“In Western cultures, more than 90% of people get married by the age of 50. Studies show that healthy marriages are good for couples' mental and physical health” (“Marriage and Divorce,” 2014). For children, growing up in happy homes helps their mental, physical, educational, and social well-being. Unfortunately, about 50% of married couples in the United States divorce. The rate is even higher for subsequent marriages (“Marriage and Divorce,” 2014). in divorce due to the extent of perception of why the divorce occurs (Amato and Previti, (2003). The structural issues perspective would include gender, social class and external pressures. Individual influences can be attributed to infidelity, drug and alcohol use, along with physical and emotional abuse. While individuals in a marriage can grow and find new interests in their lives, it is up to each couple to reevaluate and mature as a team to find a mutual approach to growing old together and escape al divorce. The difference between structural and individual phenomena in divorce can be attributed to external influences or internal influences. Do we look at what others think we should do or what we think is right? Do people of my socioeconomic class marry and stay married or divorce and remarry frequently Has the definition of marriage and its functions always been universally understood by society as a permanent union between individuals for the purpose of producing children and socializing? and family formation. These social guidelines about who could attend the wedding have always been determined by who could perform these functions. Therefore, society... the center of the card... der, social class, life course and adaptation. Pennsylvania State University. Retrieved from http://www2.psychology.uiowa.edu/faculty/harvey/People's%20Reasons%20for%20Divorcing.pdfHarper, M. (2010). The relationship between individualistic attitudes and attitudes toward traditional marriage in contemporary American society. Thesis on social service. Document 51. Retrieved from http://digitalcommons.providence.edu/socialwrk_students/51Marriage and divorces. (2014). American Psychological Association. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/topics/divorce/McBride, J. (2011). Deciding to divorce using social exchange theory. Examiner.com. Retrieved from http://www.examiner.com/article/deciding-to-divorce-using-social-exchange-theorySouth, S. J. & Spitze, G. (1986). Determinants of divorce over the course of married life. American Sociological Review, 51(4), 583-590.