Topic 5 - Changing Family Patterns

Question 1

Feminist explanations

What does Hochschild say is the reason for higher divorce rates?

why has divorce increased?

Answer 1

Home is unfavourable when comapared to work - women feel valued at work but men’s refusal to do housework is frustrating and leads to conflict, the marriage is unstable, causing higher divorce rates

Question 2

How was women’s increased financial independence caused higher divorce rates?

Answer 2

Women being more likely to seek divorce comes from them no longer being economically dependent on their husband, don’t have to stay in an unhappy marriage - equal pay act, reduce pay gap

Question 3

How has rising expectations of marriage caused more divorces according to Fletcher?

Answer 3

People have high expectations about marriage (ideas of romantic love) and when the marriage doesn’t live up to their wishes, people are less tolerable and will head straight for divorce

Question 4

Stats for changing patterns of divorce

Answer 4

The rate of divorce was 118,000 in 2012, meaning 40% of marriages end in divorce, that figure is 6x higher than 1961 - ONS

Question 5

How have changes in the law increased divorce?

Question 6

How can changing attitudes to marriage explain reasons for marriage pattern change?

Answer 6

• Women are more aware of the patriarchal nature of marriage, taking husbands surname, loss of identity, ownership, less need to marry, women have greater financial independence

Question 7

How does secularisation explain changing patterns of marriage?

Answer 7

• Religion has less influence on relationships, less people are marrying

Question 8

How does the changing position of women explain changing patterns of marriage?

Answer 8

• More education/career opportunities means women do not have to marry in order to be financially stable - ambitions to pursue a career, marriage is no longer a priority