Changing Family Patterns

• overall divorce rates have increased, marriage rates have decreased and cohabitation rates have increased
• secularisation (why have divorce and cohabitation rates increased) - regilion has lost so much influence and power. before, divorce and sex before marriage was seen as a sin and so people were less likely to divorce or cohabit. many people now opt for a civil marriage.
• Declining Stigma (increased divorce and cohabitation) - stigma around divorce and cohabitation has dropped considerably and people no longer feel judged or shamed for making these choices
• Impact of feminism (changes in marriage and divorce) - the equal pay act and sex discrimination act ensures fairer pay and hiring practices which allows for the financial independence of women, where they can leave unhealthy relationships as they no longer depend on a man for money. as the patriarchy has been challenged, women expect more from relationships. around 2/3 of divorces are filed by women suggesting it is the women who are unhappy in relationships
• Individualisation (changes in divorce, marriage and cohabitation) - structures used to control people's lives have weakened, giving a rise to individualisation. people now choose what is best for them
• one reason why cohabitation has increased may be due to the fear of divorce. it is estimate that 42% of marriages end in divorce. due to this, people are now far more hesitant to get married in case it turns bad and they have to go through a complicated and expensive divorce
• one reason why marriage has decreased may be due to the costs of it all. the average cost of a wedding, honeymoon and stan/hen do is roughly £30,000 and the fancier weddings average at around £55,000 making it too expensive to be worth it to many people
• one reason why divorce has increased may be because of legal changes. the Divorce Law Reform Act (1969) meant there didn't need to be a marital crime to file for divorce, only irretrieveable breakdown