marriage , divorce and cohabitation Flashcards
what is marriage
a legal union between two people
list four patterns of marriage
- there has been a decline in first marriage
-women marry at a younger age than men
because men tend to marry women younger than them
- there has been a significant rise in the age at which people are getting married for the first time
-working class men/women are less likely to stay married because of the decline in full time factory jobs and rise in unstable casual unemployment
what is cohabitation
relationships that are similar to to marriage or civil partnerships but not legally recognised as marriage
what are the new right perspectives on cohabitation
- they argue that the rise in cohabitation is responsible for the decline in marriage rates
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list four reasons for the increase in cohabitation
- the reduced social pressure to marry
- lower levels of stigma attached to living with someone without being married
- there is a resistance to marriage influenced by feminist ideas
-According to smart and stevens (2000),
1)Changing attitudes to marriage which range from no interest towards marriage itself to uncertainty about whether a partner is suitable for marriage
2) Cohabitation represents a test for their partner to prove they can settle down, gain and keep paid work etc
3) there may be a philosophical resistance to marriage influenced by feminist ideas with some people believing that cohabitation leads to more equal relationships
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what is divorce
a legal ending of a marriage
what is separation
where couples agree to live apart after marriage
what is empty shell marriage
where couples are married in name only and live in the same home but as separate individuals
Patterns in divorce and separation
- They younger a couple are when they get married the more likely it is that the marriage will end in divorce. For example, divorce is highest in the 25-29 age-group – these people are more likely to have married in their late teens or early 20s.
- 34% of marriages are expected to end in divorce by the 20th wedding anniversary
-`Silver splitters’ ( the number of people aged over 60 who are divorcing) has risen 45% since 2002
-Divorce is more likely to be the outcome of one or both partners have been married before compared with marriages in which both partners are marrying for the first time.
Why has there been a long term decrease in marriage
1) Economic Factors –
The increasing cost of living and the increasing cost of weddings.
2) Changing gender roles
Liberal Feminists point to changing gender roles as one of the main reasons why couples get married later. More than half of the workforce is now female which means that most women do not have to get married in order to be financially secure. In fact, according to the theory of the genderquake, the opposite is happening – now that most jobs are in the service sector, economic power is shifting to women meaning that marriage seems like a poor option for women in a female
economy.
3) Secularization
New Rights see secularisation – the decline of religious belief and practice, especially amongst Christians – as partly responsible for the decline in marriage rates. It is argued that people are now less likely to get married in church ‘before God’ and consequently they are less likely to take their ‘sacred’ wedding vows seriously.
4) Postmodernisation
Postmodernists explain the decline in marriage as a result of the move to postmodern consumer society characterised by greater individual choice and freedom. We are used to being consumers and picking and choosing, and so marriage is now a matter of individual choice.
5) Less stigma
the decline of tradition and religion (secularisation) – as a result there is less social stigma attached to cohabiting.
6) Wilkinson (1994)
notes that today young women weigh up the costs of marriage and having children against the benefits of a career and economic independence. The result of this is that many females, particularly middle-class graduates, are postponing or delaying both marriage and family life until their careers are established.
Why has there been an increase in divorce rate
1) Decline in religious beliefs
There are attitude changes as divorce is no longer associated with stigma and shame. This is partly due to a general decline in religious beliefs and practices.
2) Changes in the law
There is no doubt that the Divorce Reform Act, especially the ‘irretrievable breakdown’ option, made divorce both easier and cheaper.It is highly likely that many couples who had been in empty shell marriages or who could not afford to divorce after separating before 1972 took the opportunity of the new rule to escape from their unhappy marriages.
3) Functionalists argue that marriage is more valued today -
and that people are demanding higher standards of marital behaviour from their partners. Couples are no longer prepared to put up with unhappy, ‘empty-shell’ marriages or to take their relationships for granted. People want more from their marriage than just companionship – they are increasingly demanding emotional and sexual compatibility and equality in decision-making and domestic tasks.
4) changing gender roles –
The changing position of women in society is a crucial part of the increase in divorce rates.
Women today are much more likely to be in employment today and this means they are less financially dependent on their husbands and thus freer to end an unsatisfactory marriage. The proportion of women in some kind of paid work is now 70%, whereas in the 1950s it was less than 50%
5) Change in women’s expectations of marriage -
women’s expectations of marriage have radically changed compared with previous generations from the 1970s on. In 2012, 65 per cent of divorce petitions were initiated by wives. Thornes and Collard’s (1979) argued that this trend supports the view that women expect far more from marriage than men and, in particular, that they value friendship in marriage and emotional gratification more than men do.
