Partnerships

• What has happened to marriage rates since the 1920s?

  Marriage rates are at their lowest
• What percentage of marriages in 2012 were re-marriages?

  One third of all marriages
• What trend is observed regarding the average age of first marriage from 1971 to 2012?

  The average age increased by seven years
• What were the average ages of first marriage in 2012 for men and women?

  32 years for men, 30 for women
• How has the likelihood of church weddings changed from 1981 to 2012?

  It fell from 60% to 30%
• What are the changing attitudes towards marriage?

  • Less pressure to marry
  • More freedom in relationship choices
  • Quality of relationship prioritized over legal status
• What is one reason for the fall in first marriages?

  Secularisation reducing church influence
• What percentage of young people with no religion were married according to the 2001 Census?

  3% of young people
• What stigma has declined regarding alternatives to marriage?

  Cohabitation and having children outside marriage
• How have changes in women's positions affected marriage rates?

  Women are less economically dependent on men
• Why might fear of divorce affect marriage rates?

  Increased divorce rates discourage marriage
• What are the reasons for changes in marriage patterns?

  • Increase in remarriages due to divorces
  • Rising age of marriage due to education
  • Decline in church weddings due to secularisation
• How many cohabiting heterosexual couples are there in Britain?

  1. 9 million cohabiting couples
• What percentage of adults are cohabiting as of the study?

  One in eight adults
• How many same-sex cohabiting couples are estimated in Britain?

  Approximately 69,000 couples
• What is a characteristic of 'serial cohabitants'?

  They have had one or more previous cohabitations
• What has contributed to increased cohabitation rates?

  Decline in stigma attached to premarital sex
• How has the perception of cohabitation changed among the young?

  They are more likely to accept cohabitation
• How do increased career opportunities for women affect marriage?

  Women feel less need for financial security of marriage
• Who is more likely to cohabit, young people with or without religion?

  Without religion
• What are the views on cohabitation as a trial marriage?

  • Some see it as a step towards marriage
  • Many decide to marry if they have children
  • Others view it as a permanent alternative
• How does cohabitation differ among young people according to Andre Beps?

  It creates more equal relationships than marriage
• What did Shelton and John find about cohabiting wives?

  They do less housework than married wives
• What does cohabitation represent for different couples?

  • Diverse range of partnerships
  • Complex and variable relationship with marriage
• What percentage of the adult population has same-sex relationships according to Stonewall?

  5 to 7%
• What historical change occurred regarding male homosexual acts in 1967?

  They were decriminalized for consenting adults
• What legal rights were granted to same-sex couples in 2004?

  Similar rights to married couples
• When were same-sex couples allowed to marry?

  Since 2014
• What does Jeffrey Weeks argue about same-sex relationships?

  • Increased social acceptance leads to stable relationships
  • Same-sex families resemble heterosexual families
• How does Kath Weston describe same-sex cohabitation?

  As 'quasi-marriage'
• What do Allan and Crow suggest about same-sex relationships?

  They require more negotiation than heterosexual relationships
• What do some gays and lesbians fear about legal recognition of partnerships?

  It may limit flexibility of relationships
• What trend is observed in one-person households?

  • Rise in people living alone
  • Nearly three times the figure for 1961
  • 40% are over 65
• What percentage of households contained only one person in 2013?

  Almost three in ten households
• How have pensioner one-person households changed since 1961?

  They have doubled since 1961
• What is projected for the adult population by 2033?

  Over 30% will be single
• What are the reasons for the rise in one-person households?

  • Increase in separation and divorce
  • Decline in marriage rates
  • Trend towards 'creative singlehood'
• What did Duncan and Phillips find about adults living apart together (LATs)?

  About one in ten adults are LATs
• What does LAT stand for?

  Living Apart Together
• What factors influence whether couples live together or apart?

  Choice and constraint play a part