ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses only one analytical concept, divorce frequency, and endeavours to show that this is better expressed quantitatively rather than qualitatively. It argues that, to be usable, quantitative expressions must be standardized and suggests various standardized procedures to be followed. Many writers have given qualitative statements about the frequency of divorce in the societies they describe. Many ethnographers have sought to give greater precision to their reports by publishing numerical indices of divorce frequency. Unfortunately, these indices have been calculated in several different ways and it is sometimes difficult to compare data from different societies. In modern societies, all marriages and divorces are registered with some central organization, and demographic tools are designed to make the best use of information already collected. The cumulative marital experience shows the number of times to date that members of a population have been married, divorced, or left as widowers or widows.
