Welcome everyone and pull up a seat at the table. It’s Lunchtime in Rome. Tonight’s episode 202 entitled “Very Good Relationships”
How are your relationships? How would you describe your closest relationship? There's an ideal answer and we'll be talking about that (and how to begin to get there) at The Table this evening!
Pull up a seat at the table and join us!
Marriages in America (last 100 years)
Divorce Rates During the 30s
While the trend thus far in history had been for the divorce rate to increase, this isn't quite the case with the 30s. Due to the depression in the 30s, many couples stayed together because they couldn't afford the aftermath of divorce. It wasn't until the unemployment rate went down that the increasing divorce rate trend continued. Unemployment was at its highest in 1933, and as the unemployment rate declined throughout the late 30s, the divorce rate increased.
1930 - .16%
Divorce Rates During the 40s
The 40s saw a distinctive spike in divorce rates right after World War II. Some have suggested that many families were strained under the burden of living with a man who may have been incapacitated during the war, or that many women had a new found freedom in working and didn't want to give that up. Regardless, the spike in statistics suggests that the end of the war definitely put a strain on family life.
1946 - .43%
Divorce Rates During the 50s and 60s
The 50s saw a decrease in divorce, and the rate remained relatively static until after 1967 when divorce laws began to change.
1958 - .21%
1967 - .26%
Divorce Rate Jumps in the 70s
Divorce continued to rise steadily, taking a big jump in the 1970s. This may have been because, for the first time, couples have the option of a no-fault divorce. It was also the first time a spouse could cite irreconcilable differences as the reason for the divorce, making it much easier to obtain. Prior to this point, anyone wanting to end their marriage had to prove adultery or cruelty in the marriage.
1979 - .53%
Divorce Rates for the 1980s
Divorce rates in the 1980's remained high, reflecting the changing lifestyles and the changing divorce laws. However, the statistics did level off slightly even starting to lower at the end of the decade.
1989 - .47%
Divorce Rates During the 1990s
While divorces peaked during the 80s, rates declined into the late 1990s. While this has been attributed to many factors, like birth control and marriages later in life, the statistics from the U.S. Census in 2011 show the rates making a steady downward trend.
1999 - .41%
Divorces slowly declined and bottomed out in 2020 followed by a huge spike in 2021
2020 - 15%
2021 - 20%
Why are divorce statistics on the decline?
More couples are opting for cohabitation without legal marriage
Millennials are waiting longer to get married than previous generations
Higher education levels for women correlate with longer-lasting marriages
Not all separated couples file for legal divorce
The Coronavirus pandemic has delayed divorce proceedings across the nation in recent years
While divorce rates are down, marriage rates are down by more…
Characteristics of very good marriages
Intimacy within each others lives (not just sex)
Trials and tribulations bring couples closer together
All 4 types of needs are being met
There is an upward trend of the quality and intimacy of the relationship
It is not the absence of conflict but the overcoming of it
Very Good Relationships | Episode 202