Changing patterns - cohabitation Flashcards
What is the trend amongst cohabitation?
Gradual increase across all age groups, but more 25-34 year olds are cohabitating, so less marriage.
Give a statistic on cohabitation:
ONS 2012 - Roughly 6 millions people are cohabitating in the United Kingdom - doubled since 1996.
What is the increase in children born out of wedlock?
4% in 2012 but has now risen to 47%.
Must bear in mind cohabiting couples are in the most fertile age group for childbearing.
What is the reasons for an increase in cohabitation?
Secularisation
Changing attitudes/decline in stigma
Feminism
Pragmatic explanation
How has secularisation led to an increase in cohabitation?
Bryan Wilson - religious ideas lost influence so less pressure to marry.
How has changing public/social attitudes lead to increase in cohabitation?
Barlow et al:
Younger people are more likely to accept as less traditional
More people see it as acceptable to have children without getting married
Alright for people to live together without getting married
How has Feminism led to an increase in cohabitation?
See it as a symptom of change in values held by women.
Lack of satisfaction with traditional marriages - seen as patriarchal.
Looking for more satisfying forms of relationships and living arrangements.
What were the 3 approaches, identified by Jamieson et all, that couples adopt towards cohabitation?
- Living together is the beginning of a permanent partnership.
- Cohabitation is a way of testing out whether a permanent relationship is viable.
- Drifted into cohabitation without little thought of the future - regarded more as a pragmatic arrangement that carries no expectations.
How do the NEW RIGHT view cohabitation?
Cause for concern - threatens the sanctity of marriage.
Marriage seen as going out of fashion.
High proportion of children born out of wedlock is a sign of moral decline and decline of NF
What does NR theorist Morgan suggest about cohabitation?
Cohabitating couples are less happy and fulfilled, more likely to be abusive, unfaithful and stressed - higher chance of seperation
What % of marriages have been preceeded by cohabitation?
80%
