P & T In Marriage inc. cohabitation Flashcards
What are the four key patterns and trends in relation to marriage?
Fewer people are marrying
Remarriages are increasing
People are marrying later
Civil ceremonies have increased
Give facts and figures to support the pattern/trend that fewer people are marrying
In the space of 55 years, the proportion of households containing a married couple has fallen by 32%
In 2010 marriage rates were at their lowest since the 1920s
Give reasons for the trend fewer people are marrying
Women are financially independent allowing them to live alone - don’t need to marry for financial security
Careers are put first
Less pressure to get married - changes in social attitudes - less stigma attached
Marriage is expensive (weddings) - cost implications
People don’t have to marry to cement their relationship - people cohabit which is considered a valid alternative
A decline in secularisation which results in a decrease in marriages
Give facts and figures which support the pattern/trend that remarriages are increasing
A pattern of serial monogamy has merged (marriage/divorce/remarriage)
In 1999 41% of marriages were accounted for by remarriages for one or both partners
However by 2012 the number had decreased where 34% of all marriages were accounted for by remarriages for one or both partners
While recent figures suggest a slight decrease in the number of remarriages since the 1970s the trend has been one of an increase more generally
Give reasons for the trend remarriages are increasing
Less social stigma attached to the idea of remarrying (an accepted norm)
In the past when people married at a younger age those marriages may fail
People are now less willing to put up with domestic abuse/toxic relationships
Secularisation - less concern and more accept and to remarry without being judged
The changing roles of women - more freedom
Older generation whom were previously heterosexual (attracted and married to opposite sex) might now feel more comfortable to come out
Give facts and figures that support the pattern/trend people are marrying later
In 1971 the average age for marriage was 25 for men and 23 for women
However for first time marriage in 2012 was 32 for men and 30 for women
Give reasons for the trend people are marrying later
More women are putting their careers first - change in the role of women
Less societal pressure to get married at an earlier age
Change in social attitudes
People cohabit to see if the relationship to see if the relationship is compatible before embarking on marriage
People want to pursue other goals first eg/travel/uni(takes a while to complete and then have to find a job)
People now hold higher expectations so may wait longer for their particular type
Give facts and figures to support the pattern/trend civil ceremonies have increased
Couples are less likely to marry in a church today
Proportion of civil ceremonies first exceeded the number of religious ceremonies in 1992
In 1981, 60% of weddings were conducted with religious ceremonies but by 2012 this has fallen to 30%
Give reasons for the trend civil ceremonies have increased
More homosexual marriages mean less church ceremonies as it is not accepted in religion
Less pressure on having religious ceremonies
Secularisation
We live in a less religious society - change in social attitudes
More attractive options for civil ceremonies (may opt for civil partnership)
What is cohabitation?
The state of living together in an intimate relationship without being married
When does the trend towards cohabitation tend to increase? Give some figures to support this
As marriage decreases the trend towards cohabitation has increased
In 1966, 2.9million people aged 16-59 were cohabiting, by 2012 this had rose to 5.9million
This makes cohabitation the fastest growing family trend in the UK
People aged 25-59 are statistically more likely to be cohabiting than any other age group
In 2012 the number of cohabiting households containing no children was 56%, the number containing non-dependent children was 4% and dependent children 39%
The relationship between marriage and cohabitation is not clear cut, so what could this trend also be interpreted as evidence for?
Some see cohabitation as a permanent alternative to marriage and therefore this trend has been interpreted as evidence of the declining popularity and social significance of marriage, a temporary phase preparing for it
Two views:
Could be a permanent alternative or a stepping stone to marriage
What 3 sociologists found data for cohabitation as a permanent alternative to marriage?
Barlow et al
- marriage is more of a lifestyle choice than an expected part of life
Chandler
- cohabitation has become increasingly popular and accepted as long term permanent alternative to marriage but this is nothing new
Gillis
- long term cohabitation is not a new phenomenon
What did Barlow et al find in terms of cohabitation as a permanent alternative to marriage?
Drawing on data from the British European Attitudes Survey Barlow et al found that marriage has become more of a lifestyle choice than an expected part of life
What did Chandler find in terms of cohabitation as a permanent alternative to marriage?
Suggests cohabitation has increasingly become accepted as a long term permanent alternative to marriage and this is reflected in the increasing proportion of children born outside marriage in cohabiting relationships
Although she sees cohabitation as increasingly popular she points out that this is nothing new - as many as a quarter to a third of couples lived in consensual unions in the eighteenth century
This supports the work of Gillis who found long term cohabitation is not a new phenomenon
