Changing patterns - Divorce Flashcards
What is the overall pattern for divorce?
The divorce rate is increasing significantly
what % the amount of marriages end in divorce?
42%
1923
grounds for divorce equalised
1949
legal aid available
1969
divorce reform act matrimonial offence abolished made irretrievable breakdown sole ground for divorce (had to give a reason)
1996
amily law act - encourages seek mediation but divorce allowed after reflection period
2020
divorce dissolution act → no blame had to be made or any reason given
What are the 7 explanations for the increase in divorce?
- changes in laws
- declining stigma
- securalisation
- rising expectations of marriage
- womens financial independence
- feminism
- individualisation and modernity
how have th gradual legislation changes contributed to the patterns?
Made divorce more acessible
Criticism of view of changes in law main reason
Changes in law have given freedom to divorce more easily → still need to look at the why people take advantages this and causation for divorce other factors and other social changes need to be analysed
Declining stigma and changing attitudes
Divorce no longer seen as shameful
As divorce is more common now societal attitudes have ‘normalised’ it so it is no longer seen as ‘shameful’ more just a misfortune → so ppl no longer ashamed or scared of peer viewpoints
Mitchell and Goody - stigmatisaiton
note that the rapid change since 60s has been stigmatisation as stigma declines divorce becomes more socially acceptable people more likely to opt as a solution to marital issues
Securalisation
- Decline of the influence of religion within society.
As the church carries less of an influence - Their opposition carries less weight
- Individuals less likely to be influences by religious teachings when making decisions about these personal matters → whether to file or not
Rising expectations of marriage - Fletcher
argue that the higher expectations people place on mariage are causing these rising divorce rates
- Higher expectations people less willing to tolerate an unhappy marriage
- Linked to the idea of ‘romantic love’ and media fed message of ‘the one’ → no reason to stay in a marriage if they are not this soul mate
What was the viewpoint on marriage in the past?
Individuals had little choice of who they married
* Family was a unit of production and were largely for economic reasons
* As a result less likely to have high expectations more likely to not be dissatisfied for absence of romance and intimacy
Crow - rising expectations marriage
Marriage is now viewed not as a binding contract but as to fill someone’s fulfilment and encourages to divorce if this does not occur → CROW ‘absence of love and personal commitment is now justification for ending a relationship.
How has disney contributed to the patterns?
They provide projection of the view of romantic love and finding the one creating these unrealistic expectations
Criticisms of rising expectations of marriage
- Feminists critique this arguing → argue oppression is the reason for divorce and functionalists ignore this
- Marriage rates have fallen in the past 50 years
Fail to acknowledge while it is mostly women filing for
Women financial independence
No longer obligated to marry for financia; reasons
* legislation changes
* education opportunities
* GIST and WISE
All contribute
Feminist explanations
Argue women today carry a dual burden - paid work and domestic work
This has created a new source of conflict leading to more divorce
Despite positive movements in education and employment
Argue the private sphere of family and personal relationships change is limited
Argue that family is still patriarchal → DUNSCOMB AND MARSDEN triple shift occurs
Hoschild –> feminist explanations
At work women feel valued but at home men’s continuing resistance to do housework in a source of conflict and tension makes marriage less stable. + with both working less time is available to work through emotion work to remain a happy marriage → higher divorce
Bernard –> radical feminist view
observe many women find that many women feel a growing dissatisfaction with patriarchal marriage sees rising divorce rate due to the fact of acceptance of feminist ideology
* Women being conscious of patriarchal oppression
* More confident in rejecting it
What does Beck and Giddens argue about modern society
argue in a modern society, traditional norms such as duty to remain with partner for life had been lost with people more likely to pursue own self interest ‘individualisation thesis’
- Raising divorce rate ‘normalises’ divorce and further strengthens the belief marriage exists only to provide personal fulfilment
- Pure relationships
What has modern society promote indiviudalism as aswell?
- Women work
- Women encourage to have own interests outside the family unit
Can cause conflict and breakdown of relationships
Some argue that modernity encourages people to adopt a neoliberal, consumerist identity based on the idea of freedom and to follow one’s own self - interest pulling spouses apart.
The new right
- See it as undesirable because it undermines marriage and the traditional nuclear family → they deem vital to societal stability
- View it as creating a burden of lone parent families on the state + leaves boys without role models
Feminism
See it as desirable seeing women be able to escape the oppression of patriarchal nuclear families.
Post modernism
See it as showing individuals now have the freedom to choose to end the relationship when no longer getting their personal needs fulfilled
Functionalism
A high divorce rate is not a threat to marriage as a social institution but is simply due to the fact that people have higher expectations today.
* High rate if re-marriage show it is still valued
Interactionist - Morgan
argues we cannot generalise the meaning od divorce because every individual’s representation is different.
Personal life perspective
Accepts divorce can cause issues such as financial difficulties but SMART argues that divorce has become normalised and that family life can adapt to it without breaking down.
