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How important is Union in Contemporary Society?

Various governments across various civilizations have eschewed the virtues of marriage and long term union in contemporary society, and some have even introduced legislation and incentives to encourage marriage and the development of a family unit. However, as the global rate of divorce spirals towards a troubling 50 percent, and the rate of divorce in the US alone stands at approximately 48 percent, there is an increasing concern as to the relevance of union in a modern society.

The thought processes involved in attempting to create marital and relationship harmony is simple. Governments regulate society, to make its citizens law abiding and maintain their safety. The concept of the family unit, and all of the values of clean living and moderation that are incorporated within, ensure that it is used as a tool with which to govern and maintain a social equilibrium. This abates the concern that single individuals are more vulnerable to external influences and corruption without the support of family or their communal values.

The Modern Relationship

While this trend of government thinking is clear, it is also a little misguided in contemporary surroundings. The nature of relationships and union has changed dramatically over the course of 4 decades, and the relevance of marriage slowly diminishing alongside the revolution in dating and methods of courtship. Quite simply, the encouragement of traditional family units and values becomes less pointed in a society where couples no longer begin their relationship in the traditional way, especially where marriage is often seen as an expensive luxury or a mere title.

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Overcoming Relationship Issues in the New Year

It is well known that divorce lawyers enjoy their busiest period in the immediate aftermath of Chistmas and the New Year. The reasons cited are numerous, and there are several subsequent theories as to why relationships and marriages should suffer throughout the festive period and advent of a brand new year. The issue with decision making and definitive resoltuions around this time period is that they may be the subject of an emotive reaction and poorly considered concepts.

As divorce statistics remain at approximately 48 percent in the US, there is an ever increasing focus on the reasons given for seperation and the termination of long term union. This is due to concern that although more and more individuals are facing singledom in the country, the population continues to swell unabated, and therefore the impact and worth of family values are becoming lost amongst a swathe of poorly judged decisions and emotive reactions to stressful or problematic situations.

Reasons for Seperation in the New Year

The New Year is a time well known for personal resolutions and lifestyle modifications, as people throughout the US strive for a prosperous and improved year ahead. This tradition has evolved over time and become far more significant within contemporary culture, with the 1st of January now utilized as a psychological watershed and a beacon for hope and regeneration. This is especially true where people are emerging from a year of tumult, most pointedly with regards to their personal lives and financial issues.

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Is Apathy a Cause or Consequence of Social Issues?

If we are to listen intently to the various media outlets that report on news and current affairs every day, we could be forgiven for believing that the world is veering on the very edge of tumult. From global conflicts that push the grand concept of world peace ever further from the grasp of civilized community to health and social issues that are more prominent within the US, it would appear that societies and the people within them are at the mercy of circumstances like no other generation before them.

However, many of these local or global issues are created by the many faults of mankind, whether it is greed to steal or satisfy a personal desire, or a misguided aspiration to use faith and religion and a tool to engineer anarchy. This makes these problems so much more than the sum of their parts, as there are too many cases of individuals turning away and displaying overt apathy in the face of their manifestation. The most pertinent question is whether this apathy is the root cause for such social issues, or whether it is a consequence of them and their subsequent media coverage.

What are the Issues and their Causes

This lack of feeling can be seen in many cases of neglect and wilful ignorance. For example, the level of US citizens who smoke is still unreasonably high at between 19 and 20 percent. Although this figure is down by an estimated 5 percent on the numbers recorded in 1990, it is unfathomable given both the public exposure of the damage that cigarettes cause and the quality of treatments available that so many still choose to smoke at all. This practice is clearly at odds with the advertisement campaigns, scientific research and media coverage that has been invested in revealing the extent that cigarette smoking can do to the human body.

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Understanding Obesity and the Potential Solutions

Health and fitness are both important considerations in contemporary society, where individuals are exposed to an increasing amount of literature on nutrition and exercise. The perceived obesity epidemic in the US and other western civilizations is contrary to these informative trends, as it is apparent that the rates of individuals who are either overweight or clinically obese continue to rise despite such extensive research and data reproduction within the field.

What recent figures show is that the surfeit of text and information that exists in modern culture in not enough to assuage behavioural trends, and that further effort is required to maintain a fit and healthy society. Over eating and a lack of exercise are the two significant causes of obesity and subsequent health issues, and these lifestyle factors are themselves subject to numerous contributing influences.

Statistics and Significant Issues

Alarmingly, just one third of the adult population in the US are recorded as having a healthy weight and BMI (body mass index) measurement. BMI is recorded by adjusting an individual’s weight according to their height, and its guidelines support whether they are underweight, ideal weight, overweight or obese. Of the remainder of citizens that have issues with their BMI readings, just fewer than 2 percent are underweight, and therefore obesity is revealed as the most pertinent problem in the health and fitness of society.

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Correctional Facilities: Purpose vs Effectiveness

As long as they have existed, correctional facilities have been discussed in terms of their exact purpose and levels of effectiveness. Such dialogue often concerns the actual purpose that a prison should serve, whether it is to punish a criminal for their conduct or to focus on rehabilitating them to ensure a successful return into society. In an ideal world, a correctional facility would meet both of these requirements, but the truth remains that it is exceptionally difficult to strike a harmonious balance between such diverse aspirations.

The secondary issue centers on how effective correctional facilities are in achieving either aim. As contemporary facilities have leant towards rehabilitation and modifying values and behaviour through learning, there has been criticism that this ethos actually creates an environment that is far too comfortable for inmates and convicted felons. Such an atmosphere does little to encourage a criminal to learn or change their conduct, nor does it act as any form of punishment for a particular crime that has been committed.

Crime and Punishment

Many correctional facilities across the world are designed with different concepts and ideologies in mind. In Eastern European and Asian cultures, such facilities are feared and renowned for appalling conditions and brutality, whereas western prisons are far more developed and built to suit rehabilitation and personal improvement. Each has their own sets of supporters and critics, but it is the western and US correctional facilities that are considered the most effective in a civilized society.

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Internet Usage and Education

For all the advantages in terms of convenience, speed and delivery that the internet has provided to the average consumer and household, there are increasing concerns as to its influence on social conduct and etiquette. These concerns are centered on the fact that the premise of the World Wide Web has been outweighed by its impact, and despite its supposed benefits to individuals and families alike, it is often citied as a prominent factor in decreasing values and social behavioural trends.

The fact remains that while consumers can purchase and internet users can seek information through the vast resources of the internet, there is less and less need to venture into the outside world and communicate with other human beings through traditional conversation. This type of secluded environment in which young adults are thrust can contribute towards a restricted and introverted outlook on life, and in extreme cases develop anti-social behavioural trends amongst users.

Internet Usage and Education

One of the primary concerns around internet usage is its influence on the education of teenagers and young adults. With regards to the vast resources available on the World Wide Web, there are two schools of thought. One would consider that the diversity of information and opinion is beneficial to further education, and actively encourages the development of a considered point of view. However, there is a further notion that the internet’s depth of resource and often uncensored nature is confusing for impressionable minds and often contradictory to curriculum teaching.

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The Reality of Drug Usage and Users

There is often a noticeable dichotomy between public perception and reality, and this ethos is particularly relevant to drug use and drug users. The general understanding of drug use is that it is currently more widespread than ever, and that it is particularly prevalent amongst teenagers and young adults. This theory is developed due to over exposure to sensational media reports and generic journalism, where indistinct statements contrive an unconsidered presentation of actual events.

In fact, the level of drug use between the 18 to 25 year old demographic has fallen between 2000 and 2008, with a total decrease of 0.5 percent. This may seem insignificant, but not when you consider the sum of the US population and also the fact the percentage drop for the same period of citizens who have ever used drugs was registered at 2.4 percent. This secondary statistic is far more indicative of a continual and gradual decline in the number of drug users since the turn of the century.

A Public Perception

So, where does the perception of a worsening drug culture emerge from? Surprisingly, the only increase in the number of drug users is actually in the 26 to 34 year age demographic, where the level of current users has risen from 10.5 to 11 percent between 2000 and 2008. Although this statistic, when considered on its individual merits, may suggest an increase in adult drug use, it not supported by other figures that feature in the same target age range.

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Is Society Equipped for Multiculturalism?

This is not a slur on western culture, but more a realization of the magnitude of melding numerous cultural and religious bodies into a weave of similar communities. It requires a certain level of tolerance, knowledge and understanding, and also vast amounts of interaction and communication to make the transition smooth and effective. The danger is that by merging different entities together without the requisite foundation being laid could lead to ignorance, resentment and ultimately conflict.

Teaching the Values of Different Religions

There are two major issues with religious teaching in general education facilities. Firstly, it is not considered a primary or compulsory subject, and therefore either abandoned or simply ignored by students who do not see the value in such education. Secondly, where specialist religious education bodies exist, they often teach only a single religious or cultural theme that does not encompass alternative or external influences. While this at least teaches at some religious values in depth, it creates a closed minded attitude towards the notions of other belief systems.

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Education as a Resolution to Social Issues

When addressing issues of poverty and rates of crime throughout the US, education would appear to be the strongest tool in opposition. This applies to the teaching of children and young adults in two separate guises: from standard or private educational bodies and personal examples set through the conduct of guardians. However, while the number of children enrolling in education is rising year by year, there are concerns as the rates of crime, poverty and teenage birth continue to display a rising trend.

The total number of children and adults enrolled in education was over 72 million in 2008, which was a significant increase in the figure of 69.5 million in 2000. These figures include individuals who sought and completed further educational and vocational courses, and who continued to learn and develop through their adult years. These statistics, when compared with the comparative levels of hardship and delinquent behaviour in certain areas, would suggest that education is not a relevant resource with which to improve society significantly.

The Ages of Child Enrolment

However, investigation of these numbers reveals some more relevant portents. While the number of children enrolled in schools and educational outlets has risen annually, the number of children per demographic age range has not. In some cases, there are groups of children where the numbers of school attendees have actually decreased from those reported in 2000. A secondary element is the ever increasing population of the US, which inevitably increases the number of youngsters and individual’s eligible for schooling year on year.

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The Links between Poverty and Crime

Of all the supposed consequences and effects of poverty, crime is one of the most discussed. It is a common perception that people who live beneath the poverty threshold and who are victims of economic hardship are more likely to commit crime, whether for financial game or otherwise. Although various US census statistics would corroborate this to some degree, it is still pertinent to investigate other factors in criminal behaviour such as the types of crime committed and how poverty influences an individual’s personal morality.

What research has shown is that high rates of crime are more prevalent in low income areas of the US, and therefore that states that are subject to the highest rates also populate beneath the poverty threshold. Crime, however, is a broad and diverse subject matter, and understanding the types of crime most common in these areas is crucial to establishing the role that poverty plays in delinquent and illegal conduct.

The Levels of Crime in Deprived Areas

It is important to remember that the US federal definition of poverty differs to its public perception. An individual or family who are beneath the poverty threshold are not necessarily struggling to exist, but are more likely to have their residual income stretched across daily and monthly expenditure. Therefore, someone who is technically living in poverty in the US may actually live a comfortable life, only without many of the contemporary luxuries and features in higher income households.

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Teenage Pregnancy and the Rise in Population

Given the continued explosion in population figures, there is much discussion concerning birth rates and fertility in the US. With so much conjecture and so many conflicting statistics, it is difficult to separate the facts from pure speculation and create a clear comprehension of the exact situation. The general public perception is that birth rates are rising steadily both in the US and worldwide, and also that teenage pregnancy is an increasing problem and affecting girls of a younger and more vulnerable age group.

While so of this is true, these theories do not portray the wider picture. The birth rate in the US rose from 4.3 million to just under 4.5 million between 2007 and 2008, which reflected the trend of an increasing population that has been prevalent since the early 1990’s. When investigated further and divided into specific demographic groups, it is certainly true that the rate of teenage pregnancies (among young girls aged between 15 and 19) has risen over the last 5 years. However, this is only a small faction of the overall narrative.

Understanding the Statistics

Though the rise has been small and yet significant since 2005, the number has not risen continuously since the late 1980’s. In fact, the rate of teenage pregnancies had been subject to a steady and consistent decline between 1990 and 2005, following a huge increase that had begun since the legalization of abortion in 1973. The statistics already betray many of the common worldwide perceptions concerning teenage pregnancy, and the presumed epidemic of promiscuity that had engulfed western culture.

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Where to Save Money in a Recovering Economy

As the US and other western nations continue their recovery from the global recession, more and more citizens and consumers are looking for ways to save money. This ethos is employed in all areas of existence, from day to day expenditure through to sporadic and luxury spending. However, the core emphasis for frugal living relies on saving through regular and necessary consumer spending, rather than reducing the amount sourced and spent on luxurious items and experiences. Statistics show that all forms of consumer spending have risen between 2000 and 2009, and also that the inflated expenditure far exceeds rises in average income and salary.

For those on a tighter budget, there are many ways to save money on food, drink and other household necessities. Although these processes often involve consumers having to spend more time to find discounts and devise money saving strategies, the end result can be seen at the end of each month. By reducing expenditure, a household can in effect begin to save money and capital for future times of need and hardship. If periods of recession teach society one thing, it should be that when experiencing economic growth and prosperity, each citizen has a duty to spend responsibly and save money for periods of financial regression.

Saving on Weekly Expenditure

The most effective avenue to saving money is on day to day expenditures. By saving money on groceries, drink and household bills, a consumer can create the biggest possible excess in their residual income. With regards to food and drink, many consumers find that shopping online helps to both reduce overall cost and also wastage of unused items. This is because customers are able to peruse a supermarkets website at their leisure and calculate the outgoings throughout the process and even at the checkout stage. This means that they are able to adjust their list as they go along and not only be aware of every cent that they spend, but also make sure that what they purchase is required and necessary.

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Understanding Poverty and its Characteristics

Poverty is an often misunderstood concept, and is perceived differently depending on the status of a nation and its people. In deprived areas of the world, poverty is seen as an extreme state of existence, where a community has steep population levels and not enough natural or economic resource to sustain them. This is also the wider view of poverty, as it is well documented through news bulletins and global charitable events and organizations.

However, it is less well known that poverty subsists in many affluent and renowned nations, only it harbors beneath a different and less extreme definition. In countries like the US, poverty is status is determined by contrasting annual income to a regulated dollar value, which are referred to as thresholds. These thresholds vary depending on the size of a family and average age of a household. An family unit whose income falls below this threshold are considered to be in poverty.

Increasing Poverty Throughout the US

The poverty threshold is refreshed annually to account for modifications in the cost of living and other economic variables. Between 2009 and 2010, the percentage of US citizens who had fallen beneath the poverty threshold was registered at 14.3, which was a 1.0 increase on the recorded figure from 2008. While this statistic is surprising in itself, the geographical split of poverty and where it is prevalent within the US is even more interesting, and highlights particular areas of concern.

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Can Extensive Research Really Benefit Society?

There is an ever increasing amount of capital invested in research every year throughout the US. The nature of this is variable, ranging from market research into consumer trends to scientific and medical research into remedies and vaccinations to treat and cure diseases. Some of this research is funded by governments through appointed grants, whereas others are sourced through private investment, and which types of investigative research qualify for grants depends entirely on their purpose and benefit to people and society. However, given the sums of public and private resource that are committed to such projects, it seems reasonable to question the effectiveness of such outlay.

It appear that there is no hope of doing perfect research, and this can be argued through two core principles. Firstly, certain types of research are reliant on human response and reaction when faced with an action or a set of questions, which of course are open to a completely unique interpretation from each subject. Secondly, and despite the global nature of research across an increasing range of media, we are still analyzing individual tests and results rather than opting to review a garnering of data from different sources to provide a more accurate set of findings. These facts compromise the conclusions drawn from all types of research projects, and draw sharply into focus their purpose and they way that they are conducted.

Human Reaction and Conditioning

Examples of this this can be seen through various projects conducted. Looking at the influence of the effects of media violence on society, the work of George Gerbner stands out from other protagonists. His seminal research through the USA not only inspired further testing but also suggested that heavy TV viewers had their perceptions of the world molded to suit the images presented by the media. He surmised that, due to the sensationalism of media reporting, society was left more anxious and fearful of their surroundings, a concept Gerbner labelled ‘Mean World Syndrome’.

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Are Religious Bodies Doing Faith a Disservice?

The concepts of faith and religion have undergone much scrutiny since the turn of the century. As individual religious bodies have developed splintered and extreme fractions, the core principles of various faiths have become increasingly unclear, creating conflict and dissention within and outside of certain independent belief systems. This has seen a steep rise in the increase of those who practice atheism and are agnostic within the US.

The last 9 years have witnessed the total number of citizens who practice atheism double from its 2001 figure. In terms of individuals who are agnostic, their number has more than doubled in the same length of time, as faith has been tested and numerous eminent voices have disputed the validity of religion as a whole and their values. The question is whether religious bodies and their teachings actually doing God and the concept of faith a disservice?

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The Celebrity Age and Reality Television

The word celebrity used to hold different meaning to the connotations affiliated to it now. Before the advent of reality television, celebrity was a consequence of public achievement, and represented a status that was earned through endeavours in film, television or literature. Actors who had starred in numerous feature films were defined by their career achievement, and celebrity was a following corollary of their deeds.

In today’s age, this has changed. Rather than celebrity being an effect of a person’s ability or career, it has become a direct aspiration to an entire generation. Youngsters growing up throughout the world no longer desire to be famous actors, writers or sportsmen, but instead yearn for fame and the perceived ideals of a celebrity status. People are now able to leap from anonymity to celebrity without anything tangible to bridge the cavernous chasm.

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Violent Crime and the Cultivation Theory

Of all the criminal activity that causes concern amongst society, it is undoubtedly violent crime that remains the most pertinent. The statistics for violent crime in the US have fluctuated over the previous 20 years, rising, falling and then rising again since the turn of the century. There were an estimated 1.8 million instances of violent crime reported in 1995, which reduced to 1.3 million in 2003. This approximate figure has risen again to more than 1.4 million in 2009, prompting concerns of a further increase and gradual decline of social conditions.

There have been several theories forwarded for increased violence amongst society’s members, some of which have been developed since an initial explosion of violent felonies in the 1960’s. The most forward thinking and relevant today is George Gerner’s renowned cultivation theory, which emerged from his experiments and research conducted over a 20 year period. His project involved looking at the effects of television and social media has on impressionable young minds, and their reaction and understanding of concepts such as politics, ideology and violence.

A Relevant and Innovative Study

The reason that Gerbner’s work remains so relevant is the focus from contemporary society on the frequency with which young children play video games. The development of games consoles and games with violent tendencies began to peak in the early 1990’s, coinciding with the sudden increase in instances of violent crime. Gerbner’s studies examined television and media outlets in how they influenced people’s thoughts and actions, and although violence and the effects of violence were a portion of his work, his findings were significant none the less.

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Can Stricter Laws Combat Declining Moral Standards?

With instances of fraud and violent crime remaining unacceptably high through 2009 and early 2010, there is an ever intensive focus on US laws and legislation to help resolve criminal behavioural trends. However, there is another factor which influences criminal acts and conduct, one which remains less defined and yet potentially more pertinent, and this is the concept of personal morality. Completely individual to each person, these nurtured principles govern an independent philosophy of living, and help determine which acts a conscience deems acceptable and righteous. With this in mind, it is fair to question the validity of strict and detailed law when confronted with an individual’s own standards of morality.

Acknowledging Morality as a Factor in Criminal Behaviour

If we consider their core definitions, laws and morals are essentially as one. Both are sets of principles that govern what actions are deemed to be acceptable and righteous, and act as a code by which we conduct our lives and daily affairs. However, whereas laws are set by government legislation to serve society as a single entity, morals are unique to each separate member of that society. They are conditional, influenced by nature, upbringing and most crucially the surrounding environment and circumstance that an individual finds themselves in at any given time. Morals are the most malleable to a subjects situation, and are therefore are often the primary principles by which conduct is orientated. This means that in order for laws to effectively govern a society, they must serve two specific purposes: firstly, to recognise the role of morality in certain criminal offences, and secondly to ensure that such actions are met with swift and consistent consequences.

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Consumer Debt and Responsible Spending

Statistics released by the Federal Reserve suggested that the level of consumer debt stabilized throughout 2009, amounting to an estimated sum of nearly $2.5 trillion. To help comprehend these figures, this amount equates a consumer of debt of just less than $8,100 for every single individual citizen in the US.

Despite showing signs of steadying, this level of consumer debt is still a sharp increase on the figures reported at the turn of the century. What is interesting is that despite the continuing growth in debt and financial burden, consumer spending continues to rise sharply and out of proportion to inflation.

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The Problems with Increasing Population

As the world population figure continues to climb towards the 7 billion mark, and the population of the US alone closes in 311 million, there are increasing concerns surrounding the capacity of the earth’s natural resources to sustain such growth. This, coupled with the continual decline of the environments health, is raising pertinent questions as to whether people and governments are losing control of the world as it is known.

It is common sense to suggest that where there are more people subsisting in a particular space, then there will be more pressure applied on the areas resources to fulfill the growing need. With this mind, it is clear that unless the separate concerns of spiraling population numbers and environmental issues are tackled soon, the quality of life in more and more pockets of the world will be affected swiftly and adversely.

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Living Alone: By Choice or Through Circumstance?

There is wide and varied debate concerning the modern trends in living and welfare, especially amongst the individual members of society that live by themselves. While many consider tales of increasing loneliness little more than an urban myth, there are various statistics that not only it as fact but also expose it an increasing phenomenon amongst many factions of the community.

Statistics released in 2010 show that the number of US citizens living by themselves has risen by nearly 50 percent of the total recorded in 1990. Over this 20 year period, the trend has been for a gradual increase across many age categories, although this rise has been most prominent amongst males and females aged between 45 and 64. With so many factors having the potential to influence these statistics, it has raised the issue of whether if living alone is a considered choice or a consequence of circumstance.

A Considered Choice or Consequence of Circumstance?

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How to Combat Unemployment in a Global Recession

Quarterly statistics for November 2010 showed that the unemployment number rose to 9.8 percent in the US. Although this figure has only risen by 0.2 percent on the last 2 quarters, the rate of citizens without a job has steadied at just beneath the 10 percent mark since the beginning of the global depression in late 2008, and subsequent job cuts through the first 6 months of 2009.

Although the unemployment rate and global economy are displaying signs of slow and steady growth, people are still finding it difficult to source and find employment. This is chiefly due to the fact that companies, cautious not to over commit their resources through a period of economic recovery, are looking to consolidate their numbers rather than grow and employ more staff.

Opportunity not Crisis

This situation has left more and more families financially stretched and looking for alternate ways to create revenue. In the months prior to Christmas, these concerns become even more pertinent as the balancing act between income and expenditure is an even more delicate activity. In these periods of financial pressure and hardship, where costs and inflation remained fixed while people’s income levels drop or diminish, the most positive course of action that an individual can adopt is to treat these issues as opportunities rather than moments of crisis.

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The Social Network and Modern Dating

Of all recorded cases of separation and divorce in 2009, there are a small but not insignificant number of relationship breakdowns that have cited Facebook and other social networking sites as contributing factors. Social networking sites are of course a contemporary phenomenon, allowing users to interact and interface with friends and family on a regular and daily basis and share their lives on a global platform.

In terms of dating, the sites themselves are used with increasing regularity as platforms to meet potential partners, for either fun or a long lasting union. This evolution of the social network has led to incidents of infidelity or inappropriate flirting between friends or individual who meet through the site, and this alone is a cause of conflict in relationships. The key issue is whether the social network encourages infidelity and detrimental behaviour to a relationship, or simply makes it more likely for this conduct to be seen and discovered.

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Relationship Perils During Christmas

For children, Christmas is an exciting and wondrous time. While this is true for many adults as well, Christmas can also be a stressful and financially testing time for those who have to accommodate its costs. The main issue associated with a modern Christmas is that while a family’s income remains the same, the levels of expenditure soar to incorporate the costs of presents, food and beverages.

It is little wonder then that US divorce solicitors note the immediate aftermath of Christmas as their busiest time. Whether the financial burden of the holiday period has proved a stress too far, or an individual has simply postponed separation until Christmas has been enjoyed by their children, a large number of divorce proceedings are set in motion at the turn of a new year.

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Ensuring a Swift and Amicable Divorce

Divorce is an inevitable consequence of modern life, as evidenced through the fact that approximately 4 out of 10 marriages end in the surroundings of a court room. While the process itself is distressing, it is nothing compared to the potential fall out that follows, and which often afflicts children and impressionable family members in addition to the couple themselves.

Whatever the reasons raised and cited in a divorce petition, the emotional pain and distress incurred through separation can breed bitter acrimony. It is a widely held theory that love and hate are close and uncomfortable neighbours, and the gradual transition from life partners to separate entities often traverses these boundaries. Where children are involved, they are impressionable and perceptive enough to absorb and take on board vast swathes of these negative feelings and emotions.

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Understanding Marriage as a Lifetime Commitment

Differences in relationship expectations and each individual’s aspirations in life are often a primary cause of divorce. While it may not be the cited as the main reason in a relationship breakdown, it is often the trigger for acts such as physical or emotional infidelity. This is because the realization within a couple that they are completely incompatible and without a single purpose can breed resentment and apathy between individual partners, and leave them seeking an outlet for love and affection.

In many ways, whatever conduct and behaviour is encountered during the decline of a relationship, a long term incompatibility is the most debilitating to a couples union. Where individuals that are joined in matrimony find themselves at odds over their future ambitions, there is often no compromise that can be made without leaving one or both of the individuals dissatisfied. This type of conflict is therefore the most difficult to resolve, as couples who cannot compromise with each other are unable to get their relationship back onto some form of common ground.

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Raising a Child with Grandparents

It is estimated that between 2.4 and 2.8 million parents shared a premises with their children’s grandparents throughout 2009. This number has continually increased during the duration of the last decade, where a large percentage of single parents or couples are taking the decision to sacrifice their independence and ultimately share the living and parenting burden with their relatives.

While there are several factors which either influence or force this decision, there is a potential that such dilution of parenting responsibility and accountability is detrimental to the behaviour of children. Whether a considered choice or consequence of circumstance, if the lines of communication and authority are blurred and merged between different factions, then a child may find themselves confused and ultimately betrayed by this ill defined example of parenthood.

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Communicating with Teenage Children

The rates of teenage pregnancy experienced their lowest numbers between 1991 and 2005, with the annual statistics declining annually through this period. The last 5 years have seen a reversal of this trend however, with an increase of nearly 5 percent in total between 2006 and 2009. This number is set rise still further through 2011, leaving more and more teenagers aged between 15 and 19 facing the realities of parenting.

This statistic is reflective of a decline in general behavioural trends amongst teenagers, both in the US and globally. Whether it is youngsters indulging in unprotected sex or experimenting with alcohol and drugs, there is a common theme of unruly and disruptive conduct creating an entire generation of vulnerable young adults. Though there are many reasons advanced for this decline in social standards, a significant proportion of the responsibility must sit with the parents.

Awareness and Parental Responsibility

Throughout the 14 years of declining teenage pregnancy rates, there were nationwide campaigns conducted to increase awareness for parents and teenagers alike. These campaigns have become less well directed and intense in the last 5 years, and it would be all too easy to presume that this alone is the single most significant factor in climbing teen pregnancy rates. However, there is a worrying lack of parental responsibility displayed across the US, with more emphasis placed instead on governments and teaching establishments to modify teenager’s attitudes and behaviour.

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How to Plan a Cost Effective Wedding

The number of couples who married between 2009 and 2010 saw a further decrease from previous years. For all the theories that are advanced towards the relevance of marriage in modern times, the reduced volume of wedding ceremonies is perhaps most influenced by the global economic downturn. With the cost of an average wedding estimated at $20,000, many couples deem it irresponsible to spend that sum of money on one single event in such precarious financial times.

With couples also unwilling to compromise on their specific wedding plans, they are left with the decision to whether to defer their wedding until a later date, or concoct creative solutions to reduce cost without losing quality. Their latter option requires much research, innovation and dedication, but through the application of such qualities it is possible to make a wedding day more affordable and appropriate to the times.

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Marrying for the Second or Third Time

There is an ever increasing focus on the divorce rates experienced throughout the US in contemporary society. Though the rates for first time marriages have steadied over the last year just beneath the 50 percent figure, the rates of divorce experienced amongst people who are marrying for the second or third time is recorded as substantially higher.

The figures are startling. From 50 percent, the rate of divorce leaps to 67 percent in the case of second marriages, and an incredible 74 percent where one or both of the partners are marrying for the third time. These statistics suggest that there are many potential issues that face couples which include a partner who has already been through the processes of divorce.

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The Sexual Revolution and Modern Dating

The concept of sexual freedom and liberty emerged from the carefree attitudes of the 1960’s, where many nations of the world finally emerged from the debris of the Second World War and their people began to enjoy their lives. This prevailing attitude was a consequence of liberation and civil rights movements in many areas of society, with innovations in culture, pop music and politics all lending themselves to a more forgiving, tolerant and experimental weave of communities.

What is strange however, is that while the general attitudes to sex and sexual freedom have remained relaxed and liberal in western civilisation, there are more and more couples who are experiencing relationship threatening issues with this aspect of their lives. This is can be seen through the disproportionate number of divorces that are caused by infidelity and the acts of sexual promiscuity. With an estimated total of 17 percent of all divorces citing these reasons as the primary influence in instigating proceedings, there are questions as to why couples cannot find sexual satisfaction in such liberal and well informed times.

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Resolving Conflict with In-laws

Aside from the core factors that have traditionally sounded the death knell for relationships (such as infidelity and unreasonable or violent behaviour from one partner to the other), other issues are becoming pertinent in disrupting marital harmony.

An increasing percentage of the divorce rate number is made up of couples who have cited issues with in-laws as the primary cause of the separation. Of these, conflict between the wife and her mother in-law is the most prominent, with a minimal number of cases even including instances of violence. Another common problem of this type is conflict between a partner and their brothers or sisters in-law, typically concerning jealously and the disruption of previously close sibling relationships.

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Domestic Violence in Teen Relationships

However, a more troubling aspect of this behaviour is the growing trend for domestic violence that occurs between teenage couples. There has, through the formative years of the twenty first century, been a sharp increase in the reports of violence in teenage relationships, with a 1 in 5 teens aged between 13 and 14 claiming to have physically assaulted by their partner. With the same ratio of teenagers also citing instances of emotional abuse between the ages of 13 and 17, there is an intensifying focus on the reasons that may be behind this sudden degeneration of teen relationship behaviour.

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The Relevance of Marriage in Modern Times

Since 2006, it has been reported that an increasing number of US couples have cohabited together despite being unmarried. The estimated number of unmarried couples who share lodgings has fluctuated between 5 and 6.4 million in the last 4 years, but regardless of the exact quantities the trend is leaning towards an average increase year on year.

These statistics and the ever publicised ascent of the divorce rate (which most experts suggest is currently estimated at between 45 and 51 percent) have drawn sharply into focus the relevance of marriage in the modern era. There are various factors which deter couples from marriage and matrimony, from financial concerns to the more fundamental issue of social trends and they way that marriage is perceived by the younger generation.

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Surviving Infidelity in a Relationship

Infidelity is the single biggest contributor towards divorce throughout the world, and stands as a serious issue across a diversity of cultures. In the US in particular, 2009 statistics revealed that 51 percent of divorce petitions cited infidelity as their primary cause, with 41 percent of these involving cases where both partners have committed the acts of adultery. As these figures show, once a relationship has endured such betrayal it is particularly difficult to recover from, and although not impossible such rehabilitation requires commitment, communication and a determination to discover the initial cause of such activity.

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Finance as a Contributor to Divorce

It is a much proffered notion that financial issues and reduced cash flow are the single biggest contributors towards separation and divorce. While it is true that these factors create pressure and tension within a relationship, statistics actually suggest that divorce rates are lowered during times of economic and financial crisis.

Though this is in part due to the fact that the presence of debt makes separation a far more complex and costly process, it is also because times of difficulty and financial hardship often draw couples closer together. Even where money and finance is a contributory factor to the decline of a relationship, it is generally cited as a secondary cause or a potential catalyst to other more pertinent divorce factors. The real unknown factor is exactly how much financial pressure and uncertainly can factor in other problems that generally render relationships moribund.

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How to Achieve Happiness Through Online Dating

Statistics released for 2009-2010 suggest that in excess of 50 percent of people who try online dating are looking for a serious relationship, but also that as little as 33 percent actually form a lasting friendship or love connection. This means that there are a large number of daters who either cannot find a compatible match or have the expectations dashed when coupled with an assumed suitable partner.

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When is the Right Time to Have a Baby?

Statistics have shown that since 2002 the pregnancy rates amongst women aged between 18 and 35 have risen steadily, both amongst married and unmarried subjects. In terms of the increasing rate of pregnancies involving married women, this trend has continued despite the consistently high divorce rates prevalent in the US through the current century. If these trends continue as they are, then is a chance that the number of children who grow up with a single parental influence in their life will continue to grow over time.

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Affordable Gift Ideas for Loved Ones

It is estimated that almost 4 million US citizens incurred debt through their Christmas spending in 2009, as price inflation did not fall in line with the economic downturn. This has led many to turn to innovative and cost-effective ways to source gifts for friends, family and loved ones without losing the magic and warmth of the gift exchange experience. Fortunately, there are an ever increasing number of ways in which affordable gifts can be purchased, especially in the instance of a man buying for his wife or partner

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Surviving the First Year of Marriage

With an estimated four in ten US marriages now ending with divorce, the stability of marital harmony has never been more precarious. From these figures, it has also emerged that approximately 43% of marriages do not last beyond 15 years, and further examination of this statistic makes interesting reading. Of the marriages that do end in divorce with these 15 years, many suffer problems and disruptions to their relationships through the very first year of their existence.

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Popular Honeymoons and Honeymoon Destinations

A honeymoon is different to any other type of vacation experience, as it is suggested that US citizens spend on average three times more on their honeymoon as on a standard trip. This is understandable given the sense of relaxation and celebration prevalent on honeymoon vacations, and is also influenced by the destinations that honeymooners chose to visit. This article discusses the best honeymoon vacation destinations.

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Current Divorce Rates and the Rise of Online Dating

This article tackles the steep rate so of divorce in the US and the potential for it to rise further by 2025. It explores the possible causes, such as virtal dating and the online age and quest for instant gratification and fulfillment. With a look towards the future, the piece also looks at whether this scenario is likely to change over generations.

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