Sociology: Changing family patterns (1.5)

• More divorce after 1960, peak at 1993.
• 40% marriages will end in divorce.
• Mainly women want divorce, 7/10.
• Couples who will get divorced are those who are young, cohabit, child before marriage, married before.
• There has been many reasons for the increase:

1) CHANGES IN LAW:

• Now easier to divorce.
• Divorce is now cheaper, equal grounds (1923) and wider grounds (1971).
• Legal aid in 1949 lowered divorce price.
• Not all marriages are terminated.
• Desertion - Leaving partner, but legally married.
• Legal separation - financial and legal affairs seperate, still married.
• Empty shell - live in same house, just under name,

2) DECLINING STIGMA/ATTITUDES:

• Stigma means disproval.
• Churches condemed divorce.
• More socially accepted
• Has become normal, not shameful

3) SECULARISATION:

• Less religious influence.
• Church rates declining.
• Census showed 43% with no religion cohabited.
• Churches have become softer, fearing losing sections of society.

4)) RISING EXPECTATION OF MARRIAGE:

• High expectations are often let down.
• Won't tolerate unahappy marriages.
• 'Romantic love' ideology is to blame.
• People used to marry for economic reasons.
• But remarriages increases shows people haven't loss faith in marriages.
• Feminists criticise this.

5) CHANGES IN POSITION OF WOMEN:

• economic changes, now independent.
• 70% women working in 2005.
• Equal pay/Anti descrimination helped equality.
• Girls have better education access to achieve more.
• Welfare state has helped.
• Marriage has become less attached to economy.
• Conflict of dual burden has resulted in divorce.
• Dual working couples mean less time for emotion work.

THEORIES VIEW OF HIGH DIVORCE RATES:

• New right - Disagree, creates dependency.
• Functionalist - Disagree, family is good, remarriages show people haven't lost faith.
• Feminist - Agree, Women realising male patriarchy
• Postmodernist - Agree, more freedom

MARRIAGE:

• Fewer people get married, half than those in 1970.
• More remarriages, 4/10 marriages. 
• No more religous ceremonies. 60% in 1980 to 35%.

REASON FOR CHANGE:

• Changing attitudes, more freedom and alternatives.
• Secularisation, Church has less influence, 3% with no religion married.
• Declining stigma, cohabitation and child out of wedlock is acceptable.
• Changes in women position, more chances, less economically dependent.
• High divorce rate discourages many.

• Many post pone marriage for careers.
• Many prefer to cohabit.
• People don't marry in Church due to secularisation and view on divorcees.
• Many still love to get married

COHABITATION:

• This is increasing.
• Have sexual relations but aren't married.
• doubled since 1986 as now they're 2m.

REASONS FOR CHANGE:

• Declinign stigma on sex out of marriage. 62% for Pre-marital sex.
• Young prefer to cohabit. 88% of 18-24years agree.
• More chances for women means they dont need financial secuirity via marriage.
• Secularisation.

LINK BETWEEN MARRIAGE AND COHABITATION:

• Many see cohab as a road to marriage, 75%.
• Many decide to marry if have children.
• Some see cohabiting as permenant alternative.
• Cohabit is more equal than patriarchal marriage.
• Cohabitation is different to everyone.

• Don't know if it's rose as in the past many kept it a secret.
• 5-7% adults.
• More social acceptance and tolerance.
• Gay was not illegal in 1967.
• Social policy grants equality
• 2002, Civil Partnership act gave same sex legal rights as married.
• Many Gay couples prefer to cohabit.
• Same sex more responsible than married couples.

• More people living on their own, 3/10. 3x more than 1961.
• Many are pension age. 
• Men under 65 live alone.

REASON FOR CHANGE:

• More divorce, many mothers win custody.
• Father likley to leave the home.
• Marrying later means staying single more.
• May be older widows.

LIVING APART TOGETHER:

• Many live apart but are together, 1/10.
• Many see it as an ideal relationship.

CHILDBEARING:

• 4/10 children born out of marriage in cohabiting couples because of changes in stigma/attitudes.
• Women delaying children, motherhood isn't only option for women as they now have careers.
• Have fewer children than 20th C, record low of 1.63.
• Many remain childless.

LONE PARENT FAMILIES:

• 24% of families, 90% by mother.
• Child in lone parent families is more likely to grow up in poverty.
• Increased because of more/easier divorce, declining marriage and stigma over birth out of marriage. 
• Women are more likely to be lone parent as they usually win custody/prefer to be alone.
• Introduction of Welfare state, but creates dependency culture according to New Right.
• They can't remove it as it'd increase unemployment in women.

• Reconstituted families 10% of all families.
• Many have kids from past relations.
• Similar to first families, but more risk of poverty.
• May have problems if previous partner interferes.

REASONS FOR CHANGE:

• Lone parent families and divorce increasing.
• Many mothers have children as they win custody.
• May be risk of poverty as more children to care for.   

ETHNIC DIFFERENCES:

• Black Carribean and Africans are mainly lone parent.
• Can be traced back to slavery and unemployment of black males.
• Result of disorganisation, but some say blacks value independence.
• Asians have higher childbearing and extended families.
• Many live neaby too.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

• Parson's says it's disappeared.
• Many say it hasn't and still has many positives.
• Survives in minorities.
• Extended family is now dispersed.
• There's beanpole extended family etc.