changing family patterns Flashcards
marriage, divorce
serial monogamy definition
- series of successive relationships
- one ends new one starts
why has the cost of marriage caused a change in patterns of marriage?
- the average cost of marriage is 16-18k. Many are put off by this and would prefer to spend that money elsewhere.
- this would impact he age people get married, as they may need to save up for awhile to afford it.
Why are changing attitudes causing the patterns of marriage to change?
there is less pressure to marry and more freedom for individuals. There’s now a widespread belief that quality of the relationships is much more important than its legal status.
Why is secularisation changing patterns of marriage?
Churches are in favour of marriage but as their influence declines people feel freer to choose not to marry. The church is against divorce which may cause people to reconsider if they want to get married.
Why has decline in stigma caused a change in the pattern of marriage?
cohabitation, staying single and having children outside of marriage are now all regarded as acceptable so pregnancy no longer automatically leads to a ‘shot gun’ wedding.
How are the changes in the positions of women causing a change in pattern of marriage?
- better education and career prospectus means women are now less economically dependent on men. This gives them greater freedom not to marry.
- Feminists may also influence these decisions with their view that marriage is an oppressive patriarchal institution.
how has a fear of divorce caused a change in patterns of marriage?
- with the rates of divorce rising, some may be put off marrying as they see the increased likelihood of marriage ending in divorce.
why is the age at which couples are marrying rising?
- because young people are postponing marriage in order to spend longer in full time education and establish a career first.
- another reason is because people are choosing to cohabit for a period of time before they marry.
Sue Sharpe
- studied working class girls in the early 1970s
- she found their main concerns were love, marriage, children, and jobs and careers came last
- a third wanted be marriage by the age of 20
- 3/4 by the age of 25
what did Sue Sharpe discover in the early 1990s (the second time she studied)
- she found that the young girls priorities had changed to job, career and being able to support themselves.
- “young people had witnessed adult relationships breaking up and reconstituted all around them”
- only 4% wanted to be married by 20
how does Sue Sharpe’s discovery explain the decline in marriage?
girls ambitions have changed, marriage is no longer a priority.
Sue Sharpe also said that young girls had witnessed adult relationships breaking up and being reconstituted all around them and they are far warier of marriage.
how does Sue Sharpe’s discovery explain the later age of marriage?
girls wanted to stay in education and build a career for themselves before they get married.
definition of secularisation
decline of religion - process whereby religious beliefs, practices and institutions loose social significance
feminist view of divorce
- support divorce
- divorce shows women are breaking free of the patriarchal nuclear family which oppresses them
- Liberal feminists would appreciate this trend as a positive development.
- Radical argue more is needed and argue for an increase in political lesbianism and divorce
new right view on divorce
- they see higher divorces as a negative thing
- divorce is undesirable because they undermine traditional family values and the nuclear family
- divorce creates an underclass, who depend on benefits and cause crime
- claim children aren’t properly socialised because they lack a male role model
- argue divorce allows people to avoid commitment
