In East Asian countries, divorce rates have been rising steadily since 1980, and in Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong, particularly in the period since 1990. The rise in South Korea was particularly sharp between 1995 and 2000 – the period in which the Asian financial crisis occurred. Substantial increases in divorce rates in East Asian countries signify a significant change in circumstances and attitudes to divorce, because in the past divorce carried a considerable stigma, and the pressure to remain in a disharmonious marriage for “the sake of the children” and also for the sake of appearances and family honour, was very strong. It would appear that factors such as increasing economic independence of women, and the pressures of the big city environments in which an increasing proportion of East Asians live, are influencing divorce trends. More controversial is the issue of whether East Asian societies are becoming more individualistic and less governed by Confucianist norms.

In the less wealthy countries of Asia, divorce rates have varied tremendously in the past, from very low rates in South Asian countries to very high rates in the Malay-Muslim populations of Southeast Asia. It is only when the traditional marriage and kinship systems in these countries are understood, along with the pressures under which they are placed by social and economic developments, that trends in divorce can be understood. The reason why massive declines in divorce rates in Malay-Muslim populations were correlated with rising education and economic development was that divorce had been an escape route from unsatisfactory parent-arranged marriages at very young ages, and when this system of marriage arrangement broke down and love marriages took over, this escape route was no longer needed. In very recent years, the falling trend in divorce rates in Malay-Muslim populations of Southeast Asia appears to have been reversed, very likely because the factors just mentioned have more than played themselves out, and divorce among these populations is now being driven by similar factors to those operating elsewhere in East Asia, and in the West, for that matter.

The degree of social, economic and moral support available for divorced women plays a vital role in determining divorce rates. In South Asian marriage systems, divorce is not a feasible way out of a disharmonious marriage. Unless arranged marriage and patrilocal residence cease to be the norms governing marriage, it seems unrealistic to expect much increase in divorce rates in the region.

Equally important in influencing divorce rates are the civil and religious laws pertaining to marriage and divorce. These laws have been changing and such changes have been controversial in some Asian countries.

We invite papers that document and comment on the recent patterns in marital dissolution in Asian countries. Papers could be either a country-specific case study or a cross-national comparison. Contributors are invited to reflect on the influence of socio-economic changes in Asia, the changing role of women and the role of ideational change on marital dissolution in the region. We are also interested in papers that examine how the existing support structures for divorced women and laws relating to marriage and divorce have shaped marital dissolution patterns.

SUBMISSION DETAILS

Paper proposals should include a title and a 500-word abstract. A short biography should also be submitted on the attached form by 23 November 2009.

Click here for Paper Proposal Submission Form.

Please submit and address all applications and enquiries to Ms Sharon Ong (arios@nus.edu.sg). Successful applicants will be notified by 10 December 2009 and will be required to send in a draft paper (5000-8000 words) by 5 April 2010.

Based on the quality of proposals and availability of funds, partial or full funding will be granted to successful applicants. Funding will only cover air travel to Singapore by the most economical means and lodging for the duration of the conference.

SUBMISSION DETAILS

Paper proposals should include a title, a 500-word abstract and a short biography and submitted before 23 November 2009. The submission form can be found on the main website of this call for paper.

Please submit and address all applications and enquiries to Ms Sharon Ong (arios@nus.edu.sg). Successful applicants will be notified by 10 December 2009 and will be required to send in a draft paper (5000-8000 words) by 5 April 2010.

Based on the quality of proposals and availability of funds, partial or full funding will be granted to successful applicants. Funding will only cover air travel to Singapore by the most economical means and lodging for the duration of the conference.