The document discusses marriage, cohabitation, and divorce trends in the UK. It notes that marriage rates have declined from 459,000 in 1971 to 350,000 in 1991, while divorce rates more than doubled in that period. Alternatives to marriage like cohabitation and single-person households have risen. Threats to marriage come from these alternatives and from marital breakdown through divorce, separation, or empty shell marriages. Reasons proposed for rising divorce include expecting more from marriage, increased conflict between spouses, emphasis on individual freedom and choice, and divorce being less stigmatized and easier to obtain legally.