Topic 2

Question 1

Changes in law - 1923

Answer 1

Equalising the grounds of divorce
The grounds were equalised for men and women, following this there was a sharp rise in divorce petitions from women.

Question 2

Changes in law - 1949

Answer 2

Making divorce cheaper
Introduction of legal aid for divorce cases lowered the cost of divorce and made it more accessible for the working classes. Legal aid for divorce has now been
withdrawn (since the coalition government).

Question 3

Changes in law - 1971

Answer 3

Widening the grounds for divorce
rates doubled almost overnight This included ‘irretrievable breakdown’ and made divorce easier to obtain.

Question 4

Desertion meaning

Answer 4

Where one person leave the other but they remain legally married

Question 5

Legal separation meaning

Answer 5

Where a court separates financial and legal affairs but remain married

Question 6

‘Empty shell marriage’ meaning

Answer 6

The couple live under the same roof but remain married in name only

Question 7

Mitchell and goody - decline in stigma and changing attitudes

Answer 7

argue since the 1960s there has been a significant decrease in the stigma attached to divorce.
As divorce becomes more accepted in society, couples are more likely to turn to it as a way of resolving their issues
In other words divorce has now become ‘normalised’ – instead of being shameful it is now more likely to be viewed as a misfortune.

Question 8

Secularisation

Answer 8

This refers to the decline of the influence religion has in society. Many sociologists argue that religion is losing its influence and society is becoming more secular, e.g. church attendance figures have declined.

Question 9

Fletcher - rising expectations of love

Answer 9

suggest the high expectations people place on marriage is the major cause of the increase in divorce rates. High expectations make couples less willing to tolerate unhappiness.

Question 10

Allan and crow - rising expectations of love

Answer 10

argue people no longer see marriage as a binding contract but a relationship in which individuals seek personal fulfilment and so if they don’t find that, couples divorce.

Question 11

Changing position of women

Answer 11

Women’s economic position has improved which means they no longer have to rely on men and are therefore freer to choose to divorce if their marriage is unsatisfactory. There are various factors that have contributed to this freedom:
• More women are in paid work – 53% in 1971, rising to 73% in 2021
• Women generally still earn less than men but equal pay and anti –discrimination

Question 12

Hochschild - Feminist explanation

Answer 12

argues that home life for women is unfavourable compared to working life where they are treated more equally. At home however there is a constant source of frustration over housework which results in conflict. Alongside this women and men are now working longer hours, which gives little time to sit down and discuss these issues and conflicts. Hochschild suggests that both of these reasons contribute to the increase in the divorce rate.

Question 13

Bernard - feminist explanations

Answer 13

a radical feminist, argues that the increase in divorce rate is a reaction to the growing acceptance of feminist ideas and an acknowledgement of the oppressive patriarchal marriage which women are now more likely to reject.

Question 14

Beck and Giddens - modernity and individuality

Answer 14

argue that in a modern society traditional norms such as staying with one partner lose their influence. We are less interested in doing what society expects and more interested in pursuing our own self interests.

Question 15

New right view on divorce

Answer 15

See the high divorce rate as undesirable because it undermines marriage and the traditional nuclear family which they see as ideal in society

Question 16

Feminists view on divorce

Answer 16

Welcome the high divorce rates as in their eyes it is showing that women are breaking free from patriarchal oppression of thr nuclear family

Question 17

Post modernists and the individualisation thesis view on divorce

Answer 17

See high divorce rates as showing individuals now have more freedom

Question 18

Functionalist view of divorce

Answer 18

Argue that a high divorce rate is not a threat to the institute of marriage as the high rate of re-marriage shows us that people are still committed to the idea of marriage

Question 19

Interactionalist view of divorce

Answer 19

Aim to look at what divorce means to individuals and how it can differently affect everyone

Question 20

The personal life perspective views on divorce

Answer 20

Says that divorce can cause problems like financial difficulty and lack of contact with children

Question 21

Chester - cohabitation

Answer 21

Argues for most people cohabitation is a part of thr process to getting married

Question 22

Coast - cohabitation

Answer 22

75% of cohabiting couples say that they expect to marry each other

Question 23

Bejin - cohabitation as a trial marriage

Answer 23

Argues cohabitation is a conscious attempt to create a more equal relationship

Question 24

Stonewall - same sex relationship

Answer 24

Reports that only 71% of gen z identify as straight, compared to 91% of baby boomers.

Question 25

Weeks - chosen families

Answer 25

argues same sex relationships are starting to resemble heterosexual
relationships – given their increased social acceptance.

Question 26

Weston - chosen families

Answer 26

describes same-sex cohabitation as a ‘quasi-marriage’ and couples are now starting to cohabit as stable partners, contrasting with the 1970s where monogamy was largely rejected in the favour of casual relationships.

Question 27

Allan and crow - chosen families

Answer 27

argue that the absence of legal frameworks such as civil partnerships and relationships up until recently means that same sex partners have had to negotiate their commitment and responsibilities more than married couples. This may have made same sex relationships both more flexible and less stable than heterosexual ones

Question 28

Einasdottir- chosen families

Answer 28

argues that while many same sex couples welcome the opportunity to legalise their relationship others fear it may limit the flexibility and negotiability of relationships. For some their identity has been built around difference and do not wish for a relationship based on heterosexual norms.

Question 29

Duncan and Phillips - LAT

Answer 29

Found that 1 in 10 adults are in a LAT (in a significant relationship but not married or cohabiting)

Question 30

Renvoize - lone parent families

Answer 30

found that professional women were able to support their child without the father’s involvement

Question 31

Cashmere - lone parent families

Answer 31

found that some working class women chose to live on benefits without a partner because they had experienced abuse.

Question 32

Murray - lone parent families

Answer 32

sees lone parent families as problematic for society as they rely on the welfare state and because they are generally female headed, produce delinquent boys who lack a male role model.

Question 33

Murray - lone parent families

Answer 33

sees lone parent families as problematic for society as they rely on the welfare state and because they are generally female headed, produce delinquent boys who lack a male role model.

Question 34

Ferri and smith - step families

Answer 34

found that stepfamilies are very similar to first families, and stepparent involvement in childcare is often positive – they are however at greater risk of poverty.

Question 35

Allan and crow - step families

Answer 35

found that stepfamilies often face problems of divided loyalty with the non- resident parent where tension can occur

Question 36

McCarthy et al - step families

Answer 36

says there is diversity in stepfamilies and so we should speak of them as ‘stepfamilies’ as oppose to ‘the step family’. Some have few tensions, some more, while some are no different than those in first families.

Question 37

Mirza - black families

Answer 37

Argues that the high rate of lone parent female headed families is not a result of disorganisation but it reflects the independence that is placed on black women

Question 38

Reynolds - black families

Answer 38

Says the stats are misleading as quite often what appear to be lone parent families are in fact stable, supportive and non - cohabiting relationships

Question 39

Ballard - Asian families

Answer 39

suggests the extended family offered an important role for migra nts in the 1950s and 1960s with housing, financial and childcare support.
Today Sikhs, Muslims and Hindus are still more likely than any other ethnic or religious groups to live in extended family units.

Question 40

Charles - extended family

Answer 40

found that the three-generation family all living under one roof is now all but extinct

Question 41

Brannen - beanpole family

Answer 41

It is extended vertically – (up and down) through three or more generations: grandparents, parents and children.
But it is not extended horizontally (sideways): it doesn’t contain aunts, uncles, cousins etc. Beanpole families may be the result of two demographic changes:
Increased life expectancy – means more surviving grandparents and great-grandparents Smaller family sizes – mean people have fewer siblings and thus fewer horizontal ties.

Question 42

Finch and mason - obligations to relatives

Answer 42

found over 90% of people had given or received financial help and about half had cared for a sick relative.

Question 43

Cheal - obligations to relatives

Answer 43

found that there were gender patterns in terms of obligation e.g. when personal care for an elderly woman is needed, a daughter or daughter-in-law is preferred. Sons are rarely chosen as a caregiver for an elderly woman. However daughters are rarely chosen to provide money.