The Theory Of Differential Association Essay - 1501 Words

Introduction Why do criminals commit crime? How to we learn to commit crime? These questions can be answered using social learning theory. Social learning approach is the assumption that all human behavior is socially learned (Thompson, Bynum 2013 115). The theory of differential association was developed by Edwin Sutherland to try and explain the development of criminal behavior. Essentially what this theory says is that deviant group behavior results from normative conflict. Normative conflict arises when multiple probable rules exist, specifying how one ought to behave in a given situation. Conflicts among norms affect deviant people of a variety of social groups. An individual is part of many social groups including friends, family, and school. Every group has its own set of social norms. Sometimes the norms between these groups can conflict with each other resulting in the possibility of deviant behavior Delinquency is a learned behavior and is learned in the same way we learn everything else. It is learning through social interactions with others in your close personal groups. When the groups that you are a part of participate in delinquent behavior that individual is more likely to learn and engage in that delinquent behavior. Not only are you learning how to be delinquent or the techniques that go along with this deviant behavior, one also learns the motivation behind this behavior. When you learn and identify with these motivations you re a lot more likely toShow MoreRelatedDifferential Association Theory1790 Words   |  8 PagesThe famous criminologist Edwin Sutherland developed Differential Association Theory in 1939. He felt that criminal behavior is behavior, learned, and is learned in face-to-face interactions with others. Differential association, which operates on the individual level, is where behavior is learned through interaction with others. Through this interaction an individual will learn the techniques and skills necessary to commit crime as well as the motives, rationalization, and attitudes necessary forRead MoreThe Theory Of The Differential Association Theory2539 Words   |  11 PagesVarious criminological theories have been constructed attempting to determine factors that contribute to how individuals begin to engage in deviant behavior. The Differential Association Theory established in 1947 by Edwin Sutherland, an American Criminologist, evaluates how delinquent behavior is learned through social interaction as well as learning from the legal definitions of laws and crimes. For example, an individual learning definitions that are favorable to breaking the law from peers orRead MoreDefinition Of Differential Association Theory917 Words   |  4 PagesDifferential Association In Edwin Sutherland theory has been around for over 30 years which is one of the most popular theories that there is in criminal behaviors. The differential association theory is considered to be one of the most and best formulation of theory of criminality, holds, in essence, that criminality in learned interactions from others through a way of communication (Cressey, 1954). Sutherland he explains how individual behaviors are learned behaviors and that people are notRead MoreDifferential Association Theory Essay1671 Words   |  7 PagesThis essay will discuss three theories, the differential association theory, the labelling theory and the rationale choice theory. The theories will discussed and how they can explain crime will also be discussed, and then a comparison of the theories will be given in order to identify their strengths and weaknesses in explaining youth crime. Theories within criminology try to explain why and how crime occurs. This is done through examining variou s facts that are related to the individual s criminalRead MoreSutherlands Differential Association Theory1430 Words   |  6 PagesSutherland’s Differential Association Theory Ryan Herron Dr. Patrick Parnaby SOC 2070 9 November 2017  There are many theories used by Sociologists to explain deviance. One such theory is differential association theory, proposed by Edwin Sutherland. There are many strengths and weaknesses of differential association that will be laid out in this paper after differential association theory is fully explained. When discussed, it becomes apparent that differential association theory has many strengthsRead MoreDifferential Association Theory Essay1292 Words   |  6 PagesThe Differential Association Theory, established by Edwin Sutherland in 1947, explicit the deviance of an individuals behavior and how it is learned through interaction with others or associations. There are several components that play a role in this theory that determines the main causes of delinquency. One of the components of this theory is, a person do not inherently become a criminal, it is a learned behavior. A person cannot decide one day he wants to commit a crime if he is not influenceRead MoreDifferential Association Theory Essay1739 Words   |  7 Pagescriminological theory and bullying to help explain the behavior of those individuals who participate in bullying. Differential Association Theory was introduced in 1939 by Edwin H. Sutherland and aimed at explaining how and why certain individuals commit deviant (criminal) acts. Additionally, Differential Association theory, believes that the behaviors of an individual are influenced and shaped by others they associate with. To support this assertion, I will provide a description of Differential AssociationRead MoreThe Association Between Differential Association Theory and Burglary1358 Words   |  6 Pagesan explanation into how differential association theory explains burglary. The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) considers burglary a Type 1 Index Crime because of its potentially violent nature. The FBI breaks burglary down into three sub-classifications. This paper discusses the elements of the crime of burglary and what constitutes a structure or dwelling. It will discuss a brief history of the deviance, trends, rates, and how it correlates to the specific theory that this paper will alsoRead MoreThe Strengths Of Labelling Theory And Differential Association Theory1703 Words   |  7 PagesLabelling Theory can explain the factor of low socioeconomic status while Differential Association Theory can explain how the factor of family as reasons why some youth join gangs. This paper compares the relative strengths and weaknesses of Differential Association theory and Labelling theory and I argue that Labelling Theory offers the most compelling theoretical perspective to help account for how these factors influence youth to join gangs. I also argue that unlike the other two theories, a MarxistRead MoreDifferential Association and Social Bonding Theory1852 Words   |  8 PagesDifferential Association and Social Bonding Theory Introduction The purpose of the following study is determine what, if any, the components of social bonding theory and differential association play on the lives of college students. This study is composed of three hypotheses: A) If the amount of commitment to the college goes up will deviance go down?; B) If involvement with the college is increased then does deviance go down?; and C) If a student associates, or attaches, themselves to deviant

Susan Glaspell s A Jury Of Her Peers - 1408 Words

Growing up in Iowa in the 1800s and 1900s, Susan Glaspell took inspiration for many of her stories from personal experiences. As a former courthouse reporter herself, Glaspell’s short story â€Å"A Jury of Her Peers† is based largely on her involvement with a murder case and a kitchen she recalled investigating. â€Å"A Jury of Her Peers,† a rendition of her early play, Trifles, focuses on the homicide of an abusive husband by his wife. While the men investigating the case overlook the various signs of abuse, their wives work together to defend the widow. During this time period, sexism was a widely spread concept. Glaspell was a strong willed advocate of women’s rights, and promoted feminism throughout her life, oftentimes featuring this concept in†¦show more content†¦She writes, â€Å"The men, all representatives of the Law (the sheriff, the prosecutor, and a witness), are oriented to a mechanistic view of legal propriety: they react to an act ion and look for the evidence to justify the retribution they wish to enact† (Bendel-Sismo 1). She then compares the beliefs of the men to women, whose views shift as they learn more about the murder and the reasons behind the widow’s actions. â€Å"Unlike the men, the women conclude that a different crime has been committed, and that the crime the men perceive is, in fact, justice being enacted. While the men see John Wright s death as the point of departure for their investigation, the women see his death as closure; not the beginning, but the end, and as such their role is to protect Minnie Foster† (Bendel-Sismo 1). While the men in Glaspell’s story are quick to search for ways to convict Mrs. Wright, often overlooking details, their wives dig deeper to learn about the real reason behind her husband’s death. â€Å"‘Nothing here but kitchen things,’ he said, with a little laugh for the insignificance of kitchen things† (Glaspel l 6). The critic concludes that the motives of the men and women while investigating the murder are a result of psychological differences differences of genders during this time period. She sums up her statement by saying, â€Å"While the women can seek Justice for other women, the men in charge of the case--by their very nature as men--can seek Justice only for men (their peers),Show MoreRelatedSusan Glaspell s A Jury Of Her Peers1174 Words   |  5 Pages A Jury of Her Peers is a short story written by Susan Glaspell in 1917 and follows the investigation of the murder of John Wright, with his wife Minnie Wright being the alleged murderer. Martha and Lewis Hale assist Sheriff Peters and his wife, Mrs. Peters, with investigating the scene of the crime. Throughout the story, women notice significance in their findings, of which the men overlook. The men have a dismissive attitude towards the women, ignoring their contributions. When the women solveRead MoreSusan Glaspell s A Jury Of Her Peers995 Words   |  4 Pagesprominent theme in the 1900’s, during a time when women were often treated as second class citizens to men. Susan Glaspell wrote the play â€Å"Trifles,† in 1916, which portrayed how women’s lives were seen as less significant throughout American society. The following year, Glaspell wrote the short story â€Å"A Jury of Her Peers,† which was essentially a longer and more detailed version of â€Å"Trifles.† The stories are alike in many societal implications, since â€Å"A Jury of Her Peers† was based off of â€Å"TriflesRead MoreSusan Glaspell s A Jury Of Her Peers Essay982 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"A Jury of Her Peers† by Susan Glaspell is now known as a feminist classic. Susan Glaspell first published the play â€Å"Trifles† in 1916 and was adapted to the short story â€Å"A Jury of Her Peers† in 1917. The story was rediscovered in the early 1970s, since then it has been reprin ted into textbooks and anthologies. It is said that while Glaspell was working as a reporter she was inspired to write â€Å"Trifles† and â€Å"A Jury of Her Peers.† The stories are inspired by a real murder case she was covering. TheRead MoreSusan Glaspell s A Jury Of Her Peers999 Words   |  4 PagesFrom beginning to end, Susan Glaspell’s 1917 short story â€Å"A Jury of Her Peers,† has several repetitive patterns and symbols that help the reader gain a profound understanding of how hard life is for women at the turn-of-the-century, as well as the bonds women share. In the story two women go with their husbands and county attorney to a remote house where Mr. Wright has been killed in his bed with a rope and he suspect is Minnie, his wife. Early in the story, Mrs. Hale sympathizes with Minnie andRead MoreSusan Glaspell s Jury Of Her Peers1841 Words   |  8 PagesName: ZaZa Horton Professor: Leblanc Course: Anicent Woman in Greece 20 April 2015 Susan Glaspell’s â€Å"Jury of Her Peers† â€Å"Jury of Her Peers† is a short story that revolves around the strange death of john wright. It is a piece of work that exposes sexism on women. Women have been categorized for some time now based on their gender and not on ability and skills. They have always fell at the short end of the stick when compare against men. Nevertheless, there were many similarities as well asRead MoreSusan Glaspell s A Jury Of Her Peers878 Words   |  4 Pages In â€Å"A Jury of Her Peers,† Susan Glaspell crafts an intricate portrayal of these differences, but also provides a closer look at interpersonal relationships in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as well as how one’s atmosphere may affect the mind. Glaspell’s commentary is clear regarding the standing of men and women of the time, with the male characters being in positions of duty and respect, and the female characters being in positions of maintenance. These choices made by Glaspell allow theRead MoreSusan Glaspell s A Jury Of Her Peers Essay1164 Words   |  5 PagesSusan Glaspell was a prolific author, playwright, journalist and novelist in the early 1900s. Early in her career as a reporter she wrote many articles including the newspaper coverage of a murder trial known as the Hossack Case when she worked for The Des Moines Daily News in Des Moines, Iowa. This murder trial was a much publicized event in which a woman, Margaret Hossack, was accused of murdering her prosperous husband on the couple’s farm in Des Moines. In these newspaper articles dated fromRead MoreSusan Glaspell s A Jury Of Her Peers Essay1789 Words   |  8 Pagesdefined as the treatment of someone or something with due fairness, but the fa irness of a situation is often seen differently, depending upon the viewer. In Susan Glaspell’s, A Jury of Her Peers, the idea of who is capable to fairly judge a person, and therefore serve justice, is examined through the arrest of Mrs. Minnie Wright for the murder of her husband. As the sheriff and others go to the Wrights’ house, the suggestion is made that those empowered by law to cast judgement and those with an understandingRead MoreSusan Glaspell s `` The Yellow Wallpaper `` And A Jury Of Her Peers ``2004 Words   |  9 Pagesof mankind. Women, in particular, fight for fairness even in today’s society. This everlasting battle can be seen in both â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† by Charlotte Perkins Gilman and â€Å"A Jury of Her Peers† by Susan Glaspell. Gilman’s story revolves around a woman who has postpartum depression. Her husband, who is also her physician, uses isolation to try and heal his wife’s â€Å"nervous disea se.† Glaspell’s story, on the other hand, describes the murder of a man, with his wife being the prime suspect. Read MoreSusan Glaspell s Trifles And A Jury Of Her Peers984 Words   |  4 PagesAlthough â€Å"A Jury of Her Peers† and â€Å"Trifles† are similar in plot, Mustazza’s article, â€Å"Generic Translation and Thematic Shift in Susan Glaspell’s ‘Trifles’ and ‘A Jury of Her Peers’† highlights the differences and similarities between the two. Mustazza’s article may help aid readers to understand the differences between Glaspell’s two works and provide understanding as to why Glaspell may have changed the genre and form of the plot. â€Å"Trifles† is a dramatic play whereas â€Å"A Jury of Her Peers† is prose

Subculture/Counterculture of Raves free essay sample

What does one think of the word rave? Does ranting and raving come to mind as a way of communication or does flashing lights, dance music, and the use of drugs come to mind? If the youth of society were to be asked this question, every single of one of them would refer the word rave as a party filled with dance music and ecstasy. This youth movement has evolved into an electronic music subculture known as rave (Morris 1).A subculture is a separate world within the larger dominant culture that has the same values of he dominant culture but is different enough to be classified as a subculture (Heinlein 46). The rave subculture can be also be classified as a counterculture, defined as a subculture with values and norms counter acting the values and norms of dominant society (Heinlein 47). Rave culture can be classified as a counterculture where the youth involved partake in multiple acts of deviance and violate the social norms. We will write a custom essay sample on Subculture/Counterculture of Raves or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Deviance is the term used to refer to any violation of a norm in society (Heinlein 134).Raves are deviant in multiple ways because they violate many arms in society. Raves violate norms to such an extent that crimes are being committed. Crimes are such extreme acts of deviance that they are written and made into laws by society (Heinlein 134). Many of these laws are broken at raves. The crime most commonly committed and associated with raves is drug use. Among all illegal drugs, ecstasy use is the most prevalent at electric dance music concerts, otherwise known as raves. Ecstasy is the common name for the illegal substance known as MADAM. MADAM is a methamphetamine that gets one going and feeling good.Ecstasy is often offered to as a feel good drug because it gives you a heightened perception of sensation due to high amounts of serotonin that MADAM causes the release of (Hess). Other effects of ecstasy include elevated mood, calmness, sense of well-being, congeniality, compassion, and heightened sense of sexual pleasure (Hess). Ecstasy also suppresses the need to sleep or eat; one can stay up for multiple days without eating when on ecstasy (Hess). Jason Attackable, the author of Rave new world, stated that, every youth will tell you its about the music.But really, ecstasy is what makes a rave a rave (1 The music is a very important part of the rave, it is what the crowd thrives on and what keeps the party going; but in reality, the culture is so embedded with drugs like ecstasy that without these drugs, electronic dance music would not be popular among the youth. Ecstasy is essential to a rave just as much as LSI was essential to the hippie culture of the sixties (Attackable 1 The youth take ecstasy when going to raves just as hippies took LSI when going to music festivals.Ecstasy use is extremely prevalent among raves and it is what the raves thrive on. Ecstasy is the most frequent drug used at raves. According to a study done in Baltimore regarding the prevalence of ecstasy use among a sample of rave goers, 89 percent admitted to lifetime ecstasy use (Doodles 1). Out of the sample of rave attendees, twenty percent tested po sitive for ecstasy, meaning they took the drug with in the last forty-eight hours (Doodles 1). This study concluded that rave attendees are at high risk for ecstasy use and are more likely to abuse multiple drugs, not jus ecstasy (Doodles 2).The increase use of ecstasy among the youth has sparked the attention of health officials and policy makers (Doodles 1). Such attention has been sparked regarding the rave phenomenon that the U. S. Has taken a new approach to its war on drugs it has declared a war on raves'(Jordan 99). The government is well aware of the rave counterculture and they are well aware of the prevalence of ecstasy in the scene. Government believes that the deviance a rave causes to be great enough to write it in law and make such operations illegal. For the first time the government will be applying the Federal Crack House Statue to raves.They will arrest and criminally prosecute rave promoters and mangers or ultimately making raves readily available for the use of ecstasy (Garden 99). Rave promoters and managers are also at blame for making the rave environment suitable for ecstasy users by selling things like pacifiers, light sticks, and Vicki vapor rub (Graded 99). Ecstasy users use these types of things to enhance their high throughout the night. Rave promoters are well aware that pacifiers signify ecstasy use at a rave and these promoters are going to be the ones at fault for providing a space knowing ecstasy use will occur. The rave culture is the product of ecstasy.The reasoning behind all the norms of this counterculture is ecstasy. Even if some rave goers are not using ecstasy, the environment at a rave that results from ecstasy use can be jus as much considered deviant as actually taking ecstasy (Attackable 1). Although ecstasy produces a congenial and compassionate state of mind, it also causes a a heightened sense of sexual pleasure (Hess). Therefore, the user might be willing to get intimate with anyone, girl or guy. According to society, having sexual intercourse with out love is considered deviant and it is considered even more deviant to partake in same sex intercourse.Ata rave many delinquents can be seen partaking in sexual acts on the dance floor, in the bathrooms, or even in corners. Another act of deviance that can be witnessed at a rave is nudity. Because of the heightened sexual awareness and the rise in body temperature as a result of ecstasy, it has become the norm at raves to wear little or close to nothing (Hess). Girls are commonly seen wearing just undergarments such as bras, thongs, and hosiery. Some girls go to the extreme and wear just pasties that solely cover their nipples ND on occasion women will be completely topless.If a female was dressed like this outside of a rave, she would be breaking societal norms and may even be committing a crime. Taking illegal drugs, having sex, and walking around naked are all part of the rave culture. Taking ecstasy is a completely normal thing to do as a part of the rave subculture but society deems it as deviant and criminal act. This is why the rave subculture is considered a counterculture; the rave cultures norms counter act a lot of society norms. It is not normal to be engaging in sexual activities with the same sex, but to raves, girls kissing girls is completely normal. Society does not approve of women walking around only in undergarments, but to raves it is expected and completely normal. Raves tend to last well into the night if not all night. Many rave goers take ecstasy in order to stay up all night and party. Some raves and music festivals last multiple days and its the ecstasy that keeps the party goers going and partying for days on end (Hess). Partying for days straight without sleep is not a normal way of functioning in society and therefore it is an act of evince. The people of the rave subculture commonly partake in rituals that would never been Seen outside a rave.Subcultures that are focused around one activity, like the rave subculture is centered around raves, usually develops special ways to communicate (Heinlein 46). The rave subculture has special rituals and symbols that outsiders would not understand. One of these includes trading beaded bracelets that they have made known as candy. In order to exchange this peace of candy with another person there is a ritual that must be completed. It starts off with making a heart with the other arsons hand and ends with a hug once the candy/ bracelet has been traded.An outsider would never understand that trading this bracelet in such fashion represents peace love unity and respect. Peace, love, unity and respect make up the acronym BLUR and is a very big part to the rave subculture. BLUR is another symbol that an outsider to the rave community would never understand. Another ritual part of the rave subculture is light shows. A light show is when one person spins sociologist or LED lights in such fashion to create drippy looking light trails viewable to a person on ecstasy.Since ones senses are heightened on ecstasy, these light shows are greatly intensified to those using. Light shows are extremely popular at raves and kids can be seen everywhere giving or receiving such light shows. Other less deviant rituals thats have came from the rave subculture is forms of dance. Go-go dancing is extremely popular at raves; go-go dancers usually perform on stage with little clothing for added entertainment. Shuffling is also a common form of dance seen at raves and has become popular due to electronic dance music. Other dance forms like liquidation and touting having also risen from the rave subculture. These forms of dance all came from the rave culture but can be seen as popular in society today. The general gist of a rave is seen as deviant because of the sex, drugs, and all night partying. Society frowns upon the rave goers mostly because of the ecstasy use that is associated so well with raves. Raves are so embedded with drugs like ecstasy that the government has taken notice and is now implementing laws. Laws are being put into place at raves because raves themselves are acts of deviance.Since the rave subculture partakes in many Viviane acts such as using drugs and being nude, their culture is considered a counter culture because their norms counter act the norms of society.

Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Essay Example

Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Essay Mary Shelleys Frankenstein is a story about a man called Victor Frankenstein who makes a monster out of other peoples body parts. It was written in 1816 and published in 1818. This story came to be written because Mary and her associates had a challenge to see who could write the best gothic horror story. Gothic horror was popular in that time because of all the bloodshed in the French revolution which made people want to see blood, violence and torture. Many gothic horrors had people rising from the dead because a man named Luigi made a dead frog jerk using electricity and there where many other reasons. Mary Shelleys acquaintances didnt take this seriously but that night Mary had a dream in which the story came to her. All the deaths in Marys life influenced the story a little. By closely examining the novel I will investigate how Mary Shelley makes us, the reader, sympathise with the monster. In doing so I will look at themes, language and the characters. When Victor Frankenstein creates his monster all he sees in it is resentment and revulsion, Victor abuses the monster and this must make it feel even worse. Abhorred monster! Fiend thou art!Wretched devil! says Victor as he meets the monster on the mountain. The monster says to Victor I am your Adam but Victor describes the monster as been work of the devil. Mary Shelley repeatedly shows us how Victor turns his back on the monster, for example, in this quote, Begone! I will not hear you. There can not be any community between you and me; we are enemies. You can tell that Victor is turning his back on the monster, even though its his own creation because he calls it Abhorred monster! Fiend thou art! The tortures of hell are too mild a vengeance for thy crimes. Wretched devil! This makes us feel sorry for the monster because all the monster wants is to be friends and be loved by victor but victor hates his own creation. We will write a custom essay sample on Mary Shelleys Frankenstein specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Mary Shelleys Frankenstein specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Mary Shelleys Frankenstein specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The monster is often seen in a sympathetic light. For example in this quote Be calm! Intreat you to hear me before you give vent to your hatred on my devoted head. Have I not suffered enough that you seek to increase my misery?, the monster. is human in a way. Even, though he is made out of different materials, he still has feelings like a normal human being and he is calm and intelligent not the fiend Victor has described him to be. In their conversation on the sea of ice, we see Victor behaving like a monster verbally abusing the creature, where as, Frankenstein is more civil, hes telling Victor to calm down. If Mary Shelley portrayed Victor more like a calm gentle person, we would probably feel more sympathetic towards him but instead, in my opinion; Victor is a very cruel man which makes me feel sympathy for the monster. Quotes such as Farewell! I leave you, and in you the last of human kind, these eyes will ever behold, farewell, Frankenstein! If thou wert yet alive. And But soon he cried with sad and solemn enthusiasm, I shall die, and what I now feel be no longer felt, soon these burning miseries will be extinct. Make us, the reader; see the monster in a better light. We feel sympathy for him and wish that Victor treated him different. I believe Mary Shelley has done this deliberately because at first people see Frankenstein as a bad person so they try to kill him, but now, when he is about to kill himself we see how sad he is. Mary Shelley uses a metaphor of Adam and Eve to develop our sympathy towards the monster, she has the monster say to Victor Remember that I am thy creature; I ought to be they Adam, but I am rather the fallen angel, whom thou drivest from joy for no misdeed. Here the monster is trying to say why is Victor treating me like this, he is the one who created me, but now wants nothing to do with me, Im just a thrown away experiment. Mary Shelley wants us to think that the creature wants to belong to a family. This is a powerful image because the monster wants brothers and sisters and parents, he just wants to be loved, and if he doesnt have love the reader can tell that he needs to be loved and they show a lot of sympathy towards Frankenstein. In conclusion, the readers sympathise for the monster Frankenstein, because they know that he will never have a family to love him and he will never love. I think this story has a very strong connection with society today, Frankenstein was judged on the way he looked, and people today are judged on the way they look, people need to see that it isnt how you look, its how you act.

Marrige and Divorce Essays

Marrige and Divorce Essays Marrige and Divorce Essay Marrige and Divorce Essay Essay Topic: Cry the Beloved Country Discipline and Punish the Birth Of the Prison This research paper is assigned to us in â€Å"Introduction to Social Science† course. Here students have to prepare a term paper basing on the titles given to them so that students can learn to conduct any research study in future for their organizational purpose or own business purpose. The topic of our study is â€Å"Marriage and Divorce†. In this term paper we have gone through different articles, journals and research papers. 1. 2 Objectives of the Study The principle objective of the study is to know the effect of divorce in the children. The specific objectives of the study are as follows: 1. To assess of marriage in our society. 2. Effect of marriage in the society. 3. To investigate divorce cases to find out the reason behind this. 4. Effect of marriage in the children. 1. 3 Research Strategy Method 1. 3. 1Techniques to be used to collect data Questionnaire: Questionnaire will be use to developed case studies. Interview: Divorce men and women will be approached to collect interview through structured interview telephone, fax, e-mail and physical interview will be conducted. Observations: Surveyor while taking interview will use his own observation to collect information. Secondary information: Secondary information should be collected by internet, newspapers, journals and other relevant documents. 1. 3. 2 Sampling design For this research topic, Data required are primary and secondary. Target people are the divorce men, wome n and their children.. . 4 Data collection Techniques and Tools |Data collection Techniques |Data Collection Tools | |Observation |Check list, | |Interviewing |Compilation Form, | |Administering written |Questionnaire, | |Questionnaires |Discussion Guides. | | | 1. 5 Limitations To complete the study we have faced some problems, which can be termed as the limitations of the study. The problems were as follows: Less Secondary Information Lack of time 2. 1. 1 Marriage Marriage is a relationship and bond, most commonly between a man and a woman, that plays a key role in the definition of many families. Precise definitions vary historically and between and within cultures, but it has been an important concept as a socially sanctioned bond in a sexual relationship. Globally, societies that sanction polygamy as a form of marriage are far less common than those that do not and monogamy is overwhelmingly most widely practiced, followed distantly by polygyny, which is found primarily in tribal cultures, and with other forms being extremely rare. Since the latter decades of the 20th century many of societys assumptions about the nature and purpose of marriage and family have been challenged, in particular by homosexual advocacy groups, who demand changing the definition of marriage as a heterosexual union. In modern times, the term marriage is generally reserved for a state sanctioned union. The phrase legally married can be used to emphasize this point. 2. 1. 2 Types of marriage: The type and functions of marriage vary from culture to culture. In the United States, Europe, and China in the early 21st century, legally sanctioned marriages are monogamous (although some pockets of society still sanction polygamy socially, if not legally) and divorce is relatively simple and socially sanctioned. In the West, the prevailing view toward marriage today is that it is based on emotional attachment between the partners and entered into voluntarily. In the Islamic world, marriage is sanctioned between a man and a woman, however there are verses in chapter 4 of the Quran which state that in certain conditions a man is allowed up to four wives. In Imperial China, formal marriage was sanctioned only between a man and a woman, although a man could take several concubines and the children from the union were considered legitimate. Some societies permitted polygamy, in which a man could have multiple wives; even in such societies however, most men have only one. In such societies, having multiple wives is generally considered a sign of wealth and power. The status of multiple wives has varied from one society to another. In Islamic societies, the different wives were considered equal while in Imperial China, one woman was considered the primary wife while the other women were considered concubines. Among the upper classes, the primary wife was an arranged marriage with an elaborate formal ceremony while the concubines were taken on later with minimal ceremony. There are also many monogamous societies, where a marriage consists of only two people, a very few polyandrous, where a woman could have multiple husbands. Societies which permit group marriage are extremely rare, but have existed in utopian societies such as the Oneida Community. 2. 1. 3 Marriage and religion: Many religions have extensive teachings regarding marriage. Most Christian churches give some form of blessing to a marriage; the wedding ceremony typically includes some sort of pledge by the community to support the couples relationship. In the Eastern Orthodox church, it is one of the Mysteries, and is seen as an ordination and a martyrdom. In marriage, Christians see a picture of the relationship between Jesus and the Church. In Judaism, marriage is viewed as a coming together of two families, therefore prolonging the religion and cultural heritage of the Jewish people. Islam also recommends marriage highly; among other things, it helps in the pursuit of spiritual perfection. Hinduism sees marriage as a sacred duty that entails both religious and social obligations. By contrast, Buddhism does not encourage or discourage marriage, although it does teach how one might live a happily married life. Its also worth noting that different religions have different beliefs as regards the breakup of marriage. For example, the Roman Catholic Church does not permit divorce, because in its eyes, a marriage is forged by God. The Church states that what God joins together, humans cannot sunder. As a result, people who get a civil divorce are still considered married in the eyes of the Catholic Church, which does not allow them to remarry, even if they are allowed a civil marriage. In some special cases, however, Catholics can be permitted an annulment. With a nullity, religions and the state often apply different rules, meaning that a couple, for example, could receive a divorce from the state and not have their marriage annulled by the Catholic Church because the state disagrees with the church over whether an annulment could be granted in a particular case. This produces the phenomenon of Catholics getting Church annulments simultaneously with state divorces, allowing the ex-partners to marry other people in the eyes of both the Church and the State. Islam does allow divorce; however, there is a verse stated in the Quran describing divorce as the least desirable act allowed between people. The general rule is for a man to allow his wife to stay until the end of her menstrual period or for 3 months if she so wishes after the divorce. During this period they would be divorced in that they would simply be living under the same roof but not functioning as man and wife. The Quran scholars suggest that the main point is to prevent any decisions by the woman from being affected by hormonal fluctuations as well as to allow any heated arguments or differences to be resolved in a civil manner before the marriage is completely terminated. However, there is no obligation on the woman to stay, if she so wishes she may leave. The man is also obligated to give his wife a gift or monetary sum equivalent to at least half her mahr (gift or monetary sum which is given to the wife at the commencement of the marriage). Specific conditions as to how a divorce is conducted also apply if a woman is pregnant, or has given birth just prior to the divorce. 2. 1. 4 Marriage and economics: The economics of marriage have changed over time. Historically, in many cultures the family of the bride had to provide a dowry to pay a man for marrying their daughter. In other cultures, the family of the groom had to pay a bride price to the brides family for the right to marry the daughter. In some cultures, dowries and bride prices are still demanded today. In both cases, the financial transaction takes place between the groom (or his family) and the brides family; the bride has no part in the transaction and often no choice in whether to participate in the marriage. In many modern legal systems, two people who marry have the choice between keeping their property separate or combining their property. In the latter case, called community property, when the marriage ends by divorce each owns half; if one partner dies the surviving partner owns half and for the other half inheritance rules apply. . 2. 1 Divorce Divorce or dissolution of marriage is the ending of a marriage, which can be contrasted with an annulment which is a declaration that a marriage is void, though the effects of marriage may be recognized in such unions, such as spousal support, child custody and distribution of property. 2. 2. 2 Causes of divorce The main causes in are: Extra-marital affairs – Family strains Emotional/physical abuse Mid-life crisis Add ictions, e. g. alcoholism and gambling Workaholism Regarding extra-marital affairs, men engaged in them in 75% (55%) of cases; women in 25% (45%). In cases of family strain, it was womens families in 78% of cases who were the cause, compared to 22% of mens. Emotional/physical abuse was more evenly split with women affected in 60% and men in 40% of cases. In 70% of workaholism-related divorces it was men who were the cause, and 30% women. 2. 2. 3 Social and family issues There are arguments concerning the harmful effects of divorce on women, men, and children in the family. These may be summarised as follows: Women are generally the financial victims of divorce due to the lack of equal pay for equal work in many countries and the fact that many women give up employment after marriage to bring up children. They are often left with the burden of looking after the children after the divorce while having to find work in low-paid jobs. Child support collection is a major problem as many fathers do not accept that they have an obligation towards their children. Many national and local governments provide some kind of welfare system for divorced mothers and their children. See single mother for details. Men are generally the financial victims of divorce due to court-ordered alimony and child support which women often are not required to pay, and the fact that many men are entirely denied custody of their own children. Some men are left with the burden of never seeing their children, which is a major problem as many mothers may relocate the children, not accepting that they have an obligation to provide a stable and supportive family with both parents involved. Although women are less likely to pay child-support, they re more likely to neglect support payments when they are required. Unfortunately, the aspect of family stability is one argument stated against same-sex marriage, since court orders against men and child neglect by women are no longer defensible one-way legal benefits. Recognition of the problems faced by fathers and other relatives is given by self-help groups such as Families Need Fathers. 2. 2. 4 Legal aspects of divorce Muslim societie s No-fault divorce is allowed in Islam, though Islam discourages divorce in any case. No-fault divorce can be obtained by either partner. If the man seeks divorce he has to pay a dowry and cover the expenses of his ex-wife for a period called iddah (four months 10 days) following divorce, and in the case of the woman feeding his child he has to pay the expenses of his ex-wife for the period she feeds child until the child is two years old (in addition to expenses for child). If it is the wife who seeks divorce, she must go to a court. The court will first try to make a settlement. If a settlement cant be reached, the court can grant a divorce. If a woman who seeks divorce on the (proven) grounds of ill treatment, inability to sustain her financially or sexual impotence on the part of the husband, the husband has to pay a dowry; otherwise, she gets nothing. 2. 2. 5 LAW Existing Laws that relate to women and children: The Penal Code 1860: Provides that children under 12 are not culpable for any offence and are unable to give their consent to any transaction. It was made an offence to kidnap a male under 14 and a female under 16 years who are in lawful guardianship. It was made an offence to kidnap a child under 10 years of age. The Divorce Act 1869: Asserts the right of the court to assess the appropriate maintenance, custody and education of the children in separation cases. The Contract Act 1872: Legislates that a contract by a minor is absolutely void. A contract of sale made with the guardian of a minor may be binding only if it were made either for legal necessity or for the benefit of the estate. The Guardians and Wards Act 1890: Empowers the court to appoint a guardian of a minors person and/or property. No guardian may be appointed that is against the will of the minor. The Code of Criminal Procedures 1898: Any person having sufficient means yet neglecting or refusing to maintain his wife and legitimate children can be ordered to provide a monthly allowance for his dependents. The court obtained empowerment to release certain convicted first offenders less than 21 years of age on probation of good conduct instead of sentencing them to imprisonment. The Mines Act 1923: Prohibits employment of a child under 15 years of age to work in a mine and regulates the employment of those between 15 and 17 years of age. The Child Marriage Restraint Act 1929: Provides punishment for a male adult marrying a child below 16 years of age. It also prescribes punishment for parents and guardians who play a part in child marriages. The Suppression of Immoral Traffic Act 1933: Provides for the punishment of forcing a girl under 18 years into prostitution. Abatement by one having custody or charge of the girl is also a crime. The Children (Pledging of Labor) Act 1933: It was made an offence to pledge a child into labor or employ a child whose labor has been pledged. The Employment of Children Act 1938: Regulates the employment of children in specified industries and occupations and provides for punishment of the employer contravening the provisions of the Act The Maternity Benefit Act 1939: Regulates the employment of women for certain periods before and after childbirth and provides for the payment of maternity benefit to them by the employer. The Maternity Benefit (Tea Estate) Act 1950: Prohibits the employment of women in tea gardens or processing factories for a certain period before and after childbirth with payment of maternity benefits for the period. The Minimum Wages Ordinance 1961: Set a minimum rate for juvenile (under 18) workers and provides for punishment and contravention. The 1965 Factorys Act obligated the management to provide child care if the factory employs more than fifty women. Practices to the contrary are punishable by law. (Act No-iv, 1965) The Shops and Establishment act 1965: Prohibits the employment of children under 12 years in shops and commercial establishments. It further regulates the hours of work for those under 18 years of age. The Childrens Act 1974: Provides for the custody, protection and treatment of children and the punishment of young offenders by juvenile courts. It also deals with care and protection of destitute and neglected children. It provides, among other safeguards, for the punishment of special offences such as cruelty to children, employment of children for begging and exploitation of child employees. 1992, the Government of Bangladesh made the Dhaka Declaration for the promotion and protection of breast-feeding practice. In 1994, the Government of Bangladesh agreed to support ecvironment includes provision of child care and creche facilities at the work place. In addition to these formal laws, there are a number of personal and religious laws, which mainly relate to social customs such as marriage, divorce, guardianship, adoption and inheritance, according to religious prescriptions. 2. 2. 6 Three Major Divorce Parenting Mistakes and Learn How to Avoid Them Stop letting your divorce ruin your childrens life. 3 major divorce parenting mistakes surely lead to unhappy, unhealthy and unsuccessful children. Know and learn to deal with these mistakes for your children seek. 1. Failure To Act According To Childs Best Interest. If you are divorced or in the process of getting a divorce, you may be concerned about the effects it may have on your child or children. You certainly know how important it is to make decisions based on your childrens best interest. But between parents, the worst arguments can happen over what exactly these interests are. This is because the phrase best interest means different things to different people. Experts and researchers do agree on two very basic factors that have significant impact on childrens well being. These two factors can be said to be the foundation for a childs true best interest: Children benefit from keeping the familial ties in their life that were meaningful and important to them prior to the divorce. Such familial ties may not be limited to parents but may also include extended family, such as grandparents. Children benefit to the greatest when the in-between parent relationships is generally supportive and cooperative whether they are married or divorced. These two factors determine whether divorced children are damage or not damage by divorce. . Failure To Let Go The Hurts Of Ones Divorce. Let go of grudges you may hold against your former spouse. Holding onto feelings of anger will not change your situation and will probably consume a great deal of your energy energy you need to devote to creating a positive environment for your child. If you dwell on your disappointment and dislike with your former spouse chances are your child will sense your feelings and suffer i n some way from your negative attitude. Let go and forgive. 3. Failure To Win The Parenting Cooperation Of Your Ex After divorce, most parents would like to have a smooth and civil relationship with their ex but only a few end-up the way they wanted. Often just by talking to their former spouse brings them somewhere between annoyed and enraged. If divorced parents can put aside their personal feelings before the welfare of their children and choose to interact with one another in a respectful and dignified way, their children will benefit. Learn to win the parenting cooperation of your ex. Remember whatever lead you to where you are today, you are responsible for another life the innocent life of a child, who didnt ask to be born. Your child is not responsible for the experiences or events that made you divorced. Your child is completely dependent upon you through no choice of their own. Dont let them down. They are powerless and vulnerable to the possibly less-than-ideal consequences they face as a child of divorced parent. Your role and influence in their life is paramount to their chances of becoming a happy, healthy and successful adult. They need you more than their words will ever tell. Sure, you can have healthy, happy and successful children even if youre divorced. Do act according to childs best interest, let go and forgive, and win the parenting cooperation of your ex. Remember, how bad and well children go through the divorce depends on how parents handle the situation. Never let your divorce ruin your childrens life. 2. 2. 7 DIVORCE IN GENERAL AND WITH RESPECT TO ISLAM In no age other than ours has so much attention been paid to the danger of the disintegration of the family and its harmful consequences, and again, in no age other than ours has man been faced with the real danger of such disintegration. The growth of divorce in modern life In the past much attention was not paid to the problem of divorce, its causes and its harmful effects, nor were any measures devised to prevent its incidence, yet the cases of divorce were few and far between. There is no doubt that the difference between the past and the present is due to the fact that now the causes, which lead to divorce, have increased. The social life has taken such a turn that now there are more chances of the disruption of the family bond, and that is why the efforts of the intellectuals and the public-spirited people have, so far, borne no fruit. Regrettably, the future bodes more danger. The American magazine, ‘Newsweek’ in an interesting article under the heading, ‘Divorce in America’, writes that it is easier in America, to get a divorce than to get a taxi. ‘Newsweek’ further writes that two proverbs about divorce are better known among the American people than any other. One is that â€Å"the hardest conciliation between husband and wife is better than divorce†. It is 400 years old. The other which represents a diametrically opposite view has gained currency during the second-half of the 20th century. It says that â€Å"the second love is more pleasant than the first†. The article shows that the second proverb is more operative in America. The illusion of divorce attracts to itself, not only the newly-wed, but even their mothers, and the couple who were married a long time ago. Since the Second World War onward, on an average, the number of cases of divorce has not been less than 400,000 per annum. Out of the dissolved marriages, 40% had remained intact for 10 years or more and 13% for more than 20 years. The average age of two million women divorces was 45 years. Some 62% of them had children under 18 at the time of the dissolution of their marriages. These women, in fact form a special generation. Though the American woman feels quite free after divorce, yet the divorced, whether young or the middle- aged, are not happy. Their unhappiness can be gauged from the ever-increasing number of women who call on the psychiatrists or have recourse to alcoholism. Out of every four women divorcees, one is an alcoholic. The average cases of suicide among these women are three times more than among women having husbands. In short as soon as a woman comes victorious out of a divorce court she realises that life after divorce is not a bed of roses. The world can hardly have a good opinion of a woman who issolves her marriage, the strongest form of human relationship. Society may respect such a woman and even envy her, but cannot look upon her as a person who entered the life of another and brought about happiness. In the course of this article in Newsweek the question has been raised whether the ever-growing cases of divorce are mostly due to temperamental incompatibility between husband and wife, or some other causes. The writer of the article says that even if incompatibility is accepted to be the cause of separation among the newly-wed couples, how can one explain the cases of those who had been leading a married life for a long time. Taking into consideration the facilities which the American law provides in connection with divorce it may be said that incompatibility is not the reason of separation in the case of a marriage which has lasted out for 10 or 20 years. In the age of contraceptive pills, sexual revolution and improvement in their legal status, many women have come to believe that delight and pleasure are preferable to the stability of married life. You often see that a husband and a wife live together for years, have children, share each others’ joy and grief and then suddenly the wife seeks a divorce, without any palpable change having taken place in the material or conventional position of the husband. The reason is that, till yesterday, the woman was willing to bear the boredom of life, but today she is not inclined to do so. The increase in the cases of divorce is not confined to America. Wherever the modern Western ways have permeated to a considerable degree, the figures of divorce have gone up. Even in the East, divorce is far more common in the modernized big cities than in the small towns and the countryside. A prominent French daily writes that in more than 200 restaurants and cabaret houses in California waitresses work in topless outfits. The topless swimming costume has been recognised as the working-dress in San Francisco and Los Angeles. In the city of New York there are many cinema halls which show only sexy films and the nude pictures of women can be seen displayed in front of their entrances. The names of sexy films are of this kind: â€Å"The men who swap their wives†, â€Å"The girls who are immoral†, ‘The dress which does not hide anything†. ~ the libraries there are very few fiction books which do not bear a nude photo of a woman on their covers. Even the classical books are no exception. Such titles as â€Å"Sexual Behaviour of American Husbands†, â€Å"Sexual Behaviour of a Man of the West†, ‘ Sexual Behaviour of Young Men Below 20†, â€Å"New Sexual Methods Based on the Latest Information†, are very common. The writer of the article in the French daily asks with surprise and apprehension: â€Å"Whither America? † In such an atmosphere, if the American woman has lost her balance and gives preference to pleasure-seeking over faithfulness to her husband and family she is not to blame. It is the social atmosphere which has struck at the very root of the sacred family system. It is surprising that the leaders of our age give, on the one hand, an impetus to the causes of divorce and the disintegration of family life and, on the other, raise a hue and cry that the rate of divorce has gone up so high. This is just like putting a man to sweep a chimney and then asking him not to stain his clothes. 2. 2. 8 Five theories Now let us see whether, in principle, divorce is good or bad. The question is whether it is good to keep the door to divorce wide open, even at the risk of the disintegration of family life? If it is good, there is no harm if the rate of divorce goes up. In case, however it is not advisable, should a total ban be imposed on divorce, and conjugal union be made eternal? The third alternative is that divorce should not be banned legally, for in certain circumstances it is unavoidable, but at the same time society should take every possible action to do away with the causes of friction and separation between the husbands and the wives, and save the children from becoming homeless. Obviously, the law can do nothing if society itself encourages the causes which lead to divorce. If divorce is not to be totally banned, in what form should it be allowed? Who should exercise the right of divorce, should only man or only woman, or both? In the last alternative, should man and woman have the same procedure for severing the bond of marriage, or should each sex have a separate procedure? In all, these are the five theories in respect of divorce: Free divorce without any legal or moral restriction. There are those who look at marriage only from a viewpoint of pleasure-seeking; who attach no sanctity to it; and who do not take into consideration the social value of home and family. They think that the sooner the bonds of marriage are removed and replaced, the more pleasure will be afforded to man and woman. He who says that the second love is more pleasant supports this theory. In this theory not only has the social value of the family been forgotten, but also the delight and satisfaction, which the stability of a conjugal union affords, has been ignored. So, this theory is the most puerile and immature. Marriage is a sacred undertaking. It is a union of hearts and souls which must be kept safe and intact. The word divorce should be expunged from the dictionary of human society. The woman and the man who marry each other should know that, except for death, nothing can separate them. This is the same theory, which for centuries has been advocated by the Catholic Church, and is still being advocated. The supporters of this theory are on the decrease in the world. Now only Italy and the Catholic Spain adhere to it. We often hear that, even in Italy, men and women are raising their voices against this law and efforts are being made that the law of divorce should be officially recognised. Many people are no longer willing to continue to suffer the boredom of their unsuccessful marriages. Some years ago, the Daily Express published an article under the heading, â€Å"Marriage in Italy Means Bondage for Woman†. This article said that, at present, owing to the non-existence of divorce, many people in Italy have to resort to unlawful sexual relations. More than five million Italians believed that their lives were nothing but sin. An Italian daily wrote that the prohibition of divorce had created a big problem for the Italian people. Many of them had renounced their Italian nationality for that very reason. When an Italian agency organised an opinion-poll, 97% of the women replied in the negative to the question whether divorce was repugnant to the religious principles. Still the Church sticks to its view and continues to adduce arguments in support of it. There is no doubt that marriage is a sacred bond and it should be lasting and durable. But it can last only as long as both the spouses co-operate with each other. There are situations when a mutual understanding between a wife and her husband is not possible. In such circumstances the forces of law cannot be used to keep them attached to each other in the name of a conjugal bond. The theory of the Church has been a complete failure. It is not unlikely that the Church itself may be compelled soon to revise its views. Hence, we need not discuss this theory any further. Marriage is dissoluble by man and not by woman. In the ancient world many people held such a view, but now we do not think it has any supporters. So we need not discuss it also. Marriage is a sacred institution and the domestic system is respectable, but the way to divorce, with certain conditions, should be open to both the spouses and the procedure of dissolving a marriage should be the same for both of them. The upholders of similarity of family rights, wrongly called equality of rights between man and woman, support this theory. According to these people the same conditions, the same limits and the same restrictions as exist in the case of woman, should also exist in the case of man and the same ways, to get out of the deadlock, as are open to man should be open to woman also. They reject any other solution, which is unjust and discriminating. No doubt the marriage institution is sacred, the domestic system is respectable, divorce is abominable and it is an essential duty of society to remove the causes which lead to divorce, yet divorce cannot be totally banned and the way out of a deadlock must be kept open to both man and woman. Anyhow, the procedure to be adopted for the dissolution of marriage should be different in their respective cases. Divorce is one of the instances of dissimilar rights of man and woman. This is the theory which represents the Islamic point of view, and the Muslim countries are partially following it. 2. 2. 9 Divorce in Islam In our age divorce has become a world problem as all grumble and complain about it. Those whose laws prohibit divorce totally complain of the non-existence of a way to escape from unsuccessful and unsuitable marriages. On the other hand, those who have opened the door of divorce, equally for both man and woman, complain about the growing rate of divorce and the instability of domestic life, and its harmful effects. Those who have given the right of divorce to men only express their dissatisfaction on two accounts: Firstly, some mean people, after years of married life, unexpectedly divorce their old wives who had spent the best part of their youth with them, simply because they suddenly feel eager to have a new wife. Secondly, some unchivalrous people refuse to divorce a wife, with whom there is absolutely no possibility of a mutual understanding and a continued joint life. It often happens that, for some reasons, the differences between a husband and a wife reach such a stage that no possibility of reconciliation is left, and they practically separate from each other. In such circumstances, the only sensible way is to sever, legally, the relations which have already been practically severed, and to allow both of them to hoose new partners-in-life. But some men, to harass their wives and to deprive them of enjoying a conjugal life, decline to divorce them. They leave the woman, in the words of the Qur’an, â€Å"in a state of hanging†. Such people are far away from the teachings of Islam, though they use the authority of the Islamic law for their improper behavior. Their conduct gives an impression to those who are not acquainted with the depth and the spirit of the teachings of Isla m, that this is the way Islam wants divorce to be. The critics ask sarcastically whether Islam has really allowed men to harass their wives as much as they like, sometimes by divorcing them and sometimes withholding divorce, and at the same time to have the mental satisfaction that they have only used their lawful and legal right. The critics say that such an action constitutes a glaring example of injustice and cruelty. They ask â€Å"If it is true, as the Muslims claim, that the Islamic laws have been organized on the basis of justice and righteousness, what measures have Islam taken to prevent this kind of injustice? † About the cruelty and injustice of such acts there can be no doubt. Islam, as we shall show, has taken cognizance of this situation and has thought of measures to counteract it. The important question is: What is the proper way of preventing this injustice and cruelty? Are the acts of injustice due to any inherent defect in the law of divorce, or should their real cause be looked for somewhere else? Can they be stopped by modifying the law or are some other measures required? Islam has its own view as to the solution of the social problems. Some people think that they can be solved either by framing a new law or by changing the existing one. But Islam realizes that a law has its own limits. It can be effective only within the range of the dry contractual relations. As for the sentimental relations, it alone cannot do much, and we should have recourse to other measures also. As we shall show latter, Islam has fully utilized the force of law as far as it can be effective. It has not failed in this respect. 2. 2. 10 Ignoble divorces First, we take up the present day problem of ignoble divorces. As a matter of principle, Islam is strongly opposed to divorce. It wants that it should not take place as far as practicable. It allows it only as a last resort in the cases where separation is unavoidable. Those who frequently take a new wife and divorce the old one are denounced by Islam as the enemies of Allah. The Holy Prophet said that Allah dislikes and hates the man who regularly changes his wives, and the woman who regularly changes her husbands. Such people are the enemies of Allah. It was reported to the Holy Prophet that Abu Ayyub Ansari had decided to divorce his wife. The Prophet knew the woman personally. He also knew that Abu Ayyub’s decision was not justified. He said: â€Å"Divorcing Umme Ayyub (Abu Ayyub’s wife) is a deadly sin†. The Holy Prophet said that Gabriel had exhorted and counselled him so much in respect of women that he felt that it was not permissible to divorce a woman, except when she was guilty of adultery. Imam Sadiq (P) has reported that the Holy Prophet said: â€Å"There is nothing more pleasing to Allah than the house where a marriage takes place, and nothing is more displeasing to Him than the house where it is severed by divorce† Abu Dawud in his book, ‘Sunan’ has reported the Prophet as having said: â€Å"Allah has not permitted anything more hateful than divorce. In other words, though Allah has permitted divorce, He dislikes it the most. The great religious leaders (Imams) have abstained from divorcing, as far as possible. In their lives the cases of divorce were extremely rare. They resorted to such an action only when they had very solid grounds for it. For instance, Imam Baqir (P) married a woman. She became his favourite, but on one occasion he noticed that the woman was inimical to Imam Ali Ibn Abi Talib and cherished malice against him in her heart. He had to divorce her. In reply to the question as to why he had divorced her when he liked her so much, the Imam said that he did not want to have a piece of the fire of Hell by his side. 2. 2. 11 Natural laws in respect of marriage and divorce In a civil society the only natural law is the law of liberty and equality, on the basis of which all social rules should be framed. But in respect of a conjugal contract, besides the general principles of liberty and equality, nature has prescribed certain other laws also, which must be adhered to in the case of marriage, dower, maintenance and the last stage of the process, that is divorce. It is of no use to bypass nature. As Alexis Carrel has pointed out, the biological and other laws of life are as hard, ruthless and irresistible as the astronomical laws. 2. 3. 1 Marriage means attachment and union, and divorce means separation. Nature has designed the law of marriage in such a way that man acts with a view to appropriate woman, and woman withdraws with a view to fascinate and mislead man. Man wants to take possession of the body of woman and woman wants to captivate the heart of man. The foundation of marriage is laid on love, union and fellow-feeling, and not on mere co-operation and companionship. In the family structure, the fair sex occupies the central position, and her opposite sex the peripheral one. From all this it automatically follows that nature must have had special rules for the dissolution of family life also. We have quoted earlier an intellectual as saying that mate-seeking means an attack on the part of man for the purpose of appropriation and a withdrawal on the part of woman for the purpose of enchantment and deception. Man being instinctively a hunting animal, his action is offensive and for him woman is a trophy which he must win. Mate-seeking is a battle and a struggle and marriage is appropriation and domination. A contract which is based on love and the feeling of oneness is not enforceable by compulsion. The law can compel two people to respect their contract on the basis of equality, and to co-operate with each other, but it cannot force them to love each other, to be sincere to each other, to make sacrifices for the sake of each other and to share each other’s happiness. If we want to maintain such a relationship between two people we have to adopt some measures other than legal. According to the natural mechanism of marriage, on which Islamic laws are based, a wife occupies the position of a person deserving love and respect in the family order. If, for some reason, she loses that position and is deprived of the love and attention of her husband, the base of the family structure falls off and the natural order is deranged. Islam looks at such a situation with regret, but it cannot assume marriage to be alive and constant even after the disintegration of its natural basis. Islam has taken special steps to ensure that the family life retains its natural form, which means that the wife should be loved and sought after, and the husband should feel attached to her and be ready to serve her. Islam has urged woman to beautify herself to please her husband, to give a display of her accomplishments for his sake, to satiate his natural desires and not to annoy him by disobedience. It has also exhorted man to love his wife, to show kindness and attachment to her, and not to conceal from her his love for her. These steps have been taken to make the sexual enjoyment limited to the domestic atmosphere, and to keep the wider society a field of work and activities other than sexual. Islam wants that extra-marital feedbacks between man and woman should be pure and unpolluted. All these steps have been taken with a view to keeping the family organisation free from the danger of dissolution and disintegration. 3. 0 Natural position of man in the domestic life From the Islamic point of view, it is extremely insulting to a woman that the law should force her to live with a husband who does not like her. The law can force a woman to live with a particular man, but it cannot secure for her the position of a beloved and central figure in the household, which she should have. The law can force a man to support his wife, but it cannot force him to be a devoted husband. Hence, when man’s love and attachment cools down the marriage becomes ineffective from the natural point of view. Here another question arises. If the wife’s love cools down, will the domestic life be affected? Will it continue as it is or will it come to an end? If it will remain intact, then how is it that the lack of love, on the part of the husband, terminates the domestic life and on the part of the wife it does not? Is there any difference between man and woman? If the lack of love on the part of the wife also terminates the domestic life, then naturally women should also have the right of divorce like men. In fact, the success of the domestic life depends on the mutual attachment of both the husband and the wife. But as we mentioned earlier, there is a difference between the mentality of man and that of woman. We have already quoted the views of the scientists on this point. Nature has so arranged that woman’s true and lasting love comes up only as a reaction of man’s attachment to her. Hence, woman’s attachment to man is the result of man’s attachment to her. Nature has placed the key of their mutual love within the control of man. If man loves woman and is faithful to her, woman also loves him and remains faithful to him. Woman’s faithlessness is definitely a reaction of man’s faithlessness. Nature has put the dissolution of marriage in the hands of man. It is man’s apathy and faithlessness that cools down woman’s love. On the other hand, woman’s indifference and apathy does not affect man. Hence man’s indifference to woman unlike the latter’s indifference to him leads to woman’s in-difference. Man’s frigidity is the end of conjugal life, but woman’s is not so. If man is sensible and faithful, he can always regain his wife’s love by showing affection and kindness to her. It is not insulting to him to compel his annoyed sweetheart by force of law, to continue to live with him, and to pacify her gradually. But it is unbearable for a wife to resort to the force of law to retain her protector and the object of her love. Of course, this is the case when woman’s indifference is not due to the immorality or cruelty of man. If man shows cruelty, the case is different. He cannot be allowed to misuse his position and to harass or ill-treat his wife. We shall discuss this point separately. Anyway man is in need of the body of woman and woman is in need of the heart of man. That is the difference between the two. Marriage is unbearable for woman if she does not enjoy her husband’s genuine protection and sincere love. . 1 Views of a lady psychologist Recently an article has been published by a French lady psychologist, Beatrice Maryo, who holds a doctorate in psycho-logy and works as a psychiatrist in a hospital of Paris. She herself is a mother of three children. In this article she has explained very well how a pregnant or a nursing woman needs the kindness and affection of her hu sband. She says: â€Å"From the time a woman feels that she is going to be a mother soon, she begins to search her body. She repeatedly looks at it and smells it, especially if she is expecting her first child. She feels so inquisitive as if she were a stranger to herself and wants to discover herself for the first time. When she feels the first movements of her tiny little child in her womb, she begins to listen attentively to every sound of her body. The presence of another being in her body makes her so happy that she feels inclined to seclusion and retirement. She wants to be alone with her tiny little child, who has not yet come into this world â€Å"Men, during the period of the pregnancy of their wives, have important duties to perform, but very regretfully they often shirk their responsibility. The future mother is in need of the feeling that her husband understands her, likes her, and protects her. Otherwise, when she finds that her belly has swollen up; her attractiveness has gone, the morning sickness has commenced, and she is afraid of childbirth pains, she would blame her husband, who had impregnated her, for all her troubles and discomforts. It is the duty of the husband to keep himself, more than ever, at the side of his wife during the months of her pregnancy. The whole family requires a kind and considerate father to whom the wife and the children may talk of their problems, their griefs and their joys. Even if their talk be meaningless or boring, it is still important. † â€Å"A pregnant woman very much wants others to talk to her of her child. A woman takes all the pride in becoming a mother. But when she finds that her husband is indifferent to the child, her sense of pride turns into a sense of contempt. She becomes sick of motherhood and pregnancy, and it becomes a sort of mortification to her. It is known that such women suffer a great deal on account of child-birth pangs The relation between mother and child is not a bilateral one. It is a trilateral relation: mother, child, and father. Even if the father is not present (as in the case of divorce), he has an important role in the internal life of the mother, that is in her thoughts and imagination, as well as in her sense of motherhood . This is what a lady intellectual, who is both a psychologist and a mother, has said. 3. 2 A structure built on the basis of sentiments A woman depends so much on the sincerity, kindness and protection of her husband that without his earnest co-operation even a child has little sense for her. She can endure the hardships of life only with his help. In such circumstances, how can it be possible to compel her, by the force of law, to remain attached to a man who is not willing to accept her? Is it not ironical that, on the one hand, we create an atmosphere in which men pay little attention to their wives and sow their wild oats elsewhere and, on the other, we try to thrust their wives on them by the force of law? As a matter of policy, Islam wants that man himself should seek a woman and should like her. It does not want to thrust a woman on him. As a general rule, where there is a question of love, devotion and sincerity, there can be no question of legal compulsion. If a husband dislikes his wife, it may be a matter of regret, but no force can be used to make him like her. Let us give an example. As we know, in the congregational prayers there is a condition that the leader of the prayers can be only that person who is pious and in whose piety the followers have faith. In this case, the relationship between the leader and the followers is based on the piety of the former, and the faith and devotion of the latter. If the body of the followers loses faith in a particular leader, whether rightly or wrongly, this relationship is severed. The law cannot guarantee its continuity. As it is a matter of feelings and sentiments, nobody can be compelled legally to have faith in a particular person. Even if a leader of the prayers possesses the highest degree of piety and virtue, he cannot compel others to offer prayers behind him. It will be highly ridiculous to file a suit in a court of law in this respect. It is even derogatory to the position of the leader of the congregational prayers to try to force people to offer prayers behind him. The same is the case with the relationship between the voters and the candidate for election. The people will vote for a candidate in whom they have confidence. If they do not elect a particular candidate, howsoever fit and suitable he may be, he cannot sue them. The only thing which should be done in such cases is to train the people on the correct lines and to raise their intellectual level, so that when they perform their religious duty, they may find out the really righteous people to follow and, when they perform their social duty, they may select the really deserving people to vote for. If, by chance, the people change their opinion subsequently without any rhyme or reason, that can only be a matter of regret, but there can he no question of compulsion or legal action in the matter. The domestic duty is exactly like the above-mentioned religious and social duties. Islam regards the family as a natural society, for the smooth running of which it has prescribed a particular procedure to be followed strictly. It is the greatest achievement of Islam that it has prescribed this procedure, for the West has not so far been able to solve its family problems. Not only that, but problems are multiplying and new problems are being added daily to the old ones. Fortunately, as the result of scientific investigations, the position is gradually becoming clear. We are fully convinced that the Western world will gradually accept the Islamic principles and precepts regarding the family laws. Anyhow, we do not believe that the real Islamic teachings are identical with what is being practised today as such. 4. 0 The Impact of Divorce on Children Until recently it had been assumed that divorce causes severe emotional trauma in children and symptoms of maladjustment are sometimes evident in both parents and children. The divorce has some profound effects on children and the long term effects show that they suffer psychologically and have social difficulties for years from continued or new stresses linked to the separation and divorce of their parents. She also said that children of divorce are anxious about being able to form lasting relationships themselves as young adults. Divorce has a serious effect on children. Children have some of the same feelings as victims of a natural disaster may experience, such as loss, grief, and vulnerability to forces that they can not control. Pre-school children are affected more severely in the absence of the father but these negative effects can be reversed by an emotionally stable mother who gives reinforcement in the appropriate sex-type behavior to the child. Young children may be too immature to integrate the intensity of the stress of parental loss. The older children may be apt to experience more stress and conflicts from divorce because of the undiluted aggression of the parent. Egocentric pre-schoolers, who see and understand things only in relation to themselves, assume themselves to be the cause of parental distress and interpret the separation as punishment†. According to a ten year study of twenty-one children between two and a half and six years old, now between 12 and nearly 18, a significant number of children felt that they were deprived of the nurture of a more protected life that they saw and wished for in intact families even though these children had experienced divorce first hand for two-thirds of their lives. School children can cope with separation better than pre-schoolers, even though intense pain, loneliness, and a feeling of deprivation is present, because young children can only think of the departure of one parent which is usually the father. Children think one parent is responsible, become angry with both parents, and show distressing behavior to one parent. She also said that not only the separation and divorce causes difficulty for school-age children, but also their move to new neighborhoods, schools, and being put in new environments causes a decline in school performance because they are not focused on learning but are always wishing for their parents to reunite. 4. 1 Adjustment of Boys and Girls Children of divorced mothers, especially boys, tend to harass their mothers, nagging and whining, in the first year, and are more disobedient and neglectful toward her than children of intact families. The boys have more behavior problems than girls after the divorce. The more boys than girls in single-parent families and that few boys stayed with their fathers while more girls stayed with their mothers. His studies revealed that difficulties arise in the development of children regardless of their sex in the absence of fathers. Boys tend to have more difficulty adjusting to divorce than girls, because boys are less likely to have role models than girls for learning gender related behavior resulting in limited social skills. He added that these limited social skills may be why it is more difficult for boys to adjust, while there were indications that adolescent girls of stepparents had higher incidences of aggression, sexual behavior, drug involvement, and school difficulties than girls of intact families. The courts seem to assume that fathers appear to perform better raising boys yet the numbers of boys and girls are equally divided and most single parent families have two children. Father is willing to cook, sew, wash clothes, clean and tend to minor cuts and bruises, fevers, colds, and rashes in order to preserve a family structure. They continued to explain that one father and his daughters, before and after the divorce, built rockets, electric motors, doll houses, baked bread and sewed dresses, played touch football and softball, wrote and staged plays, and, without much success, he tried to teach his daughters how to fish. . 2 Positive Effects of Divorce on Children: There could be positive benefits for the child after divorce, if the child is freed from a violent atmosphere present when the parents were together. There are some positive outcomes of divorce to be reported as well. The few positive outcomes are an increase in maturity and independence, as well as the increased co mmitment to maintaining relationships. She noted that studies have shown that post-divorce families and single parent or reconstructed families can be successful in improving the quality of life or both adults and children by reducing an environment of conflict. After being removed from a disturbing parent the children prefer the time after the divorce to the time within the intact family before the divorce, because they said that it is a relief to have no more fighting. The space provided by the separation of the parents enables the older adolescents to develop an emotional detachment from the family and to begin the normal development tasks for an adolescent which is individualization. There is a time of emotional divorce during the period preceding the divorce. Divorce is a preferred alternative to an unhappy marriage children can grow healthy in many types of situations if the three following conditions are met: first, the basic needs for the children must be met, such as, love and physical care, understanding, discipline and safety; second, the children need a sense of belonging or being able to say, this is my own family where I am an important and special person; and finally, they also need role models of both sexes in their lives to help them determine their proper male or female roles. 4. Negative Effect of divorce on Child: Children without biological fathers in the home are roughly three times more likely to commit a crime that leads to incarceration than are children from intact families. Higher divorce rates in a society lead to higher suicide rates among children. Children of divorce demonstrate an earlier loss of virginity, more cohabitation, higher expectations of divorce, higher divorce rates later in life, and less desire to have children. These effects on future family life perpetuate the downward spiral of family breakdown. Children of divorced parents are significantly more likely to become delinquent by age 15, regardless of when the divorce took place, than are children whose own parents are married. When parents divorce, most children suffer. For some, this suffering turns into long-lasting psychological damage. Neglect of children, which can be psychologically more damaging than physical abuse, is twice as high among separated and divorced parents. 5. 0 Findings Levels of Divorce: The divorce rate is found to be inversely related to duration of marriage. This has also been found elsewhere. The least satisfactory marriages end in divorce first thereby reducing the proportion of the high-risk marriages among the surviving unions. When newly wed partners discover that they are incompatible whatever the cause is, they opt for divorce rather early in the marriage. In rural Bangladesh, marriage makes the bride live in the husband’s home and with in-laws. The in-laws and relatives expect her to adjust to her new situation and demand a lot from her. Her failure to adjust to in-laws and to satisfy them can cause marital discord and the result of which is ill-treatment to her by her husband or in-laws leading to divorce. Polygyny and Divorce: Polygyny is a special feature of Muslim society and is allowed on condition of the husband’s equal treatment of all his wives. Infertility, particularly inability to give birth of a male child and chronic illness of the wife are two main reasons which enhance the divorce risk. They can lead either to a marriage of the husband to a second wife (and becoming a polygynous marriage) or to a divorce of the previous wife followed by another marriage. In Teknaf, 17 per cent of the current marriages were polygynous as opposed to five per cent in Matlab. Of the polygynous men, 26 per cent were in their twenties, and 40 per cent in their thirties. The high incidence of polygyny at younger ages of husbands is much more due to widely accepted norms and values held by men in this community than to wives’ infertility or chronic illness Polygynous marriages were found to be divorce-prone; the odds of divorce were 2. 5 times higher for polygynous unions than for monogamous unions other things being equal. A marriage in which the husband already had one or more than one wife faces more complex adjustment problems than a marriage with a man having no other wife. Moreover, polygynous men have less to lose from divorcing one of the wives. They also tend to have a lower commitment to marriage as an institution and can more easily disregard the stigma of divorce and remarriage. High tensions among co-wives and deeply ingrained attitudes of polygynous men towards women and marriage in general may raise the divorce rate. What remains unknown is whether the high risk of divorce of polygynous marriages is caused by complex adjustment between co-wives or by attitudes of polygynous men to women and marriage as institution. Future studies should attempt to deal with this issue. In Nigeria, it has been found that polygynous unions with two wives were the most stable whereas unions with three or more wives were associated with the highest rate of disruption [Brandon 1991]. In our study population, unions with three or more wives simultaneously exhibited higher divorce rate, but occurred less frequently than unions with two wives. Spouses’ History of Marital Disruption: Spouses who already experienced a divorce in their earlier marriage probably faced substantial adjustment problems with which they were unable to cope. We hypothesize that remarriages exposed them to the same problems and for this reason they remain vulnerable to divorce. While expecting high risks of divorce of remarriages, one must take into account that in rural Bangladesh women are aware of the lower prospects of remarriage for them than for men and this may force women to compromise to keep the marriage intact. Reconciliation is more likely for wives than husbands since the cost of divorce is higher for women and alternatives are hardly available (women are economically and socially dependent). One of the underlying causes for this is undoubtedly the unequal position of women compared to men in Bangladesh society. Our data exhibit a gender difference in the risk of divorce of remarriages. While grooms who remarried after a divorce or after becoming a widower did not have a higher risk of divorce than grooms who married for the first time, brides who remarried (after divorce or becoming a widow) had a higher risk of divorce than brides who married for the first time. The difference in divorce propensity between previously divorced brides and grooms may have several explanations. An important one is related to the weaker position of the wife in the husband’s family. She is blamed for every trivial fault; for such faults her husband is less likely to be blamed. Too much blame expressed too frequently puts her marriage in discord leading towards divorce. Of the brides who were divorced before, 42 per cent were still in their teens. Their inability to live up to the expectations of their husbands and in-laws may have brought marital discord leading eventually to divorce as a solution to marital unhappiness. Another possibility is that the presence of children from a previous marriage may make her stay more problematic than that of her peers who had married for the first time. Higher instability of remarriages of women than men may be explained by men’s abuse of the right to divorce and women’s powerless. Age at Marriage: The groom’s age at marriage was inversely related to the risk of divorce. Young grooms tended to marry young brides. Many grooms were perhaps too young to be able to carry the heavy load of responsibilities involved in marital life. Divorce is likely to be more common among couples who are poorly prepared to undertake such responsibilities. This finding is consistent with the common explanation that young age at marriage may be associated with poor role performance as a spouse. Groom’s Education and Household Socioeconomic Status: Higher levels of education of grooms were associated with lower odds of divorce in the first year of marital life. Literacy in Teknaf was very low (14 per cent of grooms had one to two years of schooling) and nearly all brides were illiterate. The odds of divorce were higher if grooms came from households with fewer assets. Marital life may have raised tensions and caused unhappiness. Moreover, it could be that poor grooms were less tolerant and respectful to their wives (and vice versa) than rich grooms. Inverse relationships of education and socioeconomic status with divorce have also been reported in other studies conducted in Bangladesh. Infertility and Divorce: In rural Bangladesh, child bearing soon after marriage is desired. Contraceptive use before first birth is in general very low and was in the study population even lower than the national average derived from the Demographic and Health survey conducted in 1993/1994. The birth of a child after marriage may signify a degree of spousal satisfaction that is conducive to marital stability. Our analysis reveals that the odds of divorce were much lower if women had a live birth in the proceeding six-months than if women had not had a birth. The birth of a child helps to keep couples together at least until they are older. 6. 0 Bibliography www. google. com www. webbangladesh. com www. newnation. com www. marrigemakers. com do u think that there is any impact on the children if they are divorced. What type of problem please specify. Have u faced any legal problem while getting divorced.

The 5 Best ACT Prep Games

The 5 Best ACT Prep Games SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips There’s a new craze in test prep: games. Vocab games, math games, reading games- you might think you could study for the entire ACT with just ACT prep games! Unfortunately for you, this is not really true. The majority of ACT practice games are either downright bad or just far less helpful than completing actual ACT practice questions. In this article I’ll discuss the prep game trend, explain why most prep games aren’t so great, present some criteria on what makes a good ACT prep game, offer some game recommendations, and lend advice on how to incorporate them into your studying. ACT Prep Games: A New Trend The term â€Å"gamification† describes attempts to make regular, tedious life tasks more fun and exciting by making them like games. There are apps that gamify exercise, productivity, chores, finance, and even household shopping. Given the ever-increasing circle of things that have been gamified, it’s no surprise that so many companies have tried to gamify ACT prep. Both tiny app developers and test-prep giants like Kaplan and the Princeton Review have gotten on the ACT game train. The general principle seems to be that if studying for the ACT is fun, you’ll want to do it. Hence, ACT practice games will get you to spend more time preparing. But is this true? And even if it is, is the preparation you get from playing games comparable to that from less fun and exciting modes of studying? If cleaning my apartment was a game, I would probably do it more often. Why Most ACT Prep Games Are Sub-Par The sad fact is that there aren’t actually very many ACT practice games that will provide any kind of substantial help on ACT prep. In fact, some games may even be detrimental because you play them thinking you are getting in some valuable preparation when you really aren’t. The problem with many ACT prep games is that they are often glorified multiple-choice quizzes. Creators try to dress them up with competitive elements, power-ups, and other game-like features, but the fact remains that most operate under a basic mechanic of answering multiple-choice questions. This would maybe be fine if the questions in the games were high quality. But unfortunately, in many games the questions don’t resemble actual ACT questions at all. Answers are sometimes truly ambiguous or unclear, and explanations are often lacking or nonexistent. If a game’s primary conceit is presenting you with â€Å"ACT-style† multiple-choice questions, I advise you to stay away from it unless you can thoroughly vet that the questions actually resemble ACT questions. You are much better off using genuine ACT practice testsif you need more sample questions to prep for the ACT. It might be marginally more fun to see yourself get points for correct questions and advance on leaderboards in an app or on a website, but you’ll be much happier in the long run if you spend that time answering well-written sample questions that actually help you. Get real about the quality of your practice questions! What Makes a Good ACT Prep Game With all those warnings said, that doesn’t mean there are no games out there that might help you prep for the ACT. There are three main things that make a useful ACT prep game: #1: It Targets a Specific ACT Skill or Content Area A game doesn’t necessarily have to be specifically designed for the ACT to be helpful, but it does need to help you learn or review a specific concept or content area that’s tested on the ACT- trigonometry, the scientific method, punctuation, etc. Building skills or knowledge in a specific area you are struggling in will be much more useful to you for the ACT than a game that just offers half-baked multiple choice questions with poorly-worded answers. #2: It's Engaging A prep game doesn’t have to be the most exciting experience of your life, but if it’s really boring, you might as well just take practice tests instead. It needs to engage your brain so that it actually feels at least a little bit fun, or else what’s the point? #3: The Content Is Accurate It’s critical that any prep game (and any study materials you are using, period) present information and content that is accurate. There’s nothing worse than studying from an incorrect source, so be sure to vet any games before you use them! Additionally, in games with quiz-like interfaces, multiple-choice questions should actually resemble real ACT questions. May your test prep content be as accurate as your watch. 5Solid ACT Prep Game Sources There are several sources where you might look for actually useful ACT games. Sheppards Software This site has a variety of simple, educational flash games for pre-K through 12th grade. The math page has games for probability, algebra, geometry, and several other topics that appear the ACT. There are also word games in the Language Arts section that test your skill with punctuation and parts of speech. This is a solid resource if you find yourself getting stuck on a particular concept in math or Englishand you just need to drill recall in a non-boring way. FreeRice FreeRice is an online game in which you answer questions to fill up your bowl of rice; every correct question answered actually provides rice to someone in need, which is cool. I advise using the English grammar mode to study for the English section of the ACT. It will help fine-tune your ability to identify grammar mistakes in sentences. NYTimes Student Crosswords This page has printable crosswords (and answer keys) in a variety of academic subjects, several of which could definitely function as a fun review of some key subject-matter concepts for the ACT. For example, check out grammar, geometry, and algebra. Quizlet With a free account on Quizlet, you can make your own set of custom flashcards with the concepts you really need to learn. Once you make a set, you can play two game modes with the terms. There’s a matching game and a game where you prevent asteroids from hitting the planet by typing the correct answer. You can also access thousands of flashcard sets that others have uploaded to the site, including a variety of ACT prep sets. However, you’ll want to check out a set before you use it to study to make sure it actually has useful (and correct) information. ACT Math Jeopardy You can play this ACT math jeopardy game by yourself or in teams. A fun way to practice your ACT-style math questions. There are also SAT question categories, but they aren’t substantively different from the ACT ones. Find true test prep game love. How To Use ACT Prep Games in Your Own Studying ACT games won’t replace the bulk of your normal preparation activities. However, they can supplement your studying in a few key ways. Use 1: To Target Specific Skills/Concepts If you’re having trouble with a specific skill or concept, a game can be a great way to try to drill down on it. If commas or semicolons stump you, find a punctuation game! If triangles trouble you, play a trigonometry or geometry game. Use 2: To Keep Material Fresh Between Study Sessions A few rounds of an ACT prep game can be a solid way to keep material fresh in your mind during times when you aren’t engaging in dedicated prep for that subject. A couple ACT Jeopardy questions will help keep your math brain running smoothly when you spend a couple days studying English during your set-aside study sessions! Use 3: For Warm-Ups, Breaks, and Rewards Games are useful for warming up your brain at the beginning of a study session. They can also be used for breaks and rewards. This will help keep studying from getting too stressful while still keeping your brain working throughout a session! Another kind of warm-up. Key Takeaways Is it possible to completely gamify your ACT studying and be successful? Probably not. Because most prep games are just poorly-written ACT quizzes, you are better off sticking with more traditional practice problems and tests. However, there are some characteristics that make for a useful ACT prep game: It targets skills and content you need to know for the ACT It’s engaging It presents accurate information There are several sources you might look for to find game-like resources for SAT prep: Sheppards Software - Simple flash games for math and English concepts. FreeRice - Has an English grammar mode that’s useful for the English test. NYTimes Student Crosswords - For reviewing fundamental concepts in a subject. Quizlet - Make your own flashcards and then play games with them! ACT Math Jeopardy - Practice questions in a fun Jeopardy-style interface. While they won’t replace most of your studying, there are some targeted ways you might deploy SAT prep games as part of your preparation plan: To target specific skills/concept areas you are weak in Keeping material fresh between study sessions Warm-ups, breaks, and rewards during studying These tips will help you get the most out of your ACT prep games! What's Next? Looking for more ACT resources? See our master list of ACT study guides. Or see our list of the best 2016 ACT prep books. Stumped on a particular question type? Check out our guide to every ACT question type. Taking the SAT as well? See our ultimate SAT study guide!If you need a score boost, we have 15 tips to improve your SAT score. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes your prep program to your strengths and weaknesses. We also have expert instructors who can grade every one of your practice ACT essays, giving feedback on how to improve your score. Check out our 5-day free trial: