Divorce: Its Cause and Impact on The Lives of Divorced Women and Their Children A Comparative Study between Divorced and Intact Families
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Date
2006-07
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The study attempts to investigate the causes of divorce; the economic and social
impact of divorce on divorced women and the mechanisms used to adopt life after divorce. In
addition, the study tries to assess the impact of parental divorce on the psychological, social
and child parent relationship of children from divorced families.
Data collection primarily relies on survey and supplemented with case histories,
key informant interview, document analysis and observation of case proceed at EWLA center
and Arada Family Court. The sample size determined based on principle of random sampling,
which is proportional distribution of attributes taken in to assumption where 50 % for each
married and divorced family. Then with 95% confidence interval and 5 % significance level
the sample size became 384 for each group. This is for each group i.e. 384 married and 384
divorced women and a child in each family. Then a total of 768 house holds where 768
mothers and 768 children included in the sample. Complete data was collected from 341(89.84
%) married women, 339(88.28 %) children from married family, 307(79.94 %) divorced
women and 309(80.98 %) children divorced family.
Data collection instruments used for mother of two groups are structured
questionnaires incorporated both open and closed end questions. Items included in the
questionnaire for both group are background information, forms of marriage, economic
condition, social situations, information about their children and their husbands and exhusbands.
Children questionnaires have included background information and outcome
measures of the children psychological condition, social and child parent relationship. Child
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questionnaire that deals with outcome measures were formulated by the principles of Likert
scaling.
The result of the study shows the mean age at first marriage is lower in divorced
group than married women while the mean number of marriage is larger in divorced than
married group. In addition, marriage by abduction and arranged marriage found in high
percentage in divorced group than married women. Due to early marriage and absence of
orientation of pre marriage and post marriage counseling, the decision of entering and
termination of marriage made poorly. In addition, the study found out major factors of
divorce, which are economic problems, fertility problems, pressure from friends or families,
and difference in ethnic and religion background reported.
The study identified that between divorced and married family there is difference
in income, which is preexisted even during marriage. In post divorce the participation of
divorced women in employment is mainly in the in informal sectors that include pottery,
selling homemade products, collecting wood. Therefore, children of divorcees are involved in
economic activity to support the household income. The economic problem of divorced
women particularly those with children are worsening. The sole responsibility to raise children
is fully on the mother with limited child support from ex-husbands.
Among all background variables tested, the difference in educational level of divorced
children create difference in their social outcome measure. Those who have better education
have better social life. In addition, their living arrangement is affecting their relationship with
their parents. Those who are living with single mother and father have better relationship with
their parents than those living with the presence of stepparents.
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The psychological, social and child parent relationship of outcome measures of
children from married and divorced families are compared using mean of the two groups. The
test used is Independent Sample Test comparing similar variable mean for two different
groups. The result of the test shows that the difference of mean value of children from married
family with children from divorced family is significant in social and child parent relationship
of outcome measures. However, the variation in psychological measures is not statistically
significant at .05 level. We can conclude that divorce affects both child social relationship and
child parent relationship.
Divorce has negative impact and consequences on the lives of divorced women
and their children therefore it needs due attention from government, non-governmental
organization and helping professions including social workers
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Keywords
Social Work