CARIBBEAN STUDIES Internal Assessment THEME: Divorce and the Family

Name: Mark phillips School: Kingston College School Center #: 100057 Candidate #: .. Territory: Jamaica Teacher:

Table of Contents
Page #
Introduction .1 Problem Statement and Aims & objectives..2-3 Definitions of key terms....4 Literature Review..5-6 Data Collection Sources7-8 Presentation of Data...9-13 Interpretation of Data..14 Discussion of findings.15 Recommendations & Limitations ..16 Conclusion...17 Appendices...18-20 Bibliography.21

Introduction
Divorce refers to the dissolution of a marriage contracted between a man and a woman, by the judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction, or by an act of the legislature. Over the last ten years the family unit has come under severe pressure due to the influence of divorce especially within St. Andrew. By the same vein the impact of globalization have contributed to the emergence of new norms and values coupled with the rise in feminization. These have paved the way for female having to sustain and rid themselves from the chains of patriarchy. In addition statistical evidence has been presented to show that the concept of divorce has been used to paint a vivid picture on how divorce affects the family structure in St. Andrew and the spillover effects on the family. The majority of the divorcing couples tend not to part their ways amicably. Even if there is no animosity at the time of divorce, bitterness and resentment over children have a tendency to build up in the years that follow. If there is a dispute, each parent tries to have "one up" over the other and desperately tries to win, but victory remains elusive to both. In the end, both parties lose and children receive the verdict of years of suffering and pain.
In about 90 % of the cases, mothers get the custody of children; therefore, mothers often remain primary caregivers for children. Children of divorce are likely to receive only partial or transient assistance from men. Moms and Dads become extremely sensitive and somewhat short- tempered over matters concerning parental rights, visitations, money, etc. When a divorce is difficult, the mother is depressed as she copes with the daily hassles and arguments while working and trying to raise children with little support from her ex-husband. When she is depressed and stressed out, she performs even less efficiently in her new role. This, in turn, makes a child more insecure and unhappy. She feels increasingly guilty when the child stays angry with her. She doesn't realize that most children express their anger and unhappiness to mothers and tighten the lid on their feelings when they are with their fathers.

The educational value or benefit to be achieved from conducting this study lies in understanding how divorce contributes to the decline in family values within St. Andrew. The

study also lends itself to discuss the underlined issues which society has failed to understand, issues which surround how divorce contributes to the decline in family values within St. Andrew. The research was conducted during the period of January 5, 2010 February 15, 2010. The researcher employed various comparative methodologies such as questionnaire, random sampling to select the participants of the study. The random sampling employed by the researcher was compiled from a sampling frame. This allows each participant to have an equal opportunity to be selected. As a result, the sample consist of a total representation of 10 males and 10 females to allow for a standardize output. The used of questionnaire were also employed and this consist of 16 questions, 12 closed ending and 4 open ending. This was design to arrest information too difficult to gather and categorize. The participant selected for the study was base on the following criteria; age, sex, gender and occupation. On the 15th of February the research was collected and quantified by qualitative and quantitative techniques. The information gathered was used to compare and contrast other area of study such as the discussion of findings. In conclusion the research will provide the general reader with an in-depth analysis and highlight any possible measure which can be employed to eliminate the problems discussed.

Problem Statement
To investigate the impact of divorce on the decline in family values within a community in St. Andrew, Jamaica.

Aims and Objectives

To find out the meaning of the term divorce. To identify the causes of divorce. To examine strategies to minimize divorce with families. To identify the challenges divorce face within society. To identify the positive and negative effect of divorce. To investigate how divorce affect family members.

Definitions of Key Terms

Family a family may be defined as a group of people living together who you may be related to by blood, marriage, or choice, often for a lifetime. Divorce this may be defined as the termination of a valid marriage contract. Values are a set of morals, principles, guidelines or code of ethics to which we live by. Animosity-a feeling of strong dislike, ill will, or enmity that tends to display itself in action Extraverts- This is a person who is energized by being around other people. Hassles- difficulty brought about by pressures of time, money, inconvenience Amicably-characterized by friendliness Jurisdiction- A jurisdiction is an area with a set of laws under the control of a system of courts which are different to neighboring areas Patriarchy- A social system in which the father or eldest male is head of the household, having authority over women and children. Safe Target- This refers to a person or thing on which a hurting individual emotionally and physically relieve his or her stress, without thinking of possible repercussions.

Literature Review
A divorce, sometimes called a decree of "dissolution of marriage", is a court order terminating a marriage where it no longer exists. Unlike an annulment, which states that the marriage never existed, a divorce is the termination of a valid marriage contract. Typically in the divorce the parties and/or court resolve all issues between them, such as division of property, child custody and visitation, and spousal and child support. Statistics have proven that over the past several years that divorce has nearly affected 30% of marriages within a specific community in St. Andrew. These causes of divorce vary, and they can be extremely personal for the couple. One common cause of divorce is what is officially referred to as irreconcilable differences. This is perhaps one of the most common causes of divorce on divorce papers and can mean different things to different people. Often times, this reason is cited by couples who marry young and no longer have anything in common. Other times, it refers to a disagreement on a fundamental issue, such as whether or not to have children or could just mean that the couple argues too much. According to the Gleaner, published, Friday, January 4, 2008 it was stated that a majority of the couples who get divorced where married between the ages 18-29. The data also showed that a significant number of men had previously been married. According to Pastor Richard Keane of Family Church on the Rock, Kingston, It worries him. He stated that, "People resort to divorce too quickly or easily and some get married too quickly without learning enough about each other before committing to this long-term relationship,". Bert Samuels, an attorney with 28 years' experience in the courts, finds the change in the law facilitates so-called 'no fault' divorces as an appropriate response to the problem of incompatibility, The Gleaner, Friday, January 4, 2008. He stated that "This is better for, in some instances, the difficulties attached might cause domestic violence and lead to murder and suicide. According to Pastor Keane, he is not impressed by such efforts at judicial efficiency in respect of divorce. Basing his argument on scriptural teachings, he contends that it was never intended for the dissolution of marriage to be a quick process.

However other causes of divorce within this community are communication problems, financial problem, forms of abuse, sexual problem and marital infidelity. These automatically will contribute to the decline in family values. The Joint problem solving is difficult under the best of circumstances. Divorce and resulting parenting plans add a dimension of difficulty, because of highly charged emotions, which prevent clear thinking. Some of these emotions can be diffused through the communication techniques mentioned further on in this study. Childrens problems are often compounded by the differing perceptions of their two parents. The parent who initiated the divorces, who wanted or feels responsible for the divorce, have a tendency to overlook many of the problems children are experiencing or to suggest that these are normal, typical childhood problems. The parent who did not want the divorce or does not feel responsible for it sees every problem the child has as related to the divorce. The truth usually lies in the middle of these two positions. Children are always affected by their parents divorce. Most children will show some reactive behavior during the first year after the divorce and will continue to struggle with it for many years after. Yet not every problem, or every success, for that matter, a child has can be attributed to the divorce. Jack, a divorced father reported, Matts teacher called and said she just doesnt know what to do with him. He is constantly causing problems in the classroom, talking to other children, acting silly and getting into fights. Besides disrupting the class he isnt getting any of his work done. Kids are not divorceable. A logical emotion for children to feel at the time of a major loss like divorce is anger. Whenever things are taken from us without our consent, there is a feeling of losing control of our own destiny. This makes us angry. Some children may express this anger very directly; I hate Dad (or Mom) for leaving me! Usually, however, children will express their anger in subtle, nuclear ways; or they will target their anger at a person or object they feel can absorb it. Sometimes a child will be angry at the custodial parent. This anger maybe observed in such actions as not minding, talking back and arguing, calling the parent names, and even hitting the parent. This happens when the child misses the absent parent very much and blames the

custodial parent for the lost. This blame, of course, is not justified, yet the child experiences the feeling just the same. When the family begins to change, children become afraid. They quit literally fear for their own safety and survival. The fear that the child feels may not be rational but it is real and based on feelings generated by the many changes. If one parent could leave, for example, it is now possible in the childs mind that the other parent could also leave, or even die. In some instances the fear the child feels maybe based on reality: his or her well being really is at risk. For example if one parent has a tendency toward violent behavior, the child may fear that parent will him or her or hurt other family members. Children may also feel fear when they observe one of their parents emotionally deteriorating. If the breakup of the family has triggered excessive drinking, severe depression or extreme anxiety, a child may correctly perceive that the parent is not functioning as a mature adult and is unable to provide adequate care. Almost everyone in the family feels sad about a divorce. Even when there is a sense of general relief because a conflictive relationship has finally ended, there is usually a sad feeling associated with the lost hopes and dreams of having a complete, happy family. When a child shows some sadness about the divorce, this feeling is usually understandable and acceptable to the parents. The child may mope around the house, cry easily, not eat as usual, and seem to get little pleasure out of doing things that were formerly enjoy enjoyable. These are signs of depression, a kind of sadness and anger kept inside. Some children experience intense sadness and longing for the absent parent. This response may baffle the custodial parent who says,I dont understand their crying for their father (Mother). When we were married my husband (wife) was a workaholic and never home. The children have never been close to him (or her). Whats going on? The actual amount of contact with the non-custodial parent prior to the separation often has little to do with how much a child misses that parent. In fact, some children who have not spent much time with the absent parent are especially devastated by the departure because they now feel they will never get to know that parent.

Anxiety is an emotional response that sometimes results in the development of physical symptoms. Anxiety is a feeling of general uncertainty or uneasiness about what is going to happen. Many of the changes brought about by the changes of a divorce are beyond the control of a child. It makes sense that during, or following, parental divorce a child may exhibit signs of anxiety. Physical symptoms that may point to an underlying anxiety are headaches, bad dreams, and stomach aches, loss of hair, biting nails, chewing lips, asthma attacks, bed wetting or dizziness. A few children may exhibit none of the responses described. These children appear somewhat detached from the divorce process, stating that Nothing is really different. Or the child may seem artificially cheerful, proclaiming everything is just great. These children will say that they have no questions about the divorce. They claim its just something that happened and there is no need to think or feel about it. This type of response in children is a special case for concern. It could me they have been exposed to so many intense emotions of others that they are afraid to have any feelings of their own. They might feel that If my parents are out of control, I must remain in control. A lack of response could also mean that they are afraid of taking sides between their parents. To remain faithful to both parents, children sometimes decide to know and feel nothing. Finally, this reaction could mean that children are so devastated by the divorce that the resulting feelings seem unmanageable and overwhelming. As a result they admit no feeling whatsoever.

Data Collection Sources

The researcher employed the use of archival data to study how divorce contributes to the decline in family values within the community. The method of Archival research was deemed appropriate for studying changes over time because of the phenomena being investigated already existed in recorded information. Literature on the effect of how divorce contributes to the decline in family values within the community was used to establish the general effects on the Jamaican society. The sampling consisted of 20 participants, 10 males and 10 females, who were randomly selected for the study. The sample population was taken from the directory based on criteria such as; age, sex, gender, occupation etc. The random sampling method allowed for a wide cross section of the population within the community to be represented in the study. The data gathered from the random sampling was used to measure and find out any co-relation and test the validity of the study. This was done so that the presentation of data and discussion of finding could be justified.
Text Book; The text book, Caribbean Studies by Jenifer Mohammed is a secondary source data employed by the researcher to quantify and explain information which has enhanced the study and will give the reader a clearer understanding to those concepts that are taken for granted. A secondary source at times may be misleading as it is not an original document. However, the text book allowed the researcher to give clearer meaning to those terms which are stated in the list of technical terms. Questionnaires; The researcher employed the use of questionnaires. These are primary sources as they were filled in by the respondents. It provides numerous advantages as it allows a wide cross section of the society to take part in the study. It assists with the complication of the research findings and allow for the findings to be represented in statistical format created over the years. However, it proved to be time consuming as the retrieval process was also tiring. Internet Sources; Websites such as www.gleaner.com, a secondary source, allowed the study to gain a great deal of background information on the subject matter. In addition these sources allowed the researcher to access and validate various works of authoritative sources or finding and to make comparison and contrast for the literature review and research findings.

Research Methods
Quantitative
The term qualitative data is used to describe the type of information that can be counted or expressed numerically. This type of data is often collected in experiments, manipulated and statistically analyzed. Quantitative data can be represented visually in graphs, histograms, tables and charts. This type of information is important because it is used to study a large number of people and allowed the researcher to present the findings in numerical format, which can then be statistically analyzed. Qualitative This is a form of data that is used to describe, interpret and explain certain types of information and it is used to present in word data which is used to analyzed information in order to compile the researcher finding.

Presentation of Data
Pie chart shows the negative effects of divorce

25% yes 75% no

Pie chart showing that 75% of the respondents agreed that divorce has a negative effect on the family while 25% disagreed saying that divorce does not have a negative effect on the family. Cylindrical chart showing the main cause of divorce

Others

Sex Responses

Cheating Finanacial issues Communication

Communication

Finanacial issues Sex Cheating 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% Others

Percentage

Cylindrical chart showing that the main causes of divorce are cheating, sex, financial issues, communication having percentages of approximately 34%, 24% 19%, 9% respectively. This was while approximately 4% suggested other causes.

Table showing the Factors that contribute to the decline in family values

Factors

Percentage

Peer Pressure 30% Music 25% others 45% The table above shows that factors such as peer pressure and music contributes to the decline in family values in percentages such as 30% and 25% respectively. The table also shows that 45% of other factors, were responsible for the decline in family values.

Pie chart showing if the age of parents contribute to divorce

15%

no

yes

85%

The above chart shows that 85% of the respondents supported the idea that the age of parents contributes to divorce while 15% refuted.

Bar chart showing awareness of divorce taking place in any family

No

75%

Responses

Yes No Yes 25%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40% Percentage

50%

60%

70%

80%

The bar chart shows that 25% of respondents were aware of divorce taking place in a family while 75% responded that they were not aware.

Bar chart showing persons who have experience divorce

80% Percentge 60% 40% 20% 0% yes Responses No 70% 30% No yes

The bar chart shows that 70% of respondents had experienced divorce before while 30% did not. Cylindrical chart showing if society influences the rate of divorce

80% 70% Percentage 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Yes Responses No 20% 80% Yes No

After collecting the findings it was seen that 80% of respondents agreed that society influences the rate of divorce while 20% of the respondents disagreed.

Pie chart showing effectsof divorce contributes on the decline in family values

10% Yes No 90%

The chart shows that 90% of respondents supported the claim that divorce contributes to the decline in family values while 10% refuted this claim.

Interpretation of Data
From the findings collected, 80% of the respondents stated that society influences the divorce rate. This may be because of cultural norms, laws and influences which causes both partners to resist from sitting down to talk to each other so they resolved their disputes through divorce. However, 20% responded that society does not influence the divorce rate. This gives us the view that there are factors within society which supports lengthy and prosperous marriages. 70% of the respondents said that they are not aware of divorce taking place in any family while on the other hand 30% stated that they are aware of divorce taking place in families. This could mean that while couples are going through a divorce they often times try to keep it secret or out of the publics eye. This will in turn shelter them form unwanted attention and embarrassment. 34% of the respondents stated that cheating is the main cause of divorce, 19% said it is Financial issues, 9% replied communication, 24% stated sex while the remaining 4% stated others. Cheating and Sex were selected the most as main causes of divorce. This gives us the impression that if a relationship lacks the sexual fulfillment which both partner yearns for, then it may result in the couple getting a divorce. It was also found that 75% of the respondent figured that divorce has a negative impact on the family. This may be because of the effect it has on children. Children have impressionable minds and need both their parents in order to develop into mature and normal adults. This however is while 25% stated that divorce does not have a negative impact. These respondents may have possibly gone through successful divorces, which did not cause much stress or discomfort for the family. 90% of the respondents are of the view that divorce contributes to the decline in family values. This maybe as a result of the respondents having personal experiences with the subject matter ,as 75% have already experienced divorce and are aware of the implications of such a process. However 10% maintained that divorce does not contribute to the decline in family value. These responses may also be of experience and personal feelings as of the 10% , 30% have not experienced divorce.

In any marriage, a level of maturity is needed for future growth of the relationship. This ideology is directly reflected in the findings as 85% of the respondents were of the view that the age of a couple contributes to how fast they refer to the divorce process. Many individuals get married as a result of several factors. However as these factors start to diminish in quality or become less and less desireable, the relationship will begin to suffer and very soon, crumble to the hands of divorce. Absence of any parent due to divorce can create a permanent scar on the minds of innocent children. This may later cause them to set their minds against relationships. It can then be said that children of divorce are more likely to divorce when they get married. 100% of the respondent agreed that divorce has contributed to the decline in family value. As according to (Dr. Richard Saller, "Family Values in Ancient Rome" www.fathom.com/feature/121908) he is concerned that fewer and fewer women want to invest in their children as mothers. He is concerned because so many mothers are hiring sitters to raise their children. He is disturbed about the rising divorce rate and the increase in marital infidelity.

Discussion of Findings
The study of the impact of divorce on the decline in family values within the community presented some interesting findings, in which there were several misconceptions. The primary misconception about marriage is that once two people are married all will be great; that is, they will live happily ever after. Nonetheless, the research revealed that the main causes of divorce within the community are communication problems, financial problem, forms of abuse, sexual problem and marital infidelity. These all contribute to the decline in family values in one way or the other, thus giving support to the 90% of respondents who agreed that divorce causes a decline in family values. This was as 70% of the respondents had already experienced divorce and it is believed that they gave their opinions based on personal experiences. There is an old adage that goes, children live what they learn. As a result of the majority of the divorcing couples not parting on amicable terms, children often become aggressive or anti-social towards their peers and towards others because of what they have seen from their parents. Children usually act out towards safe-targets in an attempt to vent their anger. These safe targets may at times become the victims of several emotional onslaughts. While some children choose to show their feelings there are others who will try to tough it out. This is to say that some children will try to remain emotionless or pretend to be cheerful, in an attempt to hide their feelings, during the period of the divorce. It is recommended that these children who try to hide their feelings are given special counseling to help them cope with the changes occurring in their family. Even if there is no animosity at the time of divorce, bitterness and resentment over children have a tendency to build up in the years that follow. This is understandable especially for the custodial parent who have to be dealing with the emotions of the children plus their own. This over time becomes very overwhelming and will result in the parent becoming very frustrated. This adversely affects how children interact with others within the society. This view

was purported by Bert Samuels, an attorney with 28 years' experience in the courts. This was stated in the Gleaner on Friday, January 4, 2008. A divorce is difficult on the mother. She becomes easily stressed and depressed as she copes with the daily hassles and arguments while working and trying to raise children with generally little support from her ex-husband. This may sometimes lead to physical and/or emotional abuse to the children. In so doing, the children may in turn become introverts, extraverts or become unruly or rebellious. It has been observed that these kids are more prone to drug and substance abuse. Statistics from the research have proven that over the past several years that divorce has nearly affected 30% of marriages within the community. Pundits are of the opinion that in a majority of the cases, mothers get the custody of children. These pundits perceive that mothers are revered for being able to be the primary caregivers for children while fathers play a visiting parent role. This is where they only see the children a few times per week, month or even yearly. In some cases these children act-out or behave inappropriately due to the fact that their father no longer plays a pivotal role in their lives. Children often feel comforted by the presence of a male in the house. Men have deep voices, are tall, and seem powerful to children. They derive a sense of security from a father whom they perceive as being strong, big, and safe. After the separation, some children who have never been afraid of robbers and murderers develop these fears and are afraid to go to sleep or to be alone. This is true even though the family may live in a very safe neighborhood and mom may not be at all afraid.

Recommendations
Generally, the study reveals that most of the residents of the community create a false sense of love, where the issue of divorce is concern. However the researcher proposes the following recommendation to provide some remedies which will quell issues that may lead to the couples wanting divorce. These include: Seek counseling when problems arise in the marriage Talk things out with the partner Treat each family member with respect. Have an open mind to suggestions and opinions Have individual and Family goals Have scheduled family time

Limitations
The researcher encountered several short comings which affected the outcome of the overall study. These include: Time and resources for the study Construction of questionnaire Financial Constraint Inadequate source of information on the subject matter. The respondents may not have been entirely truthful with their responses

Conclusion
The termination of a marriage contract is referred to as a divorce. For several years and especially since resent couples have been deciding to go the separate ways. From the findings collected cheating and sex 34% and 24% respectively were the main causes of couples wanting divorce. The researcher is also of the opinion that since the last few years women have wanted to become independent of their male partners. This coupled with other reasons may at times cause the couple to want a divorce. Divorce however is usually the last alternative for most couples. This is after days months and possibly years of counseling which have resulted in no real conclusions being drawn or solutions being thought of. In trying to work out their differences it is usually the children who receive the final verdict of not having a stable mom or dad, but in most cases, they lose their dad. Mothers in turn are left to deal with their own emotions plus that of the child, which can become very over whelming and may lead to frustration as time goes on. The divorce process may at times become very embarrassing for a couple, especially when the couple has not spent no real amount of time together. It maybe for this reason that divorces are normally death with in secret or out of the publics eye. This was reflected in the findings as 75% of the respondents were unaware of divorces taking place in families. Divorce is and will continue to be one such topic that is widely debated in families and within society in general. Based on the data presented above, it may be concluded that family values increase or decrease depending on the manner in which the divorce was carried out. The researcher fully supports this position as suggested by the findings of the research.

Appendices A
Questionnaire
This questionnaire is part of a study on the influence of how divorce contributes to the decline in family values within a community in St. Andrew. The study is a requirement of the Caribbean Examination Council (CxC), Caribbean Studies Examination2012. The information obtain from the questionnaire will remain confidential. Please indicate your response by making a tick in the corresponding box.Thanks for your cooperation 1. Gender Male 2. Age 18-25 26-35 35 and over Female

3. Occupation Employed Unemployed Self- Employed Others

4. How long have you lived in Pembroke Hall? 0-6 months 1-10 years 10-25 years

5. Are you aware of any divorce taking place in any family? Yes 6. If yes please state No

7. What do you believe is the main cause of divorce? Cheating Lack of communication Sex Financial issues

8. Have you ever experience divorce? Yes No

9. Do you believe that divorce has a negative impact? Yes No

10. If yes state reason.. ... .. 11. What are the other factors (beside from divorce) that contribute to the decline in family? Music Peer Pressure Others

12. Do you think that the age of the parents contribute to divorce? Yes No

13. If yes State reason . 14. Do you think that society influence the divorce rate? Yes No

15. If yes state reason ... 16. Do you think that divorce contribute to the decline in family values? Yes No

Appendices B; Pictures

Fig 1 picture showing how family disputes causes neglect and may later result in divorce

Fig2 showing Photo of a couple with issues which may later result in a divorce

Bibliography
*Cummings, E. M, and Davies .P. (1994). Children and Marital Conflict.New York: Guilford. *Sara Bronkowski. 1987. Kids are non divorceable. Ages 6-11 Version. ACTA Publication, Chicago, Illinois *Karney, B. R., L. Story, and Bradbury .T. (2003). Marriages in Context: Interactions between Chronic and Acute Stress among Newlyweds. Presentation at the International Meeting on the Developmental Course of Couples Coping with Stress, October 12-14, 2002, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA. *Pastor Keane. Richard (2008)divorce Jamaica Gleaner