Many have assumed that those with a lower income are more likely to stay married than those who can transition to a single life with fewer financial roadblocks. However, a recent California study on divorce rates among lower income individuals have shown that those in lower income brackets are marrying less, while filing for a divorce at a rate higher than originally thought. As a result, the study suggests that government programs should move past the promotion of the values that marriage hold and instead focus on the problems that low income couples face during their marriage.
The study of over 6,000 individuals revealed that lower income individuals held similar values in marriage as higher income individuals. This also led to lower and higher income individuals facing the same type of struggles in maintaining the marriage. However, one discrepancy in the study showed that lower income individuals held a higher value as to the economic security of their partner.
The federal government has reportedly spent $1 billion on programs to improve marriage rates among lower income couples. However, the study concluded that previous studies provided insufficient data as to what programs would best assist those who are enduring difficulties in their marriage. The study, which was published by two California professors, has been published in the Journal of Marriage and Family.
Although filing a divorce may be difficult for many California residents, the alternative of staying in an unhappy marriage is a far more difficult proposition. Though there will be hurdles that will need to be overcome in the divorce process, there are ways to navigate through the process after a commitment has been made to move forward. This commitment, regardless of the individual’s income level, could serve as the best way for a couple to find a new life free of the stresses that had long plagued the marriage.
Source: post.jagran.com, “Low income couples marrying less and divorcing more,” May 29, 2013
