changing family patterns Flashcards
State 5 reasons for the increase in divorce rates
(1) changes in the law- equalising the legal right reasons for divorce between the sexes, widening the grounds for divorce and making divorce cheaper (have risen with each change in the law)
(2) declining stigma and changing attitudes
(3) rising expectations of marriage
(4) secularisation- traditional opposition of divorce by the church has less weight
(5) changes to the position of women- increased financial independence, more likely to be in paid work, narrowed pay gap
What are 3 alternative solutions to divorce?
-desertion- where one partner leaves the other but the couple remain legally married
-legal separation- where a court separates the financial and legal affairs of the couple but they remain married and are not free to re-marry
-‘empty shell’ marriage- where the couple continue to live under the same roof but remain married in name only
-however as divorce has become easier to obtain, these solutions have become less popular
MITCHELL AND GOODY
declining stigma attached to divorce is an important change since the 1960s
-‘normalises’ divorce
-viewed as more of a misfortune than shameful so couples become more willing to resort to divorce as a way of resolving their marital problems
RONALD FLETCHER
higher expectations of marriage
-less willing to tolerate an unhappy marriage
-if love dies, there is no purpose in love
-in the past, families were constructed mainly for economic reasons/ of duty to one’s family (and so were unlikely to have high expectations of marriage)
ALLAN CROW
love, personal commitment and intrinsic satisfaction are now seen as the cornerstones of marriage, the absence of these feelings- justification for ending the relationship
Functionalist’s optimistic view of marriage: Fletcher
-point to the continuing popularity of marriage
-most adults marry and high rate of re-marriages
-shows that although divorcees may have become dissatisfied with a particular partner, marriage has not been rejected as an institution
): feminist critique
): marriage rates have fallen recently
Feminists view of marriage
-oppression of women is the main factor causing marital conflict and divorce
-functionalists fail to explain why mainly women seek divorce over men
HOCHSCHILD
-for many women, the home compares unfavourably with the work, as at work, women feel more valued
-men’s resistance to housework at home makes marriage less stable.
-Both going to work leaves less time and energy to talk about issues together
SIGLE-RUSHTON
working mothers > traditional breadwinning families to divorce
BUT
when the husband is involved with chores, the likelihood of divorce falls to the same levels as traditional breadwinning families
BERNARD
-many women feel a growing dissatisfaction of the patriarchal marriage
-Rising divorce rate and most petitions coming from women = Feminist ideas
-More confident about rejecting patriarchal oppression
What are 3 reasons for decreasing marriage rates?
-changing attitudes
-secularisation
-decline in stigma towards alternatives
State some marriage patterns.
-fewer people marrying
-more re-marriages -> ‘serial monogamy’
-people marrying later
-less couples marrying in a church
Reasons why couples may be less likely to marry in church
- secularisation
- many churches refuse to marry divorcees
Reasons for increase in cohabitation
-decline in stigma, particularly among young people
-increased career opportunities for women- less need for financial security from marriage
-secularisation- more young people without a religion cohabiting than those with a religion
-some see it as a permanent alternative to marriage
COAST
75% of cohabiting couples expect to marry each other
HOWEVER
others see it as a permanent alternative to marriage
BEJIN
cohabitation is a conscious attempt made by some young people to create a more equal relationship, compare to the traditional patriarchal family
Reasons for an increase in same-sex relationships
-changing attitudes (decline in stigma)
-social policy (accepting laws)
Reasons for an increase in one-person households
-older widows
-increase in divorce and separation
-decline in numbers marrying
Why may some couples live apart together (LATs)?
-May choose to remain in their own home
-Some couples may not be able to afford to live together
-may be too early to cohabit
Reasons for the increase of LATs
-Increasing divorce rates from couples living together may deter them
-More flexibility with where couples can live due to declining stigma
-More women in paid work who may have jobs in different areas
Meaning of high divorce rates to New Right
-high divorce rates are undesirable as it undermines marriage and traditional nuclear family which are regarded as vital to social stability
-It creates a growing underclass of welfare-dependent female lone-parents who are a burden on the state -it leaves boys without adult male role models, so they believe it is the result of poor health and educational outcomes for children
Meaning of high divorce rates to Feminists
are desirable as it shows women are breaking free from oppression of the patriarchal nuclear family
Meaning of high divorce rates to Postmodernists
see it as showing that individuals now have freedom to end relationships when it no longer meets their needs and they see it as a major cause of greater family diversity
What are some patterns in childbearing?
-more children born out of marriage (twice as many as in 1986)
-Women having children much later
-Women having fewer children
-More women remaining childless
CAROL SMART
divorce has become ‘normalised’, so the family can adapt without disintegrating
-divorce is seen as a transition
STONEWALL
-estimates 5 to 7% of adults to today in Britain are in same-sex relationships
-this may not be an increase from the past, but just more people are less likely to hide these relationships
Meaning of high divorce rates to Functionalists
not a threat to marriage as an institution and is simply the result of people’s higher expectations
high number of remarriages supports the continuing idea to the commitment of marriage
Meaning of high divorce rates to Interactionists
MORGAN- argues that we cannot generalise about the meaning of divorce because every individual’s interpretation of it is different
MITCHELL AND GOODY-e.g. found that one person viewed the day her father left as the best day of her life while another person has never recovered from that
DUNCAN AND PHILLIPS
LATs are no longer seen as abnormal
Why are more children born outside of marriage?
decline in stigma and increased in cohabitation
Why are women having children later and why are women having fewer children?
-Women now have more options and motherhood E.G.establishing a career first
-declining infant mortality rates
-more women remaining childless
Lone parent family patterns
-90% headed by lone-mothers
-2x more likely to be in poverty
-make up 20% of all families with children
Reasons for increase in lone-parent families
-increasing divorce and separation rates
-Declining marriage rates
-Increasing number of never married woman
-This is all because of a decline in stigma
Reasons for mainly women-headed lone-head parents
-women by nature are suited for the more expressive/nurturing role
-Divorce courts usually give custody to mothers
-Men are less willing to give up work to care for children
Why is it easier for women to be ‘single by choice’ now/ have children without marrying?
-more women in paid work-professional women are able to support the child without fathers involvement as they are less financially dependent
-there is a possibility of welfare benefits for working-class mothers
Stepfamilies patterns
-10% of all families with children
-86% have at least one child from the woman’s relationship compare to 11% from the man’s
FERRI AND SMITH
step families are similar to 1st families example, good info, than in childcare and rearing
BUT are as a greater risk of poverty
ALLAN AND CROW
step-families have particularly high tension (contact with non-resident parent) divided loyalties
RIBBENS-MCCARTHY ET AL
Step-families are diverse, and some have tensions, but others do not
Reasons for the patterns in step-families
-lone-parents form new partnerships as there is an increase in lone-parents, divorce and separation
-more from women’s relationship as children or more likely to remain with the mother
-Greater at risk from poverty as more children from a previous relationships and supporting children from previous relationships
-Tensions due to the lack of clear social norms on how to behave in such families
Personal life perspective of marriage
accepts that divorce can cause problems such as financial difficulties and a lack of daily contact between children and non-resident parents
BUT
SMART
