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With the institution of marriage comes a range of taboo topics that, in modern times, have included same-sex marriages and polygamy. However, in a recent Gallup poll entitled "Values and Beliefs," researchers found that divorce is no longer considered taboo, as over 70 percent of Americans consider it to be a morally acceptable choice for marriages that have dissolved beyond the point of repair.
This finding represents an increase in the number of people who accept divorce, as only 59 percent of 2001 respondents and 67 percent of 2006 respondents were tolerant of divorce.
Over 1,000 Americans over 18 years old were interviewed via phone in this study. While the way in which questions were framed may produce a slight margin of error, researchers state that they are 95 percent confident that this survey has a margin of error that is less than 3 percent.
Divorce Trends
Clearly, the growing acceptance of divorce has coincided with the increased incidence of it, as about 60 percent of first marriages end in divorce. Yet, what is particularly interesting about this survey is that nearly every American demographic has grown in its tolerance of divorce.
In fact, many who would be expected to shun divorce as an option – such as extreme conservatives, religious individuals and senior citizens – have started accepting divorce as a viable option. While such respondents did express tolerance of divorce at rates lower than younger, more liberal respondents, they still, as an overall group, had a higher levels of accepting responses than they had in previous years.
What the "Values and Beliefs" Survey Found to be Most Taboo
In contrast to a growing acceptance of divorce, this Gallup poll did find that respondents still felt the following topics were extremely taboo and morally unacceptable:
(Source: Gallup)
Are you considering filing for divorce? If so, contact us today to meet with an experienced divorce attorney who can help you get through this tough time.