Patterns and trends

Question 1

Patterns and trends marriage

Few people are marrying

Answer 1

Secularisation

Women’s increased financial independence

Cohabitation is rising

No stigma attached

Question 2

Patterns and trends in marriage

Remarriages are increasing

Answer 2

More socially acceptable

Media influences

Increase churches are taking relaxed approach on remarriage

Question 3

Patterns and trends in marriage

People are marrying later

Answer 3

Increased life expectancy

Stay in education longer

Which is expensive

More socially acceptable

Question 4

Patterns and trends cohabitation

Cohabitation as permanent alternative to marriage

Answer 4

Cohabitation has become marriage by another name

Marriage has become more of a lifestyle choice than an expected part of life

Cohabitation has increasingly become accepted as long-term parmenant alternative to marriage and this is reflected in the increasing proportion of children born outside marriage

Question 5

Patterns and trends in cohabitation

Cohabitation as a prelude to marriage

Answer 5

Cohabitation seen as part of the process of getting married

Short-term premarital relationship

Chester argues cohabitation is a temporary phase before marriage stepping stone to it

Cost found 75% of cohabiting couples expect to marry each other if cohabitation is successful

Question 6

Reasons for increasing divorce

Answer 6

Socially acceptable

Decrease in religious beliefs secularisation

Legal changes easier and cheaper

Changes in the role of women

Question 7

Divorce trends

Answer 7

Increased from 1911 to 1993

Decreased after 1993

This may be because less people were marrying then therefore there is less need for divorce

Question 8

Divorce legislation

Answer 8

1969 Divorce reform act
Allowed couples to legally obtain a divorce if they could prove their relationship had experienced an irretrievable breakdown if both partners consented after a period of separation

1984 the matrimonial and family proceedings act reduced the Time limit for divorce from three years to 1 year

1996 family law act encouraged couples to seek meditation but allowed divorce by agreement after a period of reflection it also introduced no-fault divorce ( empty shell marriage)

Question 9

The new right and divorce

Answer 9

See high divorce rate as undesirable because it undermines the traditional nuclear family

In their view divorce create an underclass of welfare dependent female lone parent and deprives males of the adult male role model they need

Question 10

Feminist view of divorce

Answer 10

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

Question 11

Post-modernity View on divorce

Answer 11

See 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 great cause of family diversity

Question 12

Functionalist view on divorce

Answer 12

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

Simply means that people have high expectations of marriage today they have eight every marriage shows peoples continued commitment to the idea

Question 13

Interactionist view on divorce

Answer 13

Aim to understand the meaning that divorce has to the individual and recognises that it varies from being a positive and necessary to negative emotional development

Believe every divorce is unique don’t generalise

Question 14

Trends in childbearing

Increase in the number of children born outside of marriage

Answer 14

This trend reflects a reduction in shotgun and marriages where couples married to legitimise pregnancy

Question 15

Trends in childbearing

Women having children later

Answer 15

Prefer financial stability first

Increased life expectancy

More socially acceptable

People are marrying later and therefore having children later

Changes in the position of women

Question 16

Trends in childbearing

women are having fewer children

Answer 16

Cost to have children

People are marrying later on there. Families later this Impacts the number of children

Improved contraception

People staying in education longer

Question 17

Trends in childbearing

More people are childless

Answer 17

Cost to have children

Choose career over children

More socially acceptable no stigma attached

Question 18

single parent families/lone parent households key trends

Answer 18

1 in 4 children live in SPF

9 out of 10 LPF headed by single mothers
take main caring role, reflects belief women are suited by nature to expressive/ nutting role. Usually given custody

media representativeness average age LP with dependent children is 38. only 2% were under 20

Duncan and Rogers found less than a third of children born in SPF said in one throughout childhood. important appreciate SPF is temporary. reflects not in of a family life cycle

Question 19

Reconstituted families

Answer 19

allan and crow RF face problems of divided loyalties and issues such as contact with non-resident parent.

Ferri and smith found that RF greater risk of poverty as more children to support.

Question 20

The debate on single parent families

Answer 20

Government saw SPF as:

Expensive: more likely dependent on benefits, more expensive for government

Lacking moral responsibility: They are content with living off welfare state.show moral recklessness

Dysfunctional: children brought up without farther therefore particularly boys lack male role model. Cause they lack this family is dysfunctional.