![]() ![]() The provinces with the largest shares of the population aged 15 and over that were married in 2011 were Newfoundland and Labrador (52.9%), Prince Edward Island (51.7%), Ontario (50.3%) and Alberta (50.2%). 4 In contrast, thirty years earlier, in 1981, 60.9% of the population aged 15 and over was married, while 39.1% was unmarried. In 2011, 46.4% of the population aged 15 and over was legally married, while 53.6% was unmarried-that is, never married, divorced or separated, or widowed-a widening of the gap first observed among the total population in 2001. Legal marital status refers to the marital status of the person under the law (e.g., never married, married, divorced or separated, or widowed). In addition, data from the Canadian Vital Statistics Database on marriage and divorce are also analysed, with an emphasis on recent trends. ![]() ![]() Data on marital and conjugal status come primarily from the 2011 Census of Population, 1 with comparisons to historical data where appropriate, particularly 1981. At its worst, breaking the custom of arranged marriage can mean being disowned by one’s family.This article analyses patterns related to marital status and nuptiality in Canada. Youth who attend American schools and are immersed in Western culture still can experience extreme pressure from older relatives to marry someone from back home of the same religion and caste. These traditions and values span social class: The high level of educational and professional achievement in Indian immigrant populations can disguise how deeply traditional they are in their personal lives. More than 87 percent of Indian Americans are foreign-born, and ties to relatives and communities back home mean customs like arranged marriage and the shame of divorce continue to be enforced across oceans and through generations. Though it’s not clear exactly how many such unions exist in the United States, we know that South Asians are part of the fastest-growing racial group here, and about 70 percent of Indian marriages are arranged. The divorce stigma often is most severe in cases of arranged marriage. In some communities, what’s needed is more divorce, not less. So while many are cheering about the falling divorce rates in the United States, this isn’t good news for all. If their families oppose the divorce, they may be left with no place to go and no means of supporting themselves and their children. The divorce taboo has particularly severe consequences for women who have no financial resources of their own. In conservative families, a divorced woman is often viewed as pariah or harbinger of bad luck. Sometimes, they stop receiving invitations to family functions, and when they do attend, they’re made a target of relatives’ shaming. Divorcees often are isolated from their families, an object of mingled pity and disdain. While parents and siblings might show sympathy over an unhappy marriage, divorce is often considered beyond the pale. Husbands and wives are forced by social pressure originating 8,000 miles away to stay in emotionally unhealthy and abusive relationships. Chitra’s story, and the emotional suffering of other South Asian men and women whom I help as a counselor, show why those numbers are so concerning. ![]()
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