Marriage, divorce and cohabitation

Question 1

definition of marriage

Answer 1

the legal joining of a couple

Question 2

definition of divorce

Answer 2

the legal termination of a marriage

Question 3

definition of cohabitation

Answer 3

an unmarried couple living together, and having a sexual relationship

Question 4

How much has the rate of marriage decreased? And why?

Answer 4

50%

-due to change in social attitudes, marriage has lost value, and has been replaced by alternatives.

Question 5

How many same sex marriages has there been since 2013? why?

Answer 5

15,000

-due to the change in laws. SAME SEX COUPLES ACT

Question 6

What has the average age of women getting married changed to from what? why?

Answer 6

from 20 to 36
-due to the changing position of women, have more aspirations and are now more career driven so wait until older to get married

Question 7

What was the study of the changing position of women, and who studied it?

Answer 7

• Sue Sharpe
• 1970s= priorities, family and husband
• 1990s= priorities, education, career and love

Question 8

Why has marriages in churches decreased to 30%?

Answer 8

SECULARISATION

-marriage is no longer a spiritual expectation, so people don’t marry in churches.

Question 9

How many of marriages are remarriages, why?

Answer 9

1/3 are remarriages

• increased life expectancy, time for more relationships
• marriages only last 12.5 years on average, with people living to 80/90.

Question 10

How many times has divorce increased by?

Answer 10

3X in 10 years.

Question 11

Give 2 reasons why divorce has increased?

Answer 11

• CHANGES IN LAW, divorce reform act, easier to divorce without reason, women didn’t have to stay in empty shell families.
• SECULARISATION, divorce not frowned upon

Question 12

The average marriage has decreased to how long? Why?

Answer 12

12. 5 years

- increased life expectancy, marriage is too long, divorce after short time

Question 13

40% of ALL marriages end in divorce. Why?

Answer 13

• changing position in women, Equal Pay Act, Welfare State, women have financial security so don’t need a man or stay in empty shell family
• self-partnering, people prefer this
• change in social attitudes, less stigma around divorce, normalised, decrease in empty shell.

Question 14

What did BECK say about divorce

Answer 14

we live in a ‘RISK SOCIETY’

we already think of divorce before marriage

Question 15

What is the percentage of divorces that are filed by women?

Answer 15

75%

Question 16

There has been an increased rate of cohabitation, why?

Answer 16

CHANGE IN SOCIAL ATTITUDES, people choose to live rather than have a legal commitment, no longer frowned upon

Question 17

1/8 of relationships are cohabitation, why?

Answer 17

SECULARISATION, no stigma, not seen as a sin anymore, person’s choice, no requirement of marriage

Question 18

88% of marriages cohabitated first, why?

Answer 18

• women are career driven, choice

- can test relationship before legal commitment

Question 19

Cohabitation is the fastest growing family type, seen to double by 2022, why?

Answer 19

• weddings and divorce = expensive
• change in social attitudes
• CHANDLER= alternative, replaced
• CHESTER= ‘natural part of process’