marriage , divorce and cohabitation Flashcards
what is divorce , separation and an empty shell marriage
- divorce is the legal termination of marriage
- separation is when couples agree to live apart in a break down of a marriage
- empty shell is when there is no intimacy , love or romance between them
what are some of the trends in divorce ?
- 80% of divorcees re marry
- 62% of divorces are initiated by women
- 42-49 is when most marriages end in divorce
what are some examples of laws that made divorce more accessible ?
- the divorce reform act 1969 , this made it much easier for women to get divorces without a marital offence because they were on the terms of irrevertible breakdown
- 2019 divorce and dissolution separation law, this allowed a divorce to be ended on good terms where partners didn’t have to blame each other
what are some of the reasons for the increase in divorce?
1 - changes in the law , new legislation made it easier and much more accessible to get a divorce whilst also giving men and women equal rights in divorce this reflects the changing attitudes of the 1970s eg the divorce reform act 1969
2- changing positions of women, women were becoming increasingly economically independent dont need to stay in an unhealthy marriage because of there husbands economic status, shown through the 2/3drd of women that initiate divorce
3- the decline in stigma , divorce was no longer seen as a shameful thing , due to the greater acceptance of society it meant that people were not confined in marriages that were not a fit for them- GIDDENS would argue that this is because people are pursing individual choice rather than social attitudes
what was the year of the divorce reform act
the divorce reform act 1969 - started in 1971
what are some new right views on divorce ?
the new right believe that divorce stats highlight there view that there is a serious crisis in the family and in relationships, they see this as decline in the nuclear family because people can no longer commit to family and marriage
what are some functionalist views on the increase of divorce?
funct believe that the increase in divorce is because of people are now demanding more out of marriage FLETCHER would support this idea because he argues that marriage is no longer a social institution that reflects the values they once did -
what are some feminist views on the increase in divorce
feminist would argue that this is a positive thing specifically liberal feminists they would argue that the rise in divorce is due to the increased opportunities women have no longer reliant on husbands - no longer facing the DUAL BURDEN
where as radical feminists would suggest that this does not benefit women because …
what are some postmodernist views on the increase in divorce ?
postmodernist views on the increase in divorce would be positive they believe that this is a reflection of the increased freedom and individualisation of individuals, high divorce rates mean that they choose to end the relationship when it no longer suits there needs . BECK Argues taht traditional norms loose value on indviduals as time progresses
Has there been an overall decline in marriage ?
- YES this is because of a number of factors such as :
• Because of the increase in cohabitation
• There is greater diversity in relationships now , this means that there are alternatives such as a civil partnership
• Because of securitisation ( the decline in religious beliefs)
What is the counter argument that marriage is declining ?
- Even though there has been a clear decline in marriage , it is still an important institution because
- Most households are still headed by a married couple
- Even though people are cohabitating most of there goals are still to get married
- Most people still think marriage is a ideal relationship this suggests that there is not a clear decline in religious values.
What do Giddens and beck argue about marriage ?
The late modernists beck and giddens argue that because life is becoming more uncertain and due to structural changes getting married does not seem like the sensible option
Who argues the concept of a pure relationship ?
Giddens- he argues that relationships are lasting longer because they are happy with each other not because of outside factors such as tradition people are often happy with serial monogamy and cohabitation because it is not a big commitment like marriage
Who talks about individuation ?
Beck - she argues that because of individuation a new social norm is about putting the individuals desires before any social commitment’s
What is Risk consciousness and who talks about it ?
- Beck talks about the idea of risk consciousness and it is the idea that because there is an increase in divorce people do not want to take the risk and get married.
