FAMILY DISINTEGRATION AND THE SCIENTIFIC TRENDS THAT EXPLAIN IT

This article is part of an expanded study conducted by the researcher on family disintegration in the Sultanate of Oman: its causes, forms, effects, and treatment in light of some demographic variables. The article aims to discuss the causes of family disintegration, and to present the scientific trends that explain this pervasive phenomenon. To achieve these objectives; the researcher used the descriptive analytical method. The topic was discussed in two sections, the first focused on discussing the causes of the phenomenon, and the second topic was devoted to presenting the scientific trends that explain family disintegration. The study findings revealed that; The reasons for family disintegration has varied among the researchers, but although these classifications differ, the causes are same, and they can be categorized into four: deviation from Sharia regulations, internal causes, external causes, and divorce. Adherence to Sharia regulations from the beginning of marriage; Assigns the continuation of the marital relationship and its consolidation. And that there are differences between spouses that sometimes cause disagreements between them. Among the external causes; The spread of globalization in societies, which urged new forms of marriage, escaping responsibility, contraception, abortion, acceptance of adultery, recognition of homosexuality. Divorce is one of the most important factors for family dispersal and loss, especially for children. As for the trends that explained the family conflict, they are: the functional direction, the symbolic interaction direction, and the evolutionary direction. The functional theory linked emotional attraction between spouses to the causes of family disintegration. The symbolic interaction theory is linked between a person who grew up in a violent family, and he acquires violence that affects the entity of his family and its subsequent disintegration.