Changing patterns - Marriage and partnerships

Question 1

What is the overall patterns of the marriage rates?

Answer 1

• Fewer people marrying marriage rates lowest since 1920s
• More re-marriages are occurring (80% divorcees remarry)
• People marrying later in life (33 in 2019)
• Couples less likely too marry in a church only 30% did in 2012

Question 2

What are the five reasons contributing to the changing patterns of marriage?

Answer 2

• attitudes shifting
• secularisation
• declining stigma
• changing position of women
• fear of divorce

Question 3

Shifting attitudes

Answer 3

• Less pressure and more freedom to choose type of relationship
• Widespread belief more to a couple then legal status
  Norm has weakened of ought to be married
• Giddens → pure relationships and more individualism it being easier to leave an unsatisfactory relationship then LAT and cohabitating → due to more freedom

Question 4

What does Giddens concept of ‘pure relationship’ mean?

Answer 4

only remaining in a marriage if personal fulfilment is met

Question 5

Secularisation - marriage

Answer 5

• Churches on favour of marriage but their influence declined 37% non religious on census
  3% non religious married 17% religious did

Question 6

Declining stigma - marriage

Answer 6

Cohabitation / single / children outside marriage is all acceptable
So couples feel less pressured

Question 7

Changing roles in the position of women?

Answer 7

Better educational and job prospects → less economically dependent

• Feminists → patriarchal control of marriage may dissuade an individual from marrying

Question 8

Fear of divorce

Answer 8

Some may be put off due to the likelihood of divorce (43% of all marriages)

Question 9

Reason for remarriages

Answer 9

main reason is due to the increase in divorce