P & T In Divorce

Question 1

When did divorce increase?

Answer 1

Throughout the twentieth century there was a sustained increase in the divorce rate in all modern societies

In England and Wales the divorce rate steadily increased until it stabilised in 1994 (at a historically high level)

Latest statistics published in 2012 estimate that 42% of marriages in England and Wales end in divorce

Question 2

When was the largest increase in divorce?

Answer 2

The 1960s-1980s witnessed the largest increase in divorce

The divorce rate per 1000 married people in England and Wales rose from 2.1 to 13.1

Question 3

What are the reasons for an increase in divorce?

Answer 3

Secularisation - religious decline

Increased independence

Greater maturity

Change in social attitudes (more acceptable to get a divorce)

Greater financial independence

Easier divorce process - laws changed

Decline in divorce stigma

Has became more of a norm - more acceptable

Question 4

The number of divorces peaked in 1933 what has happened since then?

Answer 4

Since 1933 there has been a general decline

Reflecting this the divorce rate fell by 2.1 from 2001 to 2011

The divorce rate may not seem very high but by 1996 there were nearly as many divorces as first marriages

In 2011 when the divorce rate was 10.8, the marriage rate was 8.7 - these figures are often used to suggest that the institution of marriage is in decline and that it is no longer values

Question 5

How should divorce statistics be treated with?

Answer 5

Divorce statistics should be treated with caution and assessed against legal, financial and social circumstances so that misleading conclusions about the declining important of marriage are avoided

Question 6

What may an increase in divorce reflect?

Answer 6

• may simply reflect a decline in stigma attached to divorce & easier & cheaper divorce proceedings enabling the legal termination of already unhappy marriages rather than an increase in the no. of marital breakdowns
• we’ll never know how many unhappy & dysfunctional relationships & empty shell marriages existed before divorce was made easier therefore although statistics show an increase in divorce this may not necessarily be indicative of an increase in no. of marital breakdowns

Question 7

In 1996 although there were nearly as many divorces as first marriages, what was there?

Answer 7

There was nearly as many remarriages as divorces

However more recently there has been a decline in the number of remarriages in the UK and and in 2009 it had fallen to 35%

Nevertheless conclusions regarding the state of marriage cannot only be made with reference to divorce alone - to gain a comprehensive picture reference to remarriages must also be made

Question 8

There has been a continued decline in divorces since 2003 what may this be due to?

Answer 8

The fall in divorces is consistent

The decrease in marriages may be due to the increasing number of couples choosing to cohabit rather than enter into marriage

However while 42% of all marriages are estimated to end in divorce other factors are likely to influence the likelihood of divorce for individuals including year of marriage, age at marriage and whether they have married before

Question 9

What are the three key trends in divorce?

Answer 9

Year of marriage

Age at marriage

Whether they’ve married before

Question 10

Explain the divorce trend - year of marriage

Answer 10

The percentage of marriages ending in divorce has generally increase from those marrying between the early 1970s and early 1990s

However for those marrying in the most recent years since 2000 the percentage of marriages ending in divorce appears to be falling this recent decrease may be related to the two factors of cohabitation and age at which people first marry

Cohabitation has increase in recent years - Research in Population Trends has shown that people often live together before getting married and this may act as a filter out weaker relationships from progressing to marriage

Question 11

How does age at marriage contribute to the trend year of marriages?

Answer 11

The age at which people first marry has been increasing and previous research also in Population Trends has shown that those marrying when they are older have a lower risk of divorce

Question 12

Explain the trend whether people have married before

Answer 12

In 2001 70% of divorces were to couples where both parties were in their first marriage while the remaining 30% were couples where at least one of the parties had been divorced or widowed previously

The percentage of couples divorcing where the marriage was the first for both parties has generally declined from the early 1970s to 2011 - over the same period however the percentage of divorces where one or both parties were previously divorces has gradually increased

Question 13

Explain the rising expectations of marriage for an increase in divorce

Answer 13

Social expectations about marriage have changed - more people demand higher standards from their partners and want emotional and sexual compatibility, equality and companionship

In the past when divorce was less acceptable people would have been more likely to stay in an empty shell marriage and put up with things however today people are less likely to tolerate an unfulfilling relationship - this is linked to the ideology of romantic love (an idea that has become more dominant whereas in the past people were unlikely to have high expectations of marriage)

Question 14

Explain changing social attitudes as an increase for divorce

Answer 14

Divorce is no longer associated with shame and stigma and is increasingly accepted as a fact of life

This reflects the fact that norms and values associated with both marriage and divorce have relaxed and divorce has become normalised

A long term and social trend is the shift away from monogamy to serial monogamy (been in more than one relationship)

Many people see monogamy as unrealistic and there is less pressure to stay in an empty shell marriage

Question 15

What do functionalists argue about rising expectations as an explanation for an increase in divorce?

Answer 15

Functionalists argue that the increase in divorce is indicative and reflective of higher expectations attached to marriage rather than declining social significance

They also point to the continuing popularity of marriage and remarriage, the latter illustrating that people are dissatisfied with a particular pattern not the institution of marriage itself

Question 16

How do feminists view functionalists view of rising expectations of marriage as an explanation for an increase in divorce?

Answer 16

Feminists are criticism of the functionalists view and argue that the oppression of women within marriage is the main cause of marital conflict and divorce (reflected in the fact that it is mainly women who seek divorce)

Question 17

Explain secularisation as an explanation for an increase in divorce

Answer 17

Religious beliefs and vows have a less direct influence on large sections of the population and therefore there are fewer people who believe that marriage has to be “til death do us part”

Furthermore many religions have softened their opposition to divorce

The increase in civil ceremonies also shows that marriage is less likely to be seen as a religious institution

Question 18

Explain the changing role of women as an explanation for an increase in divorce

Answer 18

Feminists note that women’s expectations of marriage have radically changed and this reflects their improved status

Fewer women no longer have to stay unhappily married because they are financially dependent upon their husbands - therefore in the past women were trapped economically however today they have greater financial independence and there is more state help for single parent families

In 1950, 75% of divorce petitions were filed by men, by 1990 over 75% were filed by women

Question 19

What are the feminist explanations for an increase in divorce

Answer 19

While there have been big improvements in women’s position in the public sphere of employment, education, politics etc feminists argue that in the private sphere of family and personal relationships, change has been limited and slow

They argue that marriage remains patriarchal with men benefitting from their wives “triple shift” of paid work, domestic work and emotion work

Feminists believe that women are more conscious of patriarchal oppression and more confident about rejecting it

Question 20

Explain modernity and individualisation as an explanation for an increase in divorce

Answer 20

BECK and GIDDENS argue that in modern society, traditional norms such as the duty to remain with the same partner for life, lose their hold over individuals - as a result individuals become free to pursue their own self interest aka INDIVIDUALISATION THESIS

Relationships thus become more fragile as individuals become unwilling to remain with a partner out of a sense of duty, tradition or for the sake of the children of the relationship fails to deliver personal fulfilment and satisfy their needs

This results in a higher divorce rate which normalises and further strengthens the belief that marriage exists to provide person fulfilment

Question 21

Which two key sociologists are used in modernity and individualisation as an explanation for an increase in divorce?

Answer 21

Beck and Giddens - individualisation thesis

• don’t feel an obligation to stay in a relationship if it does not satisfy their needs or give them personal fulfilment

Question 22

Explain changes in divorce legalisation as an explanation for an increase in divorce

Answer 22

Changes in divorce law have generally made it easier and cheaper to end marriages but this in itself is not the cause of increases in divorce

Legal changes often reflect other changes often reflect other changes in society especially attitudinal change

Question 23

What is the New Rights view on the meaning of high divorce rates?

Answer 23

BAD

They see a high divorce rate as undesirable because it undermines the traditional nuclear family

In their view divorce creates an underclass of welfare dependent female lone parents and deprives males of the adult male role that they need

Question 24

What is the Feminists view on the meaning of high divorce rates?

Answer 24

GOOD

They disagree with the new right

They see a high divorce rate as desirable because it shows that women are breaking free from the oppression of the patriarchal nuclear family

Question 25

What is the Postmodernists view on the meaning of high divorce rates?

Answer 25

GOOD

They see a high divorce rate as giving individuals the freedom to choose to end a relationship when it no longer meets their needs

They see it as a cause of greater family diversity

Question 26

What is the Functionalist view on the meaning of high divorce rates?

Answer 26

MIDDLE GROUND

They argue that a high divorce rate does not necessarily prove that marriage as a social institution is under threat

It simply means that people have higher expectations of marriage today

The higher rate of remarriage shows people’s continuing commitment to the idea of marriage

Question 27

What is the Interactionists (personal life perspective) view on the meaning of high divorce rates?

Answer 27

BOTH

They aim to understand the meaning that divorce has to the individual and recognise that it varies from being positive and necessary to a negative emotional development

They accept that divorce can cause problems for individuals involved but recognise that it has become normalised and that family life can adapt to it without disintegrating - it is just a transition in the life course