The Disintegration of Jamaican Families: Using Divorce Data, 2001-2020

Authors

  • Paul Andrew Bourne Department of Institutional Research, Northern Caribbean University, Mandeville, Manchester, Jamaica, WI.
  • Natasha Bent Department of Nursing, Northern Caribbean University, Mandeville, Manchester, Jamaica, WI.
  • Raveena Blake Department of Nursing, Northern Caribbean University, Mandeville, Manchester, Jamaica, WI.
  • Chadeen Brackett Department of Nursing, Northern Caribbean University, Mandeville, Manchester, Jamaica, WI.
  • Shadine Francis Department of Nursing, Northern Caribbean University, Mandeville, Manchester, Jamaica, WI.
  • Shadanya McInnes Department of Nursing, Northern Caribbean University, Mandeville, Manchester, Jamaica, WI.
  • James Fallah Department of Dental Hygiene, Northern Caribbean University, Mandeville, Manchester, Jamaica, WI.
  • Calvin Campbell Department of Mathematics and Engineering, Northern Caribbean University, Mandeville, Manchester, Jamaica, WI.
  • Clifton Foster Department of Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences, Northern Caribbean University, Mandeville, Manchester, Jamaica, WI.
  • Caroline McLean Department of Nursing, Northern Caribbean University, Mandeville, Manchester, Jamaica, WI.
  • Tabitha Muchee Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Northern Caribbean University, Mandeville, Manchester, Jamaica, WI.
  • Barbara Biira Department of Psychology, Northern Caribbean University, Mandeville, Manchester, Jamaica, WI.

Abstract

The past two decades have brought shifts in behaviour and attitudes towards marriage and divorce. Studies on divorce and its incidence in Jamaica have often been on a micro-scale and much less is known about the incidence of divorce throughout the years in Jamaican society. Utilizing time-series data obtained from the Statistical Institute of Jamaica from 2001 to 2020, we carried out analyses to determine the incidence of divorce per 100 marriages, the relationship between marriages and divorces, and divorce patterns between men and women of different age groups. Between 2001 and 2013, the average divorce rate per 100 marriages in Jamaica was 8.42, implying that 8 to 9 people divorced per year per 100 marriages. Most divorces occur in the age group of 30 to 39 among women and by far few exceptions, the number of divorces increases as women age. Divorce was found to be prominent among men in their 30s and a moderate downward trend in divorces was observed in men over 60 and men under 20.For the relationship between divorce and marriage incidences, we found that Jamaican marriage rates have been on a downward trend and a negative correlation is observed between the incidence of divorces and marriages. In 2001, the divorce rate in Jamaica was 0.6494 per 1000 population and this exponentially rose by 107.27% in 2020 to 1.346 per 1000 population. There is an increase in divorce rates in Jamaica with findings indicating that the trend is moving up and possibly showing how divorce is becoming prevalent in Jamaican society, especially among the younger generation. The current study has unearthed a rationale for further research in the area of the divorce pandemic.

Downloads

Published

2022-04-23

Issue

Vol. 7 No. 1 (2022): International Journal of Transformation in English & Education [ISSN: 2581-3951]

Section

Articles