Family Diversity - Marriage Flashcards
What are the trends in marriage?
-significant declines in first marriages from 480,000 in 1972 to 231,000 in 2009
-There’s been an increase in remarriages with the largest increases occurring between 1971 and 1972 following the introduction of the divorce reform act
What is the secular ation argument for changing patterns of marriage
-The decline and influenced the church means that people no longer feel they should get married for a religious reason reasons
-People are afraid to choose the type of relationship they wish to enter
-In 2001 census 3% of young people would no religion were married against 17% of those with religion
-Also cohabitation was once seen as living in sin where this is no longer the case
What is the evaluation of the secularisation argument?
-The majority of first time marriages take place within a religious context suggesting that religion still has some influence over the decision to get married
What is the declining stigma to alternatives argument for marriage?
-cohabitation remaining single and having children outside of marriage are all now regarded as acceptable
-In 1989, 70% believe that couples who wanted children should get married but in 2012 only 42% thought so
-There has been a 25% increase in cohabitation in a 10 year period
What is the evaluation of the decline in stigmata alternatives argument?
Despite this most couples who call habit do intend to get married. It’s just the average age of getting married has risen. It’s about a delay rather than an abandonment of marriage.
What is the change in positions of women argument for changing trends in marriage?
-Many women have now financial independence because of education and better career prospects
-For example equal pay act and girls being more likely to go to uni
-Giving them great freedom to not marry
-The growing impact of the feminist view that marriage is an oppressive patriarchal institution may also dissuade women from marrying
Evaluation of the changing position of women argument
-changes to the position of women in society does not necessarily mean they don’t get married but merely put off marriage until their careers are established
What is the fear after divorce argument changing patterns in marriage?
-The fear of divorce and the experience of seeing or going through a divorce has led to some people rejecting marriage
-These views may be the religious views of divorce, impact on children, stigma and cultural ideas
What was the trends in marriage?
Remarriages
-The main reason for the growing remarriages is the increase in divorce
-Rising numbers of divorce provides a supply people available to remarry
Church weddings
-Couples are less likely to marry in church
-This may be due to secularisation
-Also many churches refused to marry divorces
