Chapter 4: Relationships Flashcards
Why does MORGAN believe the institution of marriage is under threat?
Falling marriage rates and people marrying at a later age
Growth and increasing acceptance of alternatives to marriage
Rising divorce rates
In 2013, what were the marriage rates for women compared to 1972?
2013: Women = 20.4
1972: Women: 60.5
What did WILSON and SMALLWOOD say about marriage rates?
Marriage rates do not include people married abroad
There is an increasing trend for British couple to travel outside country to travel
What percentage of females were cohabiting in 1979 and 2005?
1979= less than 3%
2005= 12%
What did PATRICIA MORGAN say about the rise in cohabitation?
Part of a trend in which marriage is going out of fashion.
Represents an increase in the number of sexual partners and frequency of partner change.
What does CHANDLER say about cohabitation?
Cohabitation is a relatively stable, long-term alternative to marriage.
What evidence did the ‘British Social Attitudes Survey’ claim about cohabitation?
Increasing acceptance of cohabitation outside marriage.
Younger generation more likely to accept it.
Relationships stay together for around 6 1/2 years
How many divorces occurred in 1911 and 2014?
1911= 850
2014= more than 111,000
According to NICKY HART, what 3 types of factors can explain marital breakdown?
- Value attaches to marriage
- Degree of conflict between spouses
- Opportunities to escape from marriage
What did GOODE believe was a reason for the increase in conflict between spouses?
Conflict increased because nuclear family is becoming more isolated from other kin
Places emotional burden on husbands and wives who have little support from other relatives
What did DENNIS believe was a reason for the increase in conflict between spouses?
Nuclear family specialises in fewer functions
If love goes, there is little to stop marital breakdown
Fragmentation
Why does GIBSON link increase marital breakdown to modernity?
Individual competition and free-market economy placed emphasis on individualism
Individuals pursue personal satisfaction
Marriage is treated like other consumer products, if not satisfactory more likely to be discarded
What did PLICHER mean by the term ‘life course’ instead of life cycle?
A socially defined timetable of behaviours deemed appropriate for particular life stages within any one society.
Not everyone passes through every stage
Ageing is experiences differently within and between societies
What was the study by CAROL SMART on the meaning of love?
She believes love can have a range of meanings depending upon the personal lives of different couples.
54 same-sex couples:
- 12 saw civil partnership as transforming meaning of their love
- 37 saw ceremony as the culmination of their growing commitment
- 3 saw ceremony as providing external supports or props for their relationship
What did GABB state about a relationship?
The quality of a relationship is important not its functional purpose
