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Natural Awakenings National

Family Solidarity: America Sees Decline in Divorce Rate

“Many couples may be rediscovering the long-standing sociological truth that marriage is one of society’s best social insurance plans,” says W. Bradford Wilcox, a sociology professor and director of the National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia. According to U.S. Census Bureau data, the number of divorces among women, which had risen to 17.5 per 1,000 in 2007, fell 4 percent in 2008.

Some couples may be staying together only temporarily, due to tightened resources and the support provided by a spouse and extended family members; but others may be appreciating anew why they got married in the first place. The recession reminds them that marriage can be more than an emotional relationship, notes the report. It is also an economic partnership and social safety net.

Source: The Christian Science Monitor

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