Joanna Gosling, a divorce mediator, and Marina Adshade, an economics professor, explore the changing attitudes towards divorce. They discuss the economic factors influencing marriage decisions, global perspectives on divorce rates, and the emotional and financial implications of splitting up. The podcast delves into the complexities of divorce, including the impact of neglecting relationships, financial entanglements, housing prices, prenuptial agreements, and societal perceptions.
Declining divorce rates in the West are influenced by factors like delayed marriages and increased education levels.
Divorce involves complex financial and emotional aspects, including asset division and communication breakdowns.
Deep dives
Declining Divorce Rates in the West
In many western countries, divorce rates have been steadily decreasing over the last few decades. Factors contributing to this decline include fewer people getting married, marrying at older ages, and a shift towards more educated individuals getting married, who tend to stay married longer.
Complexities of Divorce Processes
The process of divorce involves significant complexities, especially regarding financial entanglements and asset division. Divorcing couples often face challenges in splitting assets, with emotional attachments to material possessions playing a role in the process. Communication breakdowns and unresolved issues can further complicate the emotional and practical aspects of divorce.
Impact of Divorce on Children and Infidelity
Research explores the impact of divorce on children, highlighting the need for child-inclusive mediation to address their perspectives. Infidelity often reflects underlying marital unhappiness rather than being the sole cause of divorce. Successfully overcoming infidelity requires open communication and mutual willingness to move past the breach of trust within the relationship.
Divorce rates have been in decline across the West for decades. Experts put this down to a variety of factors, from fewer marriages to a widening dating pool, but cultural differences mean it is difficult to draw broad conclusions on the trends around splitting up. So how can we judge how attitudes to divorce have changed?
On today's episode Lucy Hockings is joined by divorce mediator and former BBC presenter Joanna Gosling, as well as Marina Adshade, a professor at the University of British Columbia who focusses on the economics of sex and relationships. They interrogate some of the stats on divorce, and discuss how the process of dissolving marriage is portrayed in popular culture.
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Producer: Alice Aylett Roberts, Laurie Kalus and Emilia Jansson
Sound engineer: Hannah Montgomery and Phil Bull
Assistant editor: Sergi Forcada Freixas
Editor is Richard Fenton-Smith
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