Trends In Marriage And Cohabitation

Question 1

What is the trend of marriage and cohabitation ?

Answer 1

Cohabitation has increased and marriage has decreased
- marriage has decreased by 45% between 1972 and 2017

Question 2

What are the reason for the patterns and trends in marriage and cohabitation

Answer 2

1. Changing social attitudes
2. Popularity of postmodernism ideas
3. Changing role of women

Question 3

What are the points for reason 1:changing social attitudes ?

Answer 3

• less social Pressure social pressure to marry or not cohabit
• secularisation
• creative singlehood

Question 4

What does less social pressure to not cohabit and marry say ?

Answer 4

Use to be strong social pressure to marry before living together and marriage before pregnancy but cohabitation and no marriage is socially accepted

Question 5

What survey was used to support less pressure to not cohabit or marry ?

Answer 5

British Social attitude survey

Question 6

What year did 71 % of people agree with the British social attitude survey on those who ought to get married

Answer 6

1989

Question 7

What was the % of people in 2012 who agreed with the statement of the survey of those who ought to get married ?

Answer 7

42 %

Question 8

What % and what year did believed that cohabitation and no marriage was not wrong at all in the survey ?

Answer 8

75% and 2012

Question 9

What theorist talked about secularisation for reason 1: changing social attitude?

Answer 9

Colin Gibson

Question 10

How was marriage viewed before and now due to secularisation according to Colin Gibson ?

Answer 10

Britain has gone through secularisation where religious values has weakened
Marriage is
- less sacred and spiritual
- commitment that can easily be abandoned

Question 11

Theorist for creative singlehood ?

Answer 11

Peter stein

Question 12

What is creative singlehood ?

Answer 12

People choose to remain single deliberately as a positive choice than being a negative thing in the past

Question 13

What are the points for reason 2 popularity in postmodernism ideas

Answer 13

• Beck :individualisation
• Giddens: confluent love
• Giddens: Reflexivity
• Beck : Risk society

Question 14

What does Beck: individualisation say ?

Answer 14

Individuals are no longer bound to traditional norms and seek lifestyle which fulfills individual so alternatives to marriage e.g cohabitation for more freedom

Question 15

What does Giddens confluent love say ?

Answer 15

Individual enter into more temporary and fragile relationship so will break up if no confluent love and not tapped in unhappy marriage seek alternative

Question 16

What is reflexivity: Giddens

Answer 16

Individuals reflect on personal lives and constantly question if they’re getting best out of life so less likely to settle for unsatisfactory love

Question 17

What are the points for reason 3: changing role in women ?

Answer 17

• Changing women’s aspirations : Sue sharpe
• increased choice : Jennifer Somerville
• women’s greater participation in the labour force

Question 18

What does changing women’s aspirations say about?

Answer 18

In 1970s girls future was love, marriage, children and husband but repeated in 1990 girls more confident , priority on education, careers and financial independence from men

Question 19

What does Jennifer Somerville argue for increase choice in women

Answer 19

Idea that women are exploited by men is outdated as progression has been made in achieving equality

Question 20

What example does Jennifer Somerville use for increased choice in women ?

Answer 20

Women have more choice whether to marry or cohabit to be single or lesbian so if men do not want to take on family
Responsibilities can escape unsatisfactory relationships

Question 21

What does women greater participation in the labour force say ?

Answer 21

• equal pay act and sex discrimination act
• men and women must be paid the same and sex discrimination unlawful to deny a women a job based on her sex so more and more women in paid work