changing patterns - divorce & marriage

Question 1

divorce

marriage breakdown 1 - divorce?

Answer 1

• legal termination of marriage
• 1969 divorce reform act: “irretrievable breakdown” withouth marrital offence being commited by either partner
• since 1984 couples petition for divource after 1st year of marriage

Question 2

divorce

marriage breakdown 2 -seperation?

Answer 2

• couples agree to live apart after the breakdown, remian legally married
• in the past this was the only solution because divorce was too expensive or difficult

Question 3

divorce

marriage breakdown 3 - empty shell marriages?

Answer 3

• husband & wife stay together in name only, no love or intamacy left, matter of respect
• marriages: seperated & forced to live together

Question 4

divorce

why divorce statistics may be unrealiable?

Answer 4

• misleading conclusions about declining importance of marriage & family
• “it’s declining” : 65% families in uk are married
• divorce stats: legally terminated, dont show: seperated but still marriage, unhappy/unstable couples existed before divorce was easier and cheaper

Question 5

divorce

divorce reform act 1969 ?

Answer 5

• marriage seen as “ irretrievable breakdown”

Question 6

divorce

family law act ?

Answer 6

• increased amount of time before divorce could be granted: 18 months
• compulsary marriage concouling “period of reflection” & required children’s wishes & financhal arrangements

Question 7

divorce

matrimonial & family proceedings 1984?

Answer 7

• can divorce only after year

Question 8

divorce

2019 new divorce dissolution & seperation law?

Answer 8

• removed partners blame eachother

Question 9

divorce

explanations & reasons

changes in law?

Answer 9

• cheaper & easier for divorce
• men & women equal rights in divorce
• 1971 granted based on “irretrievable breakdown”
• divorce rate almost 2x

Question 10

divorce

explanations & reasons

decline in stigma & social attitudes

Answer 10

• no longer shamefull
• giddens: consequence of people persuing individual choices, confined by society

Question 11

divorce

explanations & reasons

secularisation?

Answer 11

• decline in influence of religious beliefs
• traditional: “sin” gone, church’s attitude softer towards divorce

Question 12

divorce

explanations & reasons

higher expectations of marriage, fletcher?

Answer 12

• higher expectations : higher divorce rates,
• higher expectations: people less tolerant of unhappy marriages
• higher divorce rate: better marriage expectations reflected in re-marriage rates

Question 13

divorce

explanations & reasons

changes position of women?

Answer 13

• 2 1/3 divorce petitions initiated by women
• improve in women’s economic positions: don’t rely on husbands
• availability of welfare benefits
• feminists: women’s expectations in life & quality of relationships increased

Question 14

divorce - theories on divorce

Fletcher - functionalists?

Answer 14

• higher demands of marriage, marriage: underthreat as social institutions
• end marriages that were accepted in the past
• higher divorce rates: higher marriage expectations

Question 15

divorce - theories on divorce

liberal feminists?

Answer 15

• high rates: oppurtunities for women, don’t rely on husband: own money, priotities changed
• dual burden: unpaid & paid work : increase in divorce, family change: slow & limited
• marriage is still patriarchal: men benefit from “triple shift”

Question 16

divorce - theories on divorce

liberal feminism - hochschild ?

Answer 16

• for women, home continues to comapre favourably w work
• at work: valued
• at home: men’s resistance w housework: frustration: marriage un-stable
• women’s independance: positive

Question 17

divorce - theories of divorce

interactionalist?

morgan

Answer 17

• what divorce means to individuals
• Morgan: can’t generalise meaning of divorce: everyones interpretion different

Question 18

divorce - theories of divorce

postmodernism

Beck?

Answer 18

• high divorce rates: freedom to end relationship when it doesn’t meet needs
• cause of family diversity
• Beck: traditional norms: staying married to 1 person, lose hold, persue own interests, individualism thesis, relationships fragile, less wiling to remian w partners

Question 19

marriage

marriage statistics?

Answer 19

• 2016: 249,793 marriages in Englands & Wales, 1.7% above 2015, 1.0% below 2014
• same sex couples 7,019: 2016 8.1% more than 2015
• opp sex decreased in 2016 compared to 2006
• 24% religious ceremonies 2016
• 80% remarry

Question 20

marriage - explanations & reasons

changing attitudes?

Answer 20

• no longer seen as “compulsary”
• expensive & rise in divorce
• people still aspire to get married

Question 21

marriage - explanations & reasons

secularisation?

Answer 21

• no longer having religious ceremonies
• not all groups

Question 22

marriage

reduced stigma?

Answer 22

• rise in cohabition, effect,
• same sex marriages rise: change in attitudes

Question 23

marriage - explanations & reasons

changes to positions of women?

Answer 23

• economically stabel, don’t need man
• not all women

Question 24

marriages - explanations & reasons

fear of divorce?

Answer 24

• higher expectations of marriage (Fletcher)