Trends Flashcards
What is a trend?
A change over time
What are the major trends in divorce rates since 1900?
Divorces doubled 1961-69, and again by 1972
Peaked in the 1990s
Started dropping after that
65% of petitions for divorce now come from women (compared to 37% in 1946)
Some couples are more likely than others to divorce. Who?
Those who marry young
Those who have a child before marriage
Those who cohabit before marriage
Those where one partner has been married before
What are the major trends in marriage since 1900?
First marriage have decreased
Remarriages have increased
People are marrying later
Couples are less likely to marry in a church
What are the major trends in cohabitation since 1900?
Cohabitation has doubled since 1986
This is a quarter of all unmarried adults under 60
What are the major trends in same sex relationships since 1900?
The LGBT organisation ‘Stonewall’ (2008) found that 5-7% of UK adults have same-sex relationships
It’s unknown if this has increased or decreased because in past these relationships were kept hidden
What are the major trends in one person households since 1900?
In 2013, 3/10 households were one person, 3x what it was in 1961
40% of one person households are pensioners - pensioners living alone has doubled since 1961
Men under 65 are most likely to live alone
By 2033, it is estimated that 30% of adults will be single
What are the major trends in living apart together since 1900?
Duncan & Philips (2013) found that 1/10 adults are LATs
What are the major trends in child-bearing since 1900?
47% of children are born outside of marriage. This has doubled since 1986
Women are having children later (average age in 1971 was 24, in 2012 it was 28)
Women are having fewer children (average in 1964, 2.95; in 2001, this dropped to 1.6; this rose again to 1.9 in 2010)
More women are remaining childless
What are the major trends in lone parent families since 1900?
LPFs make up 22% of all families with children
1/4 children live in a LPF
90% of LPF are headed by women
Before 1990, this tended to be divorced women. Since 1990, this tends to be women who have never married
A child living in a LPF is twice as likely to be in poverty
What are the major trends in stepfamilies since 1900?
These account for 10% of all families with dependent children
In 85% of stepfamilies, there is a child from the woman’s previous relationship, compared to 11% of families with a child from the man’s. Only 4% have children from both partner’s previous relationships
What are the proportions of ethnic differences in the UK?
2011 Census: 86% of the UK population were white
14% belong to an ethnic minority
7.5% were Asian/Asian British
3.3% were Black/Black British
2.2% were mixed
What are the ethnic differences in family patterns?
Black families have a higher proportion of lone-parent households
Asian families have a higher proportion of larger/extended families
