Putting Asunder: A History of Divorce in Western Society

Determinants of Divorce in Nineteenth-Century Flanders

“…13 The increase does not mean that public opinion was becoming more tolerant: on the contrary, there are indications that opposition in fact grew stronger. 14 In some countries, this led to the divorce requirements being tightened up, among other things in terms of age, length of marriage and consent of ascendants. The procedure was lengthy and the financial cost was high.…”

“…On the other hand, this new set of social norms laid the foundations for a critical self-examination: If the actual situation failed to live up to the high expectations, and if the discrepancy between reality and desiderata became too great, divorce then did become a defensible and acceptable option. 37 Here, an interesting sociological paradox emerges: the genesis and diffusion of high subjective marriage hopes was simultaneously a brake on and a motive for divorce.…”

The Origins of the Ambivalent Acceptance of Divorce

“…There was, consequently, no tradition of divorce in Catholic Europe. Except for a brief period during the French revolution, for example, France did not legalize divorce until 1884 (Phillips, 1988). The Church of England also did not allow divorce.…”

Framework for Interpreting Long‐Term Trends in Values and Beliefs Concerning Single‐Parent Families

“…One factor producing this ambivalence in those years was the belief that divorce could negatively influence adults and especially children, which caused some, including Hume (1742/1825) and Smith (1978/1762 – 1763), to oppose divorce even though they recognized the value of removing its prohibition. Also, the conflict between divorce giving the freedom to end an unhappy marriage and causing problems for individuals divided the 19th century women’s movement (Phillips, 1988). Such conflicting concerns are probably central in the ambivalence toward divorce identified by Usdansky.…”

“…The reform of divorce laws has generally been a slow process extending over centuries. However, the French Revolution of 1789—with its motivations of freedom and equality—led to the brief adoption in 1792 of a no‐fault divorce law (Phillips, 1988; Traer, 1980). Smaller but more permanent reforms occurred following the American Revolution, with its emphasis on freedom and equality (Cott, 2000; Phillips).…”