Agreements and Disagreements
When we consider the arguments and perspectives of both Coontz and May on the subject of divorce in America, some disagreements emerge, though by and large the two agree in principle if not on all of the details. From the above discussion of the two authors' points-of-view on divorce in America, it is more than evident that there is some disagreement in what the authors believe to be at the heart of current rises in divorce rates in the United States. Coontz, on the one hand, argues that changes in the underlying cultural attitudes and beliefs about marriage shifted around two hundred years ago, and that these new beliefs are still having an effect on the institution of marriage, specifically through divorce. May, on the other hand, looks to socioeconomic changes in the history of the country to account for rising divorce rates, and ties the historical rise in divorce rates over the last century to rising affluence and the pressure of "keeping up with the Joneses."
While these two perspectives seem irreconcilable, there are fundamental similarities and agreements that actually bind these two arguments closely together. Both of the authors agree that the roots of the current problems with the institution of marriage have deep historical roots in America. Rather than look to contemporary changes in U.S. culture and cite these as the causative factors underpinning higher divorce rates, both authors go deeper to analyze some of the formative developments in marriage in the United States that occurred between a century and two centuries ago. This point of agreement is important, and could even hint at the premise that both arguments are aspects of larger cultural and socioeconomic changes that were occurring in America at that time with long-reaching effects on marriage and divorce rates.
Differences in Methodology, Tone, and Conclusions
Despite this obvious similarity, there are some differences between the two studies. Namely, Coontz's study is largely qualitative, while May's is quantitative. Both types...
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