China's divorce rate is rising: some 2 million couples are expected to join the ranks of the divorced every year. Getting divorced used to be seen as an embarrassing loss of face and cause for anger and grief by almost all concerned. But nowadays it's generally treated with tolerance and understanding.
Sociologists at a recent forum in Guangzhou said that today's divorcees are more stable psychologically than those in the past. Those who are deserted are no longer so anxious to win sympathy from family and friends. Nor do they feel they must look absolutely miserable when in the presence of others.
In addition, the quality of one's sex life, previously considered private, is now often a topic to be discussed openly, and as one standard to measure the quality of a marriage.
With these changes of attitude, it's not surprising that many people getting divorced want to make the process as simple and painless as possible, so they do the paperwork at a community office, rather than face off in a court of law. Divorced couples have also learned to understand and respect each other. The attitude of many divorcees has changed from that of animosity to friendship.
(People's Daily April 21, 2002)
