changing family patterns Flashcards
what % of marriages now end in a divorce?
40%
How much has divorce increased by from 1961 to 2012?
6X
How have changes in the law increased divorce?
1923-> ‘equalising the grounds’ women could obtain a divorce on the same basis as men
1949-> divorce made cheaper through introduction of legal aid
1971-> ‘widening the grounds’ couples could divorce without proving wrongdoing
How has secularisation increased divorce rates?
religious institutions are losing their influence
Mitchell and Goody- important change since 60s= rapid decline in stigma of divorce (influenced by trad church values)
how has women’s financial independency and modernity increased divorce rates?
increased paid work, better education, breaking the glass ceiling-> Beck and Giddens- traditional norms have disappeared (pure relationship)- no longer down to tradition/norm etc
How have traditional norms of marriage changed in terms of age between 1978 and 2018?
People now marry later-> average age of first marriages rose by seven years between 1978 and 2018
What are 3 reasons why partnerships have increased over marriage?
- Secularisation- influence of church declined- 17% of young people with a religion are married
- Declining stigma for alternatives- fewer shotgun weddings, cohabitation is acceptable, 2012- only 42% If people felt they should be married before kids (1989- 70%)
- Changing position of women- economic independence- changing family patterns, feminism sees marriage as patriarchal
How many adults now cohabit? (out of 8)
what has this caused according to Chester and Weeks?
1 in 8 adults cohabit- Chester-> trial marriage, relationships are more equal- Weeks- more likely to pool, women do less housework
How much has same sex couples increased? according to weeks why is this?
16,000 in 1996-> 250,000 in 2021- Weeks= greater acceptance in chosen families
How many people live in one person households/live apart together?
1 in 3 households= mainly women-> higher divorce rates, later marriages (husband dies)
living apart together- Duncan and Phillips (1 in 10)
How has childbearing changed? Why is this?
47% born outside marriage (x2 as many as 1968), fr has declined- 1.44, more childless women
-> Decline in stigma, increasing cohabitation, increasing economic independency, 28% think marriage comes first
What % of families are lone parent? what % of these are female headed?
22%
90% mothers
Why are lone parent households increasing? What is the new right pov of this?
-> Increasing divorce, children outside of marriage, women are given custody (expressive role), Renvoize- women are financially independent, choose LP by choice, less support needed from father
- NR- Murray-> benefits have created perverse incentives for LP families, must abolish welfare benefits= reduce dependency culture that encourages birth outside if marriage
how have step families changed over time compared to now? why is this?
10% of all families, 85% have children from mother, Ferri and Smith-> more at risk from poverty, McCarthy- diversity among sfs-> experiences differ
-> Increasing divorce, more with mother d2 custody (expressive role expectation), poverty
How have ethnic differences in family types change over time? (black vs asian fams) why is this?
Immigration since 60s-> greater ethnic diversity and family patterns, Berthoud-> British culture is becoming more individualistic-> impacting family life
- Asian families= 86% married, mainly extended families providing support for migrants (Ballard)
- Black families= 51% LP (mainly women)- value women’s independence, role model to girls
According to charles how is the extended family extinct?
STUDY of Swansea, found that the classic 3 gen family is extinct expect for some exceptions- Bangladeshi community
4 arguments that the extended family is NOT extinct:
(willmott, chamberlain, bell, mason)
- Willmott- changed rather than disappeared, relative now may be geographically separated but maintain frequent contact through visits and phone calls
- Chamberlain- STUDY- Caribbean families in Britan->‘multiple nuclear families’- close with relatives who contribute to childbearing= extended fam survives as it performs important functions for its members
Bell- studied Swansea-> wc and mc fams rely on kin for support e.g. mc- financial help, wc- domestic help - Mason- over 90% of people had given or received financial help, 50% had helped care for a sick relative-> BUT women more expected than men to do this (expressive role)
