Sociological Explanation of Divorce by Meta-Analysis of Related Studies

Divorce is one of the most important social ills in society that has devastating and profound consequences in the short, medium and long term; It leaves a mark on the individual, the family and the community. Based on this, in the framework of meta-analysis of the country's priority injuries, this study has explored and summarized the factors affecting the damage of divorce based on the findings of research conducted in the last decade in Iran.Accordingly, in accordance with the nature of meta-analysis, after refining the identified studies during the years 2011 to 2018, finally, 36 studies were eligible for meta-analysis. Statistical findings of selected studies were analyzed using CMA2 software. The findings of the meta-analysis show that cultural and religious differences are directly related to the tendency to divorce. The average effect size in this hypothesis was 0.321. Also, the level of education with an average effect size of 0.317 has shown a direct effect on the tendency to divorce. In contrast, religiosity with an average effect size of -0.220 and the presence (number) of children with an average effect size of -0.352 have shown an inverse effect on the tendency to divorce. However, economic problems or variables have not shown any significant direct relationship with the tendency to divorce. The economic situation of the lower classes of society is a deterrent to divorce. As a result, economic problems in this group will increase the tendency to divorce. In contrast, in the upper classes of society, the better the economic situation, the higher the tendency to divorce. Therefore, it can be said that in upper and middle classes, the main issue, economics and livelihood, but cultural factors associated with developments in the values ​​and attitudes of society, including in the field of marriage, prioritization of the family and having a negative impression of divorce.