Changing patterns of divorce

Question 1

Statistics

Answer 1

• rate of divorce has increased since the 1930s where it was very low

Question 2

Who is most likely to divorce?

Answer 2

• women are more likely to file for divorce
• couples who marry young
• couples who have a child before marriage
• couples who cohabit before marriage

Question 3

what families can marriage breakdown lead to

Answer 3

• remarriages
• lone parent families
• single person household

Question 4

Divorce reform act (1969)

Answer 4

• ‘guilty party’ was abolished
• introduced ‘irretrievable breakdown’ as a reason to divorce which is the only no blame cause

Question 5

What is irretrievable breakdown?

Answer 5

where the relationship has broken down so much that you can’t get it back

Question 6

What are the legal reasons for filing a divorce

Answer 6

• desertion
• adultery
• unreasonable behaviour
• irretrievable breakdown

Question 7

Matrimonial family proceedings act (1984)

Answer 7

• minimum period after marriage before a divorce petition could be filed was reduced from three years to one
• meant divorce was quicker

Question 8

Views of divorce

Answer 8

• Head of the monarch is the church of england (king charles) who had a divorce so it could be seen as more acceptable
• declining stimga due to the fact that we are living in a post modern society
• anthony giddens talks about satisfying partners needs

Question 9

Reasons for the trends in divorce

Answer 9

-law has changed (divorce reform act)
-secularisation
-decline in stigma
-women having more opportunities
-contraceptive pill used so women can have more choice as it allows for certainty and control when having sex
-need courage to get out of marriages which feminism provided for
- women have a better position financially

Question 10

Juliet mitchell and jake goody (1997)

Answer 10

declining stigma
- important change since the 1960s has been the rapid decline in the stigma attached to divorce

Question 11

Graham crow (2011)
- womens financial independence

Answer 11

argues that marriage is less embedded within the economic system
- family is no longer unit of production so spouses dont need to depend on each other economically

Question 12

Feminist explanations

Answer 12

• dual burden and triple shift, argue women who are married have a dual burden as they are doing paid work and domestic work
  Arlie Hochschild (1997)- argue the home compares unfavourably with work, women feel valued at work and mens resistance to do housework could lead to an unstable marriage

Question 13

Feminist explanations

Answer 13

• Wendy sigle rushton (2007)
• mothers have a dual burden of paid work and domestic work than non working mothers
  -when husband is actually involved then divorce rate is lower

Question 14

Anthony giddens (1992)

Answer 14

The pure relationship
- people seek pure relationships which exists to satisfy each partners needs
- divorce trying to find the right the right relationship

Question 15

sociologists perspectives

Answer 15

Feminist- would agree with divorce as it means women are getting out of relationships that they arent happy with
New right - wouldn’t agree as a breakdown of marriages would result in less socialisation and LPF
Post modern - allows for individualisation and choice to choose who you want to be with