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Reasons for Increased Divorce in Asian community in U.S. & Asian countrieshttp://counselingoutfitters.com/Hung.htm Compared with other ancient cultures, Chinese civilization is the oldest still extant in the world today. Its unique ethos has affected the majority of other Asian countries, including Japan, Korea, Vietnam, etc. In addition, according to the most recent U.S Census statistics, Chinese-Americans are the largest Asian group residing in the United States (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 2000). In this rapidly globalizing world, it is crucial for counselors to be both multicultural and culturally competent when working with female Chinese immigrants facing divorce. The rising trend of divorce is a worldwide phenomenon. Throughout Western societies, due to the ubiquity of divorce, some scholars have suggested that divorce and remarriage be consider part of the normative family life cycle (Carter & McGoldrick, 1999). However, for the majority of Chinese, divorce, and separation are still viewed negatively. One primary reason is the influence of Confucianism. Considered by many to be “the” philosopher in Asian civilization, Confucius’ ideas regarding human relationships still reign supreme for most Chinese. More specifically, Confucius defined the five basic human relationships in the classic, Book of Rites, and in descending order of importance are: ruler-minister, father-son, elder brother-younger brother, husband-wife, and friend-friend. Among these, three were based on family structure. Confucius repeatedly addressed the importance of family in order to maintain the social order (Chen, 1973). In addition, in Chinese, the word “nation” consists of two main pictographs, which are “guo” and “jia.” They mean country and family, respectively. After reading Confucius, the argument could be made that society, at least one that is stable and productive, is built upon familial relationships; thus, family is the core of Chinese society (Chen, 1973). Anything capable of “destroying” the harmony and stability of family structure was to be avoided at all costs, especially divorce. In fact, for millennia, it was forbidden for wives to divorce and consequently, they remained with physically and emotionally abusive men. While societal change is slow, during the past few decades, both Taiwan and China have become more politically liberal. According to Taiwan’s Ministry of Interior (2005), for every two Chinese couples that marry, one will likely seek a divorce in the future; hence, the divorce rate has dramatically increased. The numbers tell the truth; divorce has doubled since the Ministry’s last report (1995). In a society that has long placed great importance on family and marriage, Taiwan’s divorce rate has surprised a number of experts. In fact, Taiwan has the highest divorce rate for industrialized countries in Asia. Several reasons exist for this phenomenon, including extra-marital relationships, economic growth, marriage migrants, familial influence, and greater education. Reasons for Increased Divorce Rapid Economic Growth As Taiwan’s economy grew during the 1970s, men and women emphasized their career over all else. This caused myriad problems for many married couples since their roles, as spouses, parents, and primary providers, had been predetermined over 2,500 years earlier when Confucius penned his famous “Analects.” Furthermore, women became better educated, and began enjoying the same opportunities as men, in terms of career development. In addition, a great number of abused wives decided to leave their husbands, feeling that they no longer needed someone “strong” to watch over them. Individualism During the past two decades, Taiwan’s spectacular economic growth has allowed it to become one of the richest countries in Asia, with a standard of living index rivaling, and surpassing, many Western countries. As a result, Taiwan became more Americanized, and the once sacrosanct view of what a traditional, Chinese family should look like changed. Atwood & Conway (2004) stated that when Chinese individuals made important decisions concerning their lives (such as marriage), they tended to consider how their family would perceive it. Likewise, descriptive adjectives like “honor” “shame” and “save-face” are key terms used by Chinese when measuring their family’s opinion regarding any major decision. It is common for individuals to say, “I don’t want to lose my family’s face,” or “He/She did that to honor their family.” The newer generation, however, sees things differently. After being exposed to Western culture for years, individualism is viewed as superior to the millennial, traditional family view; thus, the idea of individualism has replaced the importance of family. Today, many younger Chinese are less willing to sacrifice their personal desires for family---a situation completely at loggerheads with their parents and grandparents beliefs. Instead of ruminating upon how a decision could affect the family, younger Chinese focus on what is best for them, not their relatives. Equal Rights for Women. Recently, several laws were passed giving Taiwanese women more independence. For instance, women staying at home and taking care of the family could be classified as full time housekeepers, and had the right to receive wages from her husband. For many years, once a couple split-up, the husband gained custody of the children, regardless of the reasons for the divorce. During 2004, the Taiwanese legislature mandated that, unless just cause could be demonstrated, fathers would no longer automatically be given the children. Now that there is legal protection, women no longer need tolerate “unfair” or “difficult” situations within their family, and as a matter of equity, end the marriage. For decades, women tolerated shabby treatment since they had no legal recourse, but now, due to the liberalizing of marriage, women can sue for divorce on a number of grounds. Extra-Marital Relationships increasing One rationale concerning the propensity for men to engage in extramarital affairs is due to the large number of Taiwanese employers and employees stationed in China for extended periods. While their husbands are in China, wives tend to stay in Taiwan, taking care of in-laws or children. Extra-marital relationships have increased dramatically and more and more women no longer tolerate unfaithful husbands. Inter-ethnic Marriage increasing Compared with other Asian countries, Taiwan has several economic advantages. This simple fact is one reason why many, uneducated Taiwanese men marry women from Southern Asian countries, such as The Philippines, Indonesia, and Vietnam has increased substantially. The majority of these foreign brides cannot speak Chinese or cannot speak it well-enough to communicate with others. When their marriage expectations are not met, divorce is inevitable. Divorce rate increases in Vietnam One in six marriages in Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City end in divorce, with 12,408 couples making the break in 2002, up from 11,742 divorces in 2001, according to a Vietnam News report. Ho Chi Minh City judges have blamed foreign influences and better incomes for the country's increasing divorce rate. Domestic violence is the major cause of divorce, accounting for 84 percent of splits last year, which was slightly down from 89 percent of cases in 1992. The number of divorces caused by economic difficulties is decreasing. In 2002, about four percent of breakups were due to money.
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