Date of Award

8-2001

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Department

Sociology

First Advisor

Dr. Timothy Diamond

Second Advisor

Dr. Subhash Sonnad

Third Advisor

Dr. Douglas D. Davidson

Access Setting

Masters Thesis-Open Access

Abstract

This study aims to answer these questions: What is the process of divorce in the U.A.E? When do women in the U.A.E reach the point where they can't stay with their husbands? Why does a close intimate relationship break up? What are the connections between social, economic, and cultural environment in the U.A.E and the divorced women who live within them?

Qualitative methods based on interviews of 20 divorced women citizens who initiated the divorce process in the city of Al Ain have been used. The study showed that there are six stages in the divorce process: disillusionment, expressing concern, trying to reconcile, physical separation, mediation, and divorce. Women reach the point of divorce under these cases: husbands' violence, husbands' family involvement, husband's persuing other relationships, and husbands' inflicting emotional abuse. The marriage breaks up when it wasn't based on a primary agreement about the relationship, when partners didn't discover in deep the other partner's characteristics and when serious problems did show up. The study showed that social, economic, and cultural environments influence divorced women's lives by shaping their expectations, forcing them to marry certain people, and shaping the types of problems they have faced.

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