A sociological research on divorces: The case of Van (2001-2016)

Historically, the family institution has had an important place in most social structures. In today's modern societies, despite the changing conditions and perceptions, it can be said that a large area of an individual and societal life is carved out for the family. On the other hand in both past and present family unions which have vital importance in terms of the continuation of the generation, the arrangement of sexual life, emotional togetherness, the transfer of socio-cultural and religious norms from generation to generation, divorces have manifested to various weaknesses and resolutions and continue to occur. Predominantly, in the aftermath of the II. World War, up until and including the 2000s the rates of divorces began to increase in relation to socio-economic and cultural growth all over the World, including Turkey. The modernization of the individual and societal life, along with socio-economic developments in Turkey, as with the whole World, has provoked an increase in divorce trends. As divorce is not soley a modern societal factor it can be seen to envelop an individual's life and so the increased rates of divorce can also be seen in deep rooted traditional cultures. The purpose of this study is to investigate the sociological aspects of the divorces between 2001-2016 in Van, which on the one hand comprise socio-economic components through a modern pattern and the other hand the traditional, cultural and tribal texture. The study centres the divorces in Van and aims to discuss the general issue of divorce in Turkey and the Eastern Anatolia Region while examining divorces on this front between the years 2001-2016. This research which uses a wide angle to evaluate divorces in Van, analyzes the divorce data set received from TUİK (Institution of Statistics of Turkey) (2001-2016), The Family Court and Van Legal Aid Office of Van (2013-2016) and qualitative interviews. On looking at the back story of divorce; the actual construction of the marriage, forms of marriage, family background, as well as the sociological structure of the inhabited area, all have an effect on rates of divorce. In terms of both men and women, roles of divorces in Van appear to have either increased in spite of their controversy in culture and tradition, or a previously camouflaged situation has come to light.