The document discusses trends in marriage, divorce, and cohabitation in Britain. It notes that marriage rates have declined since 1961 while divorce rates have increased, almost doubling in the 1970s. Britain now has one of the highest divorce rates in Europe. Around 40% of new marriages are likely to end in divorce. The document goes on to discuss factors that may have contributed to these trends, such as changes in divorce laws, declining stigma around divorce, rising expectations of marriage, and changes to women's roles.

2. By the end of the topic you will be able to:-
 Identify key trends in marriage, divorce and
cohabitation
 Outline the reasons for changes in family
patterns

3.  Write down what ‘divorce’ means to you…
 Decree Nisi
 Decree Absolute
 Separation

4. 1. What has happened to the marriage rates since 1961?
2. What has happened to the divorce rates?

5. One of the most significant changes in the
family in Britain has been the increased
changes in the number of marriages and
divorces. The number of divorces rose from
27,000 in 1961 to around 171,000 by 1999 and
by the 1970's it has almost doubled. Britain
has the highest divorce rates in the European
Union. About 40% of new marriages today are
likely to end in divorce, and if present rates
continue, more than 1 in 4 children will
experience a parental divorce by the time they
are 16.

6.  In your ‘buzz groups’ create a mind map
poster to provide explanations on why you
think divorce rates have risen and marriages
have fallen.

7.  Changes in Law
 Declining stigma and changing attitudes
 Secularisation
 Rising expectations of marriage
 Changes in the position of women

8.  Divorce used to be extremely difficult to
obtain in 19th century Britain, especially for
women
 Gradually changes in law have made divorce
easier
3 changes:
1. Equalising the grounds of divorce between
the sexes
2. Widening the grounds of divorce
3. Making divorce cheaper

9.  When this happened in 1923 there was a
sharp rise in the number of women
petitioning for divorce
 Similarly widening the grounds to
‘irretrievable breakdown’ in 1971 saw a
sharp rise in the number of petitions, this
doubled the divorce rate almost overnight!

10.  Desertion
 Legal Separation
 ‘Empty Shelf’

11.  Divorcees have been stigmatised in the past
 This
stigma has declined and divorce is now
more socially acceptable

12.  The decline of religious influence in society
 43%of people with ‘no religion’ were
cohabiting compared with 17% of muslims in
2001 census

13.  Functionalists such as Fletcher (1966) argue that
higher expectations are now placed on marriage
 ‘Romantic Love’
 Functionalists are still optimistic about marriage –
most people do it! People are not rejecting it as an
institution
 However…. Too rosy a view?
 What would feminists argue about marriage?
 Why did people get married pre industrialisation??

14.  Activity
 What changes have occurred which could
explain high divorces rate which reflect
the above?

15. More likely to be
in
Paid work
At work women
feel valued, at
home they feel
Girls performing
frustrated that
better at school
men still don’t do
housework
Hochschild (1997)
More arguments
Changes
between spouses
now that women
are Narrower pay gap
In paid work
(feminism)
Spouses have their
own separate Welfare state
wages

16. Perspective
The New Right Divorce is undesirable because it undermines
the traditional nuclear family. Creates an
underclass of welfare state dependent single
mothers.
Feminists It’s desirable because women are ‘breaking
free’ from patriarchal control!
Postmodernists Gives individuals freedom to choose to end a
relationship because it no longer meets their
needs.
Functionalists Does not necessarily prove that the institution
of marriage is under threat. It is simply a
result of peoples higher expectations of
marriage.
Interactionists Aim to understand what divorce means to the
individual.

17.  As we saw earlier few  Explain….
people are getting
married
 But there are more
re-marriages in 2005
4/10 marriages were
remarriages
 People marry later
now
 Less likely to marry in
church

18.  With the decline in marriages and increase in
divorce rate more couples are ‘cohabiting’
 Living together in a sexual relationship but
not married

19.  One person household
 Same sex couples
 Living with parents
 For
each of the above explain why the
numbers have increased.

20.  Read
the statistics in your booklet and
answer the questions

21.  Read
through the section on childbearing and
answer the questions.

22.  Complete and peer assess a range of short
answer exam questions in order to recap
changing family patterns.
 Outline a range of skills needed in order to
complete essay questions successfully!

23.  Explain what is meant by the term ‘serial
monogamy.’ (2)
 Suggest 2 reasons why so few lone parent
families are headed by fathers (4)
 Identify 2 reasons why for the trend toward
getting married later in life (4)
 Suggest 3 reasons for the increase in the
number of divorces (6)
 Now peer assess….

24.  Expand on a point
‘for example’ ‘In addition’ ‘furthermore’
‘moreover’ ‘this is illustrated by’
 To evaluate
‘However’ ‘this is limited because’ ‘although’
 To use a contrasting perspective to evaluate
‘On the other hand’ ‘In contrast to’

25. 1. Always read the question carefully, think about the verb.
What is it actually asking you to do? In most cases for a
24 marks essay the verb will be either assess or
examine. Before you start think about what the focus of
the essay will be, read and use the item!
2. Start off by referring back to the question to show the
examiner you are attempting to answer it. Try to this at
the start of each new paragraph.
3. Use connectives to show the examiner you about to
evaluate – and what does evaluate get you?! AO2!!!!
4. Try to give examples, you also gain marks for
‘interpretation’ that means how you see something!! Can
you make a valid point about it? Can you give your own
example?
5. Use Sociological concepts rather than everyday
language, this gains you higher marks, however
remember to explain them! This gets you even higher
marks!