Topic 5 - Changing Family Patterns Flashcards
What are the 7 explanations for the increase in divorce ?
1.changes in the law
2.declining stigma and changing attitudes
3.secularisation
4.rising expectations of marriage
5.womens increased financial independence
6.feminist explanations
7.modernity and individualisation
Explanations for the increase in divorce - changes in the law - what are the 3 changes in the law which have made divorce easier ?
-equalising the grounds (the legal reasons) for divorce between the sexes
-widening the grounds for divorce
-making divorce cheaper
Explanations for increase in divorce - changes in the law - what are the other 3 solutions to the problem of an unhappy marriage apart from divorce ?
-desertion - where one partner leaves the other but the couple remain legally married
-legal separation - where a court the financial and legal affairs of the couple buy where the couple remain married and not free to re marry
-empty shell marriage - where the couple continue to live under the same roof but remain married in name only
However ,as divorce has become easier to obtain , these solutions have become less popular
Explanations of increase in divorce - declining stigma and changing attitudes - what is meant by stigma and how is it applied to divorce ?
-stigma refers to the negative label , social disapproval or shame attached to a person , action or relationship
-in the past divorce and divorcees have been stigmatised .
-for example , churches tended to condemn divorce and often refused to conduct marriage services involving divorcees
Explanations for the increase in divorce -declining stigma and changing attitudes - what do Mitchell and Goody note an important change since the 1960s has been ?
-Mitchell and Goody note that an important change since the 1960s has been the rapid decline in the stigma attached to divorce
Explanations for the increase in divorce - declining stigma and changing attitudes - what does declining stigma mean for divorce ?
-as stigma declines and divorce becomes more socially acceptable , couples become more willing to resort to divorce as a means of solving their marital problems
-in turn , the fact that divorce is now more common begins to normalise it and reduces the stigma attached to it , rather than being seen as shameful today it is more likely to be regarded simply as a misfortune.
Explanations for increase in divorce - secularisation - what is meant by secularisation and how does this lead to an increase in divorce ?
-secularisation refers to the decline in the influence of religion in society
-many sociologists argue that religious institutions and ideas are losing their influence and society is becoming more secular
-As a result of secularisation , the traditional opposition of the churches to divorce carries less weight in society and people are less likely to be influenced by religious teachings when making a decision whether to file for a divorce
Explanations for an increase in divorce - secularisation - evaluation that churches don’t hold same views so not as big impact on divorce ?
-as the same time ,many churches have also begun to soften their views on divorce and divorcees , perhaps because they are losing credibility with large sections of the public and with their own members
Explanations for the increase in divorce - rising expectations of marriage - what do functionalists such as Fletcher argue is leading to higher divorce rates ?
-Functionalists such as Fletcher argue that the higher expectations people place on marriage today are a major cause of the rising divorce rates , higher expectations make couples less willing to tolerate an unhappy marriage
Explanations for the increase in divorce rates- rising expectations of marriage - although functionalists explain rising divorce rates , what do they fail to explain according to feminists ?
-feminists argue that although functionalists offer an explanation of rising divorce rates , they fail to explain why it’s mainly women rather than men who seek divorce
Explanations for the increase in divorce - women’s increased financial independence - what are some examples of how improvements in women’s economic position have made them less financially dependent on their husbands so more likely to divorce ?
-women today are much more likely to be in paid work. The proportion of women working rose from 53% in 1971 to 67% in 2013
-although women generally still earn less than men , equal pay and anti discrimination laws have helped to narrow the pay gap
-girls’ greater success in education now helps them to achieve better paid jobs than in previous generations
-the availability of welfare benefits means that women no longer have to remain financially dependent on their husbands
These developments mean that women are more likely to be able to support themselves in the event of a divorce
Explanations for the increase in divorce rates- feminist explanations - what do feminists believe is leading to a higher divorce rate compared to in the past ?
-feminists argues that married women today carry a dual burden ; they are required to take on paid work in addition to performing domestic labour (housework and childcare)
-in the view of feminists , this has created a new source of conflict between husbands and wives , this is leading to a higher divorce rate than in the past
Explanations for the increase in divorce rate - Feminist explanations - who did Sigle-Rushton find are more likely to divorce and why ?
-according to Sigle-Rushton , mothers who have a dual burden of paid and domestic work are more likely to divorce than non working mothers
-but where the husband of a working wife is actively involved in housework , the divorce rates is the same as for couples with the traditional division of labour
Explanations for the increase in divorce - feminist explanations - how does Cooke and Gash criticise Sigle Rushton’s view that working mothers are more likely to divorce ?
-Cooke and Gash found no evidence that working women are more likely to divorce.
-They argue that this is because working has now become the accepted norm for married women
Explanations for the increase in divorce rate - feminist explanations - what does Radical feminist Bernard argue is leading to the increase in divorce rate ?
-Radical feminist Bernard observes that many women are feeling a growing dissatisfaction with patriarchal marriage
-she sees the rising divorce rates and the fact that most petitions come from women , as evidence of their growing acceptance of feminist ideas ; women are becoming more conscious of patriarchal oppression and more confident about rejecting it
Explanation for the increase in divorce - modernity and individualisation - what do Beck and Giddens argue in a modern society happens and what is this become to be known as and how does this lead to high divorce rates (refer to pure relationship) ?
-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 , each individual becomes free to pursue his or her own self interest . This view has become known as the individualisation thesis
-relationships become more fragile , because individuals become unwilling to remain with a partner if the relationship fails to deliver personal fulfillment
-instead individuals seek what Giddens calls a “Pure relationship” one that solely exists to satisfy each partners needs and not out of sense of duty , this results in higher divorce rates
The meaning of a divorce rate
