marriage and cohabitation

examples of demographic changes

• marriage

• childbearing

• divorce

• cohabitation

decline of marriage stats

1972 - 480,000 marriages

2019 - 219,000 marriages

reasons for decline of marriages

1) changing attitudes

2) secularisation

• no longer a religious duty

3) reduced stigma

• cohabitation and having children outside of marriage is widely accepted

4) improved lives of women

• better education and career opportunities have given women financial freedom

• awareness of the patriarchy meant shared awareness

5) fear of divorce

• rising divorce rates discourage getting married in the first place

• media coverage of high profile divorces highlights the high cost and emotional burden of getting divorced

6) cost of weddings

• average cost is £20,000

• couples would rather spend money on a house

civil partnerships

• became legal in 2004

• allowed same-sex couples to be ‘tied together’

same sex marriages and impact on civil partnerships

• legalised in 2013 by Same-Sex Couples Act

• introduced in 2014

• led to a 70% drop in civil partnerships in 2014

• in 2022 7,800 same sex marriages took place

cultural differences affecting marriage rates and Epstein theory

• 2021 UK Census found more people from asian communities were married compared to other ethnic groups

• arranged marriages are more common in asian communities

• forced marriages are illegal in the UK due to lack of consent

• Epstein says arranged marriages are more stable due to rational partner selection

new right perspective on decline of marriages

• decline of marriage is harmful to society

• marriage provides a stable household for child rearing

Morgan same sex marriages (new right)

• opposes same sex marriages as it undermines the traditional values and the influence of the church

functionalist perspective on decline in marriages

• say marriage remains vital for maintaining social order

• recognise that family structures have evolved (e.g. both partners working)

• believe marriage supports value consensus and the stable socialisation of children

• says marriage still remains a social aspiration despite falling rates

feminist perspective on falling marriage rates

• say marriage reinforces patriarchal power structures where women are intended to childbearing running a household

• the decline is positive as it gives greater freedom to women (financial, career-wise)

barrett false view of marriage (marxist feminist)

women are socialised into believing marriage is fulfilling when in reality it traps them in unpaid domestic labour without recognition or reward

definition of marriage

legally and socially recognised union of 2 people

definition of cohabitation

2 people in a romantic relationship living together without being legally bound to each other

increase of cohabitation stat

• in 2021, 3.6 million couples were cohabitating

• up from 1.5 million in 1996

• the fastest growing family type in the uk

same sex cohabitation stat

• in 2023, 137,000 couples were cohabiting

• up from 89,000 in 2013

children of cohabiting couples stat

in 2021 16.2% of children lived in cohabiting couple families

reasons for increase in cohabitation rates

1) changing social attitudes

• now viewed as a normal stage in a relationship

• in 1989, 44% thought premarital sex was not wrong, it has now increased to 65% in 2012

2) secularisation

• more socially acceptable

• young people with no religious beliefs are much more likely to cohabit compared to those with religious beliefs

3) improving lives of women

• their financial independence means they no longer depend on marriage for security

• allow women to avoid the traditional expectations of marriage

4) cost of weddings

new right opinions on cohabitation

• a threat to future marriage

• Morgan believes cohabiting couples are less happy than married couples

• Murphy says children born outside of marriage are more likely to underachieve at school or develop health issues

feminist opinions on cohabitation

• cohabitation offers women greater freedom and equality than marriage

• cohabitation leads to more egalitarian domestic arrangements, particularly in decision making and division of domestic labour