The figure-ground phenomenon refers to the cognitive ability to separate different elements in one picture or perspective. Initially introduced by Danish phenomenologist Edgar Rubin (1886-1951) with his famous depiction of the vase interchangeable with confronting faces, it has been widely used in art and design in the composition of two-dimensional pieces.
In psychology, the figure-ground phenomenon describes the innate ability of the human mind to concentrate solely on one aspect of an event at any one time while putting the other aspects in the background. Putting too much of the background in one event can lead to confusion, and in its extreme sense, to psychoses.
Although it is healthy for the human mind to focus on one thing at any given time, it does itself no good in the service of its growth and development to keep focussing solely on that one aspect of a picture while excluding the rest of the contributing factors completely. In my opinion, this is what is leading to the current state of affairs in the divorce issue locally.
The question of whether divorce should be allowed to enter our shores have been simmering for years now, only punctuated by equally hot issues related to separated couples. The shrouding fear that seems to be halting its introduction is that it will make it easier for even more families to break up with the resultant havoc and imbalance created in our society. On the other hand, its absence is leaving a lot of people coming out of failed marriages, through legal separation, who did not manage to get an annulment or a divorce abroad, in an arid no-man's land where they feel unsupported both socially and spiritually.
Considering that this dilemma is the figure for most of us and is being discussed and debated by people seemingly more competent than myself, I will not go too much further into it but rather try to delve more into the background from which this figure is emerging.
According to the latest Survey on Living and Income Conditions carried out in 2008 by our National Statistics Office, there are 199,780 married peoples in Malta - which means that about 200,000 men and women on our islands decided to give each other a life-long commitment to share their lives together, whatever that might bring, till death do them part. Of these, however, 14,600 or seven per cent are either legally separated, a few of them divorced (11, 040) or still married but not living together (3,630).
Simply looking at these statistics at face value would make one assume that only the odd 15,000 are the ones asking for divorce to make their situation easier, while the rest of the couples which are still married are basically leading a harmonious life together within limits. But is this really the case? And does a dysfunctional family, albeit still together, give a healthy and balanced contribution to our society at large?
Maybe it is time for us, and about time too, to change our focus and start looking at the actual state of our families, instead of giving so much importance to just one aspect which can threaten its stability as divorce is not the only factor which can do so. Maybe it is time for us to have a good look at our youngsters before they get married, to see on what criteria they are opting to take this status and on what criteria they are choosing their partners in the first place. Maybe it is time for us to look around and see what support are we giving to marriages and families in difficult situations, families exposed to abuse or even basic lack of respect which is so sadly taken for granted but which can put so much strain on family relations.
In my opinion the place to start is at a very young age, especially at our schools where besides teaching our children the basic academics we should also start teaching them more self-respect which is so central to all the choices that these same children would make as adults. School is also the place where children coming from a dysfunctional family can be easily picked up and the best of efforts then done to give the necessary support to this family from adequate professionals in the field.
More importance can also be given to our pre-marital courses, which in my opinion should be done in a more professional way to make sure that the couples undertaking such a big commitment really know what they are going in for and that they are really prepared for it. I am sure that a lot of dysfunctional couples can be weaned out at this stage thus avoiding disastrous marriage breakdowns later, especially when then there are innocent children to witness and suffer the repercussions.
Likewise, both the Church and the state should both invest more resource in setting up adequately staffed facilities to help marriages in difficulty, both in the way of counselling and support where there is really nothing else to be done to keep the family together. In my opinion, we as a society have to contend with the fact that some marriages just cannot exist, as is usually the case with overt abuse, and the sufferers of such breakdowns deserve the best of support and respect, not hasty accomodations in make-shift shelters and worse still the judgement of some holier-than-thou members of the same society.
In such a setting, divorce will then be on the agenda as one option in the scenario, not the Dr Jeckyll and Mr Hyde saga in an already tumultous picture.
Dr Mizzi is medical affairs officer for one of the leading pharmaceutical companies and one of the medics at a top cosmetic clinic.