
In other words, people choose to stay in a strained relationship, due to the fear of being treated poorly by others should they go through with a divorce. As a result of this, many people experience increased stress and anxiety.
The Stigmatisation of Divorce
In many societies, if a person expresses their desire to get divorced, they are termed as “selfish.” Moreover, it is interesting to see how the experience is different for males and females.
Many parties lose their “value” in society because they are divorced. This is unacceptable as we must instead appreciate those who have decided to end a relationship that is not working for them. In these traditional societies, a male or female who has left a relationship finds it hard to build new relationships and friendships. They are treated as ‘unfit’ to maintain a relationship.
In some places, there are religious laws that prevail, which prohibit married couples from separating or getting a divorce. For example, in some specific cultures, people look down upon those who are getting divorced or separation and often subject those parties and their families to humiliation.
In other societies, people are worried about their financial situation. They worry that a divorce will lead them to become financially unstable.
This article has briefly explored some of the reasons why divorce is often stigmatised in some societies. People who go through with a divorce are looked down upon by others.
It is especially important to provide support to people who are afraid of splitting up with their spouse. Many times, a party may wish to divorce because their partner may not be a good fit for them. While some people continue to silently suffer in a relationship solely because of the stigma attached with the idea of a divorce or separation.
However, in our contemporary community, these concepts are increasingly being accepted because of the growing awareness about the importance of mental health. These outdated ideas and backward notions related to divorce and separation must be replaced with ideas of acceptance and normalisation of divorce and separation in society.
Author info:
John Bui is the Principal Solicitor of JB Solicitors – a law firm based in Sydney, Australia. John is a Nationally Accredited family law Mediator and Arbitrator with over 10 years’ experience in family law and commercial litigation.
