Changing family patterns

Divorce

The legal termination of a marriage between two people

Changing patterns of divorce

Since 1960s, great increase in divorce, number of divorces doubled between 1961 and 1969, and doubled again by 1972. But, this is falling from 1990s because less ppl are marrying

Explanations for the increase in divorce - Changes in the law

Law has made the access for divorce easier. Equalising the grounds(in 1923), widening the grounds(1971 can divorce for ‘irretrievable breakdown’) and making divorce cheaper(legal aid in 1949)Also other options.

• Dessertion- Where one partner leaves the other but the couple remains legally married.

• Legal seperation- Where a court seerates the financial and legal affairs of the couple but they are still married

• Empty shell- where the couple continue to live under same room and married but dont love.

Explanations for the increase in divorce - Declining stigma and changing attitudes

Refers to the negative label, social disapproval or shame attached to a person, action or relationship. In the past divorce was stigmatised, e.g churches tended to condemn divorce and refused to marry divorcees. Mitchell + Goody - important change since the 1960s has been rapid decline in stigma. Divorce more socially acceptable, and more willing to resort to it.

Explanations for the increase in divorce - Secularisation

Decline of religion in society, traditional values of the church are holding less influence, such as the Catholic Church which condemns divorce. And less people are influenced by religious teachings, and some churches are softening their view on divorce

Explanations for the increase in divorce - Rising expectations of marriage

Makes people less willing to tolerate an unhappy marriage. An idea about romantic love is prominent now, where the idea has raised that marriage should be solely raised on love, and peoples love ‘dies’. And, people now look for personal fulfillment, which if not received, they divorce

Explanations for increase in divorce - Women’s increased independence

Improvements in position led to less economic dependence on their husband, so can be more free in an unhappy marriage. This is bc girls get better education, pay gap is narrowed, availability of benefits

Explanations for the increase in divorce - Feminist

Dual burden(paid work + domestic labour) creates a new source of conflict between husbands/wives. Change in public sphere, but in the private sphere change has been limited, as marriage remains patriarchal and men benefit from women’s domestic work, specifically the triple shift. Hochschild - for women, home unfavours them bc at work they feel valued, but men’s resistance to domestic work creates conflict, and bc both partners go out, less time for emotional resolve.

Explanations to rising divorce rate - Modernity and individualisation

Beck + Giddens - in modern society, traditional norms e.g monogamy have lost their hold over individuals. So, each individual is free to pursue their own self-interest, which is the individualisation thesis. Relationships are more fragile, people less likely to remain with a partner if it doesn’t deliver personal fulfillment, seeking a pure relationship where it exists solely to satisfy the partners needs. And, divorce rate normalises divorce.

The meanings of a high divorce rate

New right - Sees high divorce rate as undesireable bc it undermines marriage and the traditional nuclear family which reinforces social stability, as it results in welfare-dependent female lone parent

Partnerships - Marriage

Marriage rates at their lowest since 1920’s, in 2012, 175000 first marriages for both partners, less than half the number in 1970, and more remarriages in 2012, 1/3 of marriages were remarriages.

Reasons for changing patterns in marriage

Changing attitudes to marriage - Less pressure to marry and more freedom for individuals to choose the type of relationship they want. Now a widespread belief that the quality of a couple’s relationship is more important than legal status. Secularisation. Declining stigma attached to alternatives - cohabitatation, remaining single, and having children outside a marriage. Changes in the position of women. Fear of divorce

Partnerships - Cohabitation

When an unmarried couple in a sexual relationship lives together. 2.9 mil cohabitating heterosexual couples in Britain, 1/8 adults now cohabitating. Rised because of decline in stigma surrounding sex outside of marriage, and stigma of marriage in general, secularisation, and changing positions of women. Many see cohabitating as a trial marriage, ppl do it before they marry, but it could be an alternative form of relationship

Same-sex relationships

Stonewall - 4-7% of adult pop have same-sex relationships, although this is probs more bc some ppl have to hide their relationships. Male homosexual acts decriminalised in 1967, and in 2004, civil partnership act gave same-sex couples similar legal rights to married couples.

Same-sex relationships - Chosen families

Weeks - increased social acceptance may explain trend towards same-sex cohabitation and stable relationships. Gays create families based on the idea of ‘friendship is kinship’, and Weston - gay couples cohabitating see it as a ‘quasi marriage

One person households

2013 - 3 in ten households contained one person. This is due to increased separation/divorce, as well as less people marrying, more ppl remaining single. But, a lot of people ‘live apart together’ meaning they are in a significant relationship but live alone.

Lone-parent families

Make up to 22% of all families with children, 1 in 4 children live in lone-parent family. This is due to increased separation/divorce, and never-married women have children, and they are usually female headed due to them being more ‘caring’ in nature and that divorce courts usually give custody to mothers. And, some mothers are single by choice to focus on themselves and their children.

Lone parenthood, the welfare state, and poverty

Murra - resulted from an over-generous welfare state providing benefits for unmarried mothers and their children. This has created a ‘perverse incentive’, rewarding irresponsible behav such as having children without being able to provide for them, so the solution is to abolish welfare benefits

Ethnic differences in family patterns - Black families

Higher proportion of lone-parent households. 2012 - half of families with dependent children headed by a black person were lone-parent families. Compared with 1 in 9 Asian families. This could be due to unemployment, or evidence of family disorganisation which is evident in slavery bc children would stay with mothers, and it’s argued this persists today.

Ethnic differences in family patterns - Asian families

Tend to be bigger households, sometimes containing multiple generations, but most are nuclear.

The extended family today

Charles - the classic three-generation family living under one roof is now ‘all but extinct’, but it hasn’t disappeared, just declined. Willmott- its just changed to a different type where they are geographically separated but maintain frequent contact through visits/phone calls