Family Diversity Marriage & Divorce Flashcards
Changing Patterns of Marriage & Cohabitation
trends indicate m variety of fams & HHs
biggest inc = single & LPs (mainly matrilocal) HHs
single person HHs inc by 500k 2003-13 - rela div inc & inc in 65+ living alone
fastest growing HH type = multi fam HHs - 56% inc 2004-14 to 313k - beanpole fam inc - gp’s living w/ children & GC
cohabitation 2x 1996-2012 = 2.9 mil couples
Marriage
fewer ppl marrying - m cohab 1 mil m 2014 than 2001
Duncan & Phillips (2013) num of ppl in serious relas but not cohab/mar = 1/2 single pop in UK = LATs
= m remars = serial monogamy - less mar in ch
ppl marrying later - live longer - av age inc 8 yrs 1971-2011
Reasons for Changing Patterns of Marriage
1st mars - changing ats to mar, sec, dec stigma to alts, changes to pos of women, fear of div
remars - rise in div
age mar - young ppl = in edu longer & careers - cohab 1st
Ch weddings - sec, many refuse to mar divs
Cohabitation
unmar couple in sexual rela living together
num inc in UK = 25% of all unmarried adults under 60 cohab = 2x 1986 - expected to x2 by 2021
Reasons for Increased Cohabitation
dec stigma - seen as m acceptable partic among young
inc female career ops - have less need for fin secur of mar
sec - ppl w/ no religion m likely to cohab
Relationship between cohabitation & marriage
some couples see cohabitation as step to mar
Coast (2006) 75% cohabitation couples expect to marry
others see as permenant alt to mar
Bejin (1985) cohab = concious attempt by some young ppl to create m equal rela than trad patri mar
Same Sex Relationships
Stonewall (2012) estis 5-7% of adults in Brit have s-s relas
may not be an inc from past but bc ppl less likely to hide relas
Chosen Families
Weeks (1999) inc soc acceptance may explain trend to s-s cohabitation- fams based on friendship as kinship
Weston (1992) s-s cohab = quasi mar
Einasdottri (2011) many gay & lesbian couples welcome op for legal recog - others fear may limit flexibility & negotiability of relas
One Person Households
has = big inc in num of ppl living alone
many = 65+ - men under 65 also likely to live alone
by 2023 over 30 of adults will = single - unpar & never mar
Reasons for Changes
inc in sep & div
dec in nums mar
trend to mar later
growing num opt for creative singlehood
for some (older women) = too few partners in age group
Living Apart Together
inc num in sig relas but not mar/cohab
may bc chose to stay in own home
some couples may not be able to afford to live together
attitudes to LATs = favourable
Separation & Divorce
= steady rise in div in m mod indust socs
m than 40% of all mars in Eng & Wales end in div
since 2000 the % of mars ending in div = dec - ppl mar later & inc cohab b4 mar
serial monog = inc sif propor of divs = to ppl previoulsy div
sep often precedes div - 2011 male divs 32% & 22% female = 2 yrs after sep - same yr 16% male divs & 9% female divs = after 5 yrs
Changing Patterns of Divorce
since 60s =1 min huge inc in div - rose rapidly 1961-72 & peaked 1993 - nums fallen recently
about 40% mars end in div - 7/10 petitions from women
young, children out of wedlock, cohabitation 1st & 2nd mars m likely to div
Meaning of High Divorce Rate
New Right - undersir - undermines mar & trad nuclear fam
Fems - desirable shows break from oppression of patri
PM’s & IT - shows freedom to choose & = inc fam diversity
Funcs - not threat to mar - bc of inc expecs - remar shows
Interacs - aim to understand div meaning to indu - Morgan (1996) cannot gen
PLP - accept can cause probs - some argue div = normalised & can adapt to it = another transition in life
Childbearing
47% children now born outside of mar
women having children much later & fewer - 1.44 - m = childless
Reasons for Changes in Childbearing
dec in stigma of births outside of mar - inc in cohab
women = m options - indu - ppl inc X follow N’s & V’s = freer to construct own lives - bc children = time & energy demands fewer have them / postpo
risk - many feel relas X healthy/fin sec enough
changing ops = m edu & pro ops for women = fulfillment out of children - inc contra
changing attitudes - Sharpe
Lone Parents
= 22% of fams w/ children
90% = lone mums
since early 1990s biggest group of LMs = never mar
children in LP fam = 2x as likely to be in pov
Reasons for Lone Parent Family Patterns
inc in div & sep, unmarried mums
dec in stigma on births out of mar
death of p X longer main reason
women seen as suited to expressive role - usually get custody - men less willing to give up work
Renvoize (1985) pro women can provide by selves
Cashmore (1985) some women pref to live on bens w/o partner
inc fem & greater female ops
Lone Parenthood & Welfare State
Murray (1984) blames over gen welfare state = perverse incentive leading to dependent cul - solu = abol bens to red births outside of mar
New Right Evalutation
welfare bens = far from gen - LP fams = m likely in pov bc:
lack of affordable childcare -60% unemploy
indadeq bens & m = women - can’t earn as much as men
many dads X pay maintenance esp if sup other fam
Step Families
10 of all fams w/ children
86% at least 1 child from woman’s rela vs 11% from mans
Ferri & Smith (1998) SFs sim to 1st fams but m risk of pov
Allan & Crow (2001) SFs = partic tensions & divided loyalties
Ribbens-McCarthy et al (2003) Sfs = diverse - some have tensions others X
Reasons for Step Family Patterns
come from LP this reasons existence = sim
children m likely to remain w/ mum - m in SF w/ mum
greater risk of poverty as SF may = providing for prev fam - may = m children
tensions may be due to lack of clear soc norms & have to behav in this situ
Black Families
Changing Family Patterns
B-C, B-A & mixed fams = higher prop of LPs - rela to fam disorg - traced to slavery - slaves sold children w/ mum - contins as norm - others - high unemploy of black males - can’t provide = m desertion / marital breakdown
Black Families & Sociologists
Mirza (1997) = down to greater NBance placed on indepn by black women
Reynolds (1997) stats mis rep non-cohab couples as LPFs even tho = stable & sup
Asian Families
Changing Family Patterns
Pakistani, Bangladeshi & Indian HHs = larger some = exten fams - most = nuc may = larger bc m are childbearing age comp to other pops - also higher NBance of exten fam in Asian cul
Ballard (1982)
larger fams = NB sup - mig to new country - early period of mig houses shared by extensive fams - now asian fams live nearby - kinship networks = sup - Sikhs, Muslims & Hindus = m likely to live in exten fam
Extended Family Today
1
Parsons - nuc fam = m dom in indust soc
Charles (2005) - vertically extended fam = all but extinct in Swansea accept Bangladeshi commun
Willmott - exten fam hasn’t dec = m dispersed
Extended Family Today
2
Chamberlain (1999) B-C fams = multiple nuc fams w/ close & frequentlyt contact & sup
Bell (1968) has partic funcs - MC = fin help from father to son - WC = dom help mother to daughter
Evidence on Extended Family
evi suggests extending fam = NB today = prac & emo sup when needed but = dif from Parsons idea of living & working together w/ strong mutual obligations - some obligation to some kin in crisis
Beanpole Family
**Brannen (2003) **long thin fam - extended vertically X horizontally
Charles (2008) contact still high w/ Ms & Ds - brother sister = dec - means X define as fam - m likely friends seen as fam
could be bc of inc life expectancy & smaller fams
Obligations to Relatives
Finch & Mason (1993) variability in what expected of children - still feel oblig - 90% give/recieve fin help, 50% care for sick relative ppl felt had to reciprocate so X indebted
Child Bearing & The Life Course
2022 UK birthrate = 11.322 births per 1000 ppl = 0.48% dec from 2021 = 11.377 = 0.49% decline from 2020
Total Fertility Rate 2007 = 1.92, 2006 = 1.86 2001 = 1.63 2024 = 1.44
Life Course Analysis
Hareven (1978) focus on indus and how make life choices - flexi & vari in fam life - what time get mar, buy house, have baby
use unstructured interviews
Evaluation of Life Course Analysis
focus on what fam mems see as NB - thro their eyes & notices meanings given to events & choices
partic suitable for studying fams today = m choice in fam structure & less influ from soc expecs
