marriage and children Flashcards
Mitchell and Goody (1997)
since the 1960’s there has been a DECLINING STIGMA attached to DIVORCE
why has there been a declining stigma attached to divorce?
- high profile divorces
- church less influential (secularisation - society becoming less religious)
- changes in the position of women ( less financially dependent on their husbands)
who is most likely to get divorced?
- those who marry young (older=settle)
- those who have children before marriage
- people who have been married before
changes in law , evaluation
it is still expensive
rising expectations of marriage , evaluation
patronising to people , many know marriage isn’t perfect
declining stigma , evaluation
stigma still exists
secularisation , evaluation
religion actually increasing globally
changing positions of women , evaluation
women still not equal , not all want the same in life
divorce
legal termination of marriage
divorce rates : 1971—–>
1991—->
2015—>
1971—–> 74,000
1991—-> 158,000
2015—> 101,000 (down as there was less marriages in the first place)
Chandler (2005)
approx 40% of todays marriages END in DIVORCE
7/10 APPLICATIONS for DIVORCE now come from women
in moderate societies divorce has…
risen steeply
marriage rates:1971—–>
1991—->
2015—>
1971—–> 459,000
1991—-> 350,000
2015—> 239,000
causes for rise in divorce rates
- rise in women’s rights
- no longer taboo and more accepted
- less religious
causes for rise in divorce rates , changes in law
divorce has become:
- equal
- easier
- cheaper
Fletcher (1996)
argues we place too high expectations on our marriages , which is why so many of them fail
before 1857:
divorce DIDN’T EXIST , special act of parliament was the only way you could get one
1857:
men able to divorce their wives (if unfaithful) and very expensive
1923:
women given the same rights as (1857) men
1969:
‘DIVORCE LAW REFORM ACT’ made IRRETRIEVABLE BREAKDOWN of marriage ACCEPTABLE as the sole grounds for divorce , but only after 2YRS of being SEPARATED
divorce law reform act
made irretrievable breakdown acceptable as the sole ground for divorce , but only after 2 years of being separated
1996
’ FAMILY LAW ACT’ allows divorce by AGREEMENT after a ‘period of reflection’
rising expectations since the 1950’s
- 1950’s , not much expected from marriage
- little choice over who they married
- location , work , money important factors
- romance was a ‘bonus’ not an expectation
why is there a higher age of marriage now
age of marriage increasing because people spend more time in education and establishing a career , many now cohabit before marrying
reasons for increasing divorce
- changing law
- rising expectations of marriage
- declining stigma
- secularisations
-changing position of women
why are couples now less likely to marry in church
- secularisation
- church does not allow divorcees to marry
what is cohabitation
involves an UNMARRIED COUPLE in a SEXUAL RELATIONSHIP to be LIVING TOGETHER
what % of all unmarried adults under 60 are cohabiting?
25% , 2x the number in 1986
what is the number of cohabiting couples expected to do by 2021
double (2x)
reasons for rise in cohabitation
- DECLINE IN STIGMA , seen as more acceptable
- INCREASED CAREER OPS FOR WOMEN , less need for financial security of marriage
- SECULARISATION , people with no religion more likely to cohabit than religious people
Coast (2006)
some couples see cohabitation as a step on the path of marriage
what % of cohabiting couples expect to marry each other
75%
Bejin(1985)
some couples see it a a permanent alternative to marriage
- cohabiting as a SERIOUS ATTEMPT made by some YOUNG PEOPLE to CREATE a more EQUAL RELATIONSHIP the TRADITIONAL PATRIARCHAL MARRIAGE
Shelton and John (1993)
women who cohabit do less housework than their married counterparts
same sex relationships are…
increasing
Stonewall (2008)
around 5-7% of adults today in Britain today have same sex relationships
why has there been a rise in single person households
- increase in divorce and separation
- deline in number of marriages
- older widow
what are LATS
increase in number of adults that are in significant relationships but not married or cohabiting
LATS (what does it stand for)
living apart together
why do LATS exist
- maybe chose to remain in their own homes
- may not be able to afford a new flat to live together
who is the rise in 1 person households mainly due to
- many of the people are >25 , men more likely
- after divorce , men more likely to leave the family home
1971 - record number of ____ couples were married
480,000
2009 - record low of _____ couples married
231,490
mean age at first marriage 1972- men
24.9
