comingapart

Coming apart is a phrase used to describe the process of disintegration, separation, or failure of a system, structure, or relationship. In everyday language it can refer to physical breaking due to stress or fatigue, as well as the breakdown of organizations, communities, or personal relationships. In scientific and engineering contexts, coming apart can denote fracture, delamination, or fragmentation of materials and the loss of structural integrity in components or assemblies.

In literature and public discourse, coming apart has been used as a title and theme to signal social, cultural, or political deterioration. The most widely known usage is Coming Apart: The State of White America, 1960-2010, a 2012 non-fiction book by Charles Murray. The book analyzes social and economic trends among white Americans and argues that a growing cultural and economic divide has weakened social cohesion, with discussions of family structure, education, work, and community life. It sparked extensive public and scholarly debate over its claims and methodology.

Beyond that book, the phrase appears in various media and academic discussions to describe disintegration in families, communities, institutions, or systems, as well as in metaphorical analyses of political or cultural breakdown. Overall, coming apart is a flexible concept used across disciplines to denote processes of fragmentation and loss of cohesion, whether literal or figurative.