changing patterns of marriage and cohabitation

marriage statistics 2017

• 242,842 marriages in the uk - with 88% of those having lived together before getting married according to the ONS

• the average age at marriage of opposite-sex couples was 38 for men and 35.7 for women

• there were 6,932 marriages of same-sex couples of which 56% were between female couples; a further 1,072 couples converted their existing civil partnership into a marriage

• at times in the 1980s and 1990s it was a more rapid decline. however, since then there has been rather more fluctuation with some years seeing more marriages (partly led by civil partnerships and same-sex marriages and partly by changing trends, with celebrity and royal weddings)

• saw the lowest number of heterosexual weddings since records began, in the uk

reasons for a decline in marriage - changing role of women

• career aspirations of women have meant that there has been a rise in the average age at which people first marry

• greater control over reproductive rights and increased medical technology means women can delay having children

• financial and social independence of women mean they are more likely to look for a right partner to satisfy their needs rather than a financial agreement

reasons for a decline in marriage - changing social attitudes - alternatives to marriage

• such as cohabitation of LAT relationships as a response to changing attitudes to relationships

reasons for a decline in marriage - changing social attitudes - the pure relationship (giddens 1995)

• has written about the quest today for the perfect relationship which again could put some off getting married if they’re always imagining a better relationship is around the corner

• the role of marriage has changed, as it is all about the perfect relationship rather than the financial security that particularly women used to use the institution for in earlier periods

reasons for a decline in marriage - changing social attitudes - ‘liquid love’ (Bauman 2003)

• modern relationships have become more fluid and less stable, like liquid

• he argued that in our fast-paced, consumer-driven society, people often prioritise individual freedom and personal satisfaction over long-term commitments

reasons for a decline in marriage - rising divorce and insecurity of relationships

• people delay marriage until they are certain that their partner is the right person due to fear of divorce

• increased instability in relationships (and society) has led people to attempt to control the risks that they face in relationships

• however, divorce rate is declining and the number of remarriages increasing

reasons for a decline in marriage - changes to societal institutions

• family provides less functions than in previous generations - individuals can find self-fulfilment through support networks

• process of secularisation has led to more people seeing marriage as an outdated institution and less stigma attached to alternatives to marriage

• only 23% of weddings in 2017 took place in a place of religious worship which demonstrates the secular nature of relationships

reasons for a decline in marriage - increase in cohabitation

• alongside LATs and lone person households, many couples chose to live together before they get married

• sociologists have suggested that this acts as a form of trial marriage - for couples to see if they can live together harmoniously

• often temporary - 88% of couples who married in 2017 were previously cohabiting

reasons for a decline in marriage - living longer

• people are living longer and therefore later marriages are not shorter marriages (unless they end in divorce)

reasons for a decline in marriage - expense

• average wedding in the UK costs over £27,000