Divorce and marriage rates

Question 1

what is the post-modernist viewpoint?

Answer 1

increased divorce and declining marriage rates are due to the greater individual freedom in modern societies, particularly with the decline in the influence of religion.

Question 2

who is the Post modernist evidence?

Answer 2

Giddens (1992)

Question 3

What did Gidden’s argue?

Answer 3

First, people have greater individual freedom to end marital relationships that don’t fulfil personal needs

Second, people seek ‘pure relationships’ based on needs, rather than commitment to traditional gender roles

Question 4

Who is the post-modernist analysis?

Answer 4

Neale (1999)

Question 5

what did Neale argue?

Answer 5

the declining influence of religion on society.

First, religious organisations, like churches and mosques, were key to promoting marriage as a cultural norm

The declining influence of religion in postmodernity means people are more likely to get a divorce.

Second, many religious organisations, like the Anglican Church, now permit divorce.

Question 6

what did functionalist argue?

Answer 6

a transformation from a socio-economic function to a romantic function, causing an increase in divorce.

Question 7

who is the functionalist evidence?

Answer 7

Ronald Fletcher (1966)

Question 8

what did Fletcher argue?

Answer 8

• in the past people married for economic or political reasons
• now relationships are based on love and emotional fulfilment
• if these expectations are not met people will divorce

Question 9

who is the functionalism analysis?

Answer 9

Graham Allan and Graham Crow (2001)

Question 10

what did Allan and Crow argue?

Answer 10

• shifting expectations of relationships
• marriage is now based on romantic and emotional fulfilment
• people prioritise happiness so are more likley to leave relationships that dont have this

Question 11

what is the feminist point ?

Answer 11

declining marriage and increased divorce rates are caused by the greater legal changes and the ‘triple shift’.

Question 12

who is the feminist evidence?

Answer 12

Henna Hill Kay (1987)

Question 13

what did Kay argue?

Answer 13

legal changes are crucial to the increased in divorce and the linked decline in marriage rates.

e.g The 1969 Divorce Reform Act allowed divorces to increase from 50,000 per year in 1971 to 150,000 in 1981

Question 14

who is the analysis for feminists?

Answer 14

Marxist-Feminists, like Hochschild
- higher divorce rates because of womens burden of the triple shift
- now able to balance their work without comitting to traditional gender roles