Divorces in Europe

Abstract

The main interest of the present conference has been concentrated on family patterns (their stability, changes etc.) from the point of view of psychology, sociology, pedagogy and demography. Divorces are a noteworthy aspect in this context. They have an important advantage: they can be expressed quantitatively. However, here more than in other demographic processes, the same frequency of divorces does not necessarily mean the same intensity of marital problems. In other words, data concerning the frequency of divorce are not strictly speaking comparable because of the different definition of divorce in various countries (different legislation and its diverse application). This is true even if our interest remains restricted to Europe, i.e. to civilization’s circle of the Occident, based on the cultures of antiquity, Judaism, and Christianity.