Changing Patterns in Family Diversity Flashcards
Statistic about divorce rate
2013: 42% of marriages will end in divorce.
Significant increase in divorce
between 1961 and 1973
3 types of termination of marriage
Seperation
Empty shell
Desertion
Couples most at risk from divorce:
Those that marry young
Those who have children before marriage
Those that cohabit before marriage
5 reasons for increase in divorce in 20th century
Legal Changes: 20th century legislative changes made divorce easier.
Changing expectations of love and marriage.
Changing social values.
Secularisation.
Economic position of women.
4 legislative changes making divorce easier in 20th c
1923: Equalising grounds for divorce between sexes. Today, 70% of divorce petitions come from women.
1949: Legal Aid Act - Provide free legal service and solicitor’s fees for those that can’t afford them. Made divorce accessible to more people.
1971: Divorce Reform Act - Widened grounds for divorce, divorce could occur due to ‘irretrievable breakdown’. Guilt no longer needed to be proved, had to show the marriage was beyond repair.
1984: Matrimonial Proceedings Act - Time a couple have to married before divorce reduced from 3 years to 1 year.
2010 law making divorce harder
Coalition government insist all couples have mediation before divorce.
3 changes in expectations of love and marriage caused increase in divorce
Fletcher and Parsons: People expect and demand more from marriage. Therefore they are less likely to settle in a unsatisfactory marriage.
Fletcher: High divorce rate implies people value marriage more, not rejecting the instiution of marriage.
Giddens: ‘Confluent Love’ Today love focuses on intimacy, closeness and emotion rather than traditional ideas of practicality, duty and obligation. This means that love is much more transient and they last as long as both partners find satisfaction and fulfilment. People become easily disatisfied.
Changing social values increasing divorce (2)
More socially acceptable to divorce in the 20th century. No need to avoid stigma attached to divorce.
Cockett and Tripp: Normalisation of divorce made divorce more socially acceptable.
How has secularisation contributed to changing patterns in divorce (2)
Religious institutions and ideas have lost their influence in society as society becomes increasingly secular.
Traditional opposition of the church carries less impact in society.
How has the economic position of women contributed to changing divorce rates (6)
Increase in women willing to seek divorce as they are now much less dependent on their partners.
Kurz: Women were trapped in unhappy marriages as they could not support themselves or their children financially. Unless women are economically dependent their opportunities to divorce are severely restricted.
Proportion of women working in 1959 = 47% in 2005 = 70%
Equal pay and anti-discrimination laws reduce the gap between men and women financially.
Girls’ greater success in education broadens opportunities.
Welfare benefits are more available so women do not have to remain financially dependent on their husbands.
Hochschild
The home compared unfavourably with work.
At work the woman feels valued whereas at home they feel exploited as men refuse to aid housework, making marriage less stable. However, if both partners go out to work this leaves less time for emotion work needed to address arising problems.
This contributes to rising divorce rates.
New Right perspective on divorce
2
High divorce rate is undesirable.
Creates an ‘underclass’ of welfare dependent female lone parents with boys lacking male role models.
Post moderninst perspective on divorce
High divorce rate shows people now have more choice and freedom.
Leading to greater family diversity.
Feminist perspective on divorce
High divorce rate is desirable.
Women are breaking free from male oppression and becoming more independent.
Women are prepared to reject male domination in the family unit.
