Final Summary/Reaction

After researching the topic of divorced families, I have learned new things and came to understand the effects and possible reasons for divorces. My survey was a lot of what I expected. Mostly females answered my questions, though I did have a few males. The ages that these people experienced their parents divorce ranged from before they were born to about 15 years old. It was very evenly split in which household my surveyors resided in. That was surprising to me because I always thought that the children automatically lived with their mothers, which I was completely wrong about. Another thing that surprised me was who my surveyors ate meals with during the week. A lot of them said either alone, or just with siblings. For one of my questions, "If divorce has affected you socially, how so", I got the response that "it made them afraid of commitment". I agree with that statement and that shows another effect after experiencing a divorce within your family. I also had a question which asked if anyone wanted to share advice on how to deal with divorce in their family and was surprising at all the feedback that I got back. Many people mentioned that it is "never your fault and that everything happens for a reason". 

Although a lot of stuff dealing with divorce is common knowledge, it was different to hear different people's perspectives on the subject. This was a learning experience for me and I am happy that I chose this topic to learn more about. 

Revised Summary

I posted my online survey to my Facebook page on Monday and I have been getting great feedback and information based on the questions that I asked in my survey. I have gotten results from both genders, varying from all ages that they experienced their parents' divorce. A lot of people have replied that they live with their moms, usually eat with an adult or sibling, and that they have not really blamed themselves for their parents' divorce. A lot of the psychological questions that I asked about how it may affect them all came back relatively the same, that it has not really interfered with their school work or social life. People are not meeting my hypothesis as much as I originally thought they would. Age and gender did not matter as much with how they dealt with the divorce than I intended the results would say. I also thought a lot more people would say they struggled in school. These results are typical coming from teenagers like myself. Teenagers tend to act like they are not phased and continue on with their life and let there parents figure it out. Attached is my survey if anyone else has feedback! Survey. 

Plan For research

As I conclude my research on divorced families, I want create a survey to hear responses from people who have experienced the impacts of divorce. I have created a Google document with nine questions for younger people that have experienced their parents' divorce. My questions range from how old the person was when there parents' divorced to how it has impacted them today. I am going to post it on my Facebook page and email it to a few of my friends that have experienced divorce within their family. I am curious to learn how it impacts different people and if age and gender affect people's experiences.

Suggested Research Method

After researching Marriage & Family - Divorced, I learned many different things. Growing up with both of my parents in the same house, it is hard for me to relate to this topic. For my research method I chose to create a survey for children who have divorced parents. My survey questions will include how they feel, their living conditions, and how it affected them growing up. I will survey at least 6 different individuals that have experienced their parents divorced. Stay tuned to see the steps of my research!

#8- Summary of Research

After researching divorced marriages and families, I have learned information that has opened my eyes to what these families are truly going through. Divorce is often seen as a bad thing, but I have learned that sometimes it is a relief and a new start. There are numerous coping mechanisms and ways to communicate between spouses and children. I particularly enjoyed the Sesame Street videos that I came across because I never realized that there was a friendly approach to children that probably do not understand what is going on with their parents. It is often confusing for children and they put the blame on themselves, but Sesame Street helps children realize what exactly a divorce is. 

I have took a lot of things away from these months of research and I have a better understanding of the impacts of divorce. 

#7 Choice: "Responding to Reactions"

In one of my earlier blog posts, I uploaded a YouTube video from Sesame Street talking about explaining that divorce is not a child's fault. I enjoyed the multiple videos that Sesame Street has talking about divorce, but this video stood out to me. Many of the articles and videos that I have came across have been helping children cope with divorce. This video relates more to parents and how each child could potentially react. This family's father was in the military so it affected the older child differently than it did for the youngest child. I found this video very helpful for parents to watch so that they could prepare themselves for the possible reactions from their kids. 

#6 Article/Website: Children & Divorce

Moving forward from my previous blog posts, it is important to think about your kids during marital struggles. I came across a guide to help kids cope with separation and divorce. Click here for the link to this helpful guide. 

This process is never easy, but this helpful guide can help. This website helps parents with communicating with their kids. Tips like telling the truth, saying I love you, and addressing change are  important to remember during the difficult times of divorce. This article also gives advice to the parents going through the separation. It focuses on your own recovery and the support that is needed to get through the divorce. 

#5 Choice: "It's Not Your Fault"

After talking about Sesame Street in my Sociology class the other week, I looked into some episodes and came across numerous segments focusing on divorce. Sesame street takes many different angles but I particularly liked this angle. A lot of children put the blame on themselves. Abby mentions that "one time she didn't clean her room" and she fears that it was her fault for them fighting. Gordon says divorce happens between problems between parents, not a child. Abby asks what she can do to stop the divorce but Gordon reassures her that there is nothing that she can do. 

This is important for children to watch so that they do not feel like little actions, such as not cleaning their rooms, are the reason why there parents do not get along. Putting the blame on yourself is the worst thing you can do. 

In my next few blog posts, I will post a video focusing on the parents reaction to the Sesame Street episode and how it helped them explain divorce and coping mechanisms with their children. 

#4 Choice: Modern Day Brady Bunch

This week, I have decided to take a different stance on Marriage & Family: Divorced. Divorce usually comes off as a negative word and feeling. It involves fighting, heartbreak, and stress for the family.  But, I came across an article that shows divorce in an improved way. Click here to view article. This article is about a step family who had the challenge and opportunity to blend their families. In the interview, the dad Miko says that their biggest challenge has been finding their roles and where they fit into the family. He stresses on the kids and how everything they do is to make their kids comfortable. The children support eachother at games and wear eachother's last names on their sweatshirts. In conclusion, Miko says the most important thing is to remember to focus on your marriage first. That will help everything else fall into place. Divorce does not mean that people must be single and suffer, there is room to start over. 

# 3 Children Of Divorce

While searching for a video on divorce and the impact that it leaves on the family, it was hard to find one that involved children and how they feel. Many videos showed divorce courts or husband and wives screaming. This video represented how children feel. They feel abandoned, at fault, stressed, and torn. This particular video makes a good point that "what happens in people's marriages today, impacts generations to come".

#2 Divorce Causes

Divorce has been on the uprise in the United States for the past few years. Modern times have changed the meaning of marriage, making divorce more common and less frowned upon. Studies pulled together 5 main causes of divorce. Click here for the link!

Cheating was the most common cause of divorce in modern society. Dishonesty, addictions, abuse, and major change in society were the following causes. There are also numerous other contributors, especially when children are brought into the relationship or if there is a change in the relationship dynamic. Many times, infidelity and abuse are seen when children are involved. Studies show that infidelity is more common when the couple has children. 

Of course, there are many causes to be added to the list, but those were just a few that were popular among the others. 

Stay tuned!! 

#1 Intro

Hey everyone! For my sociology course, I chose to study Marriage and Family: Divorced. I want to explore the cause and effects of divorce and the impact that it leaves on individuals and the family as a whole. The divorce rates increase drastically every year and I would like to look into why that number keeps rising. Stay tuned as I update my blog with articles, thoughts, and discussions!