...sociological explanations of changes in the rate of divorce. Divorce means the legal termination of a marriage. The rate of divorce rose rapidly from the 1940s to the 1990s where it has levelled off at a rate of about 40% of marriages end in divorce. Sociological explanations focus on changes to the laws, the role of women, secularisation, changing expectations of marriage, and changes in society itself. Item B suggests that the British marriage pattern is similar to trends in other European countries, especially those that are less religious. This may be explained by the idea that people in religious societies are more likely to stay in empty shell marriages rather than get divorced as this is either impossible or frowned upon by the church. This means that the higher divorce rate may not reflect any change in the level of relationship breakdown but simply the opportunities available to couples to separate when their relationship has failed. Older people tend to stay in empty shell marriages because they don’t want all the hassle of getting a divorce. Secularisation may have had an impact in changes on the law. As religion became less important the state felt it could pass laws to make divorce easier. Some New Right theorists have argued that laws have made it too easy to get a divorce. Indeed, when changes such as the 1948 Divorce Act made it possible to get legal aid the divorce rate shot up, just as it did again in the 1970s when divorce was made possible on the...
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...Examine the reasons for changes in divorce rate since 1971. Divorce has been an increasing trend due to numerous reasons such as changes in attitude, changes in law and changes in the economic position of women. In 1941, the grounds for divorce were widened meaning that ‘irretrievable breakdown’ was allowed as grounds for divorce. Irretrievable breakdown means that a marriage stopped working, but there is no blame on the people within the marriage; the marriage simply broke down and the people within that marriage were no longer happy with each other. This lead to an increase in divorce because previously couples who did not love each other had no specific grounds for divorce, such as adultery, and this is why the divorce rate doubled in 1972. In 1993, divorce rates were at the highest they had ever been, peaking at 180,000. This may have been down to high expectations of what marriage would be like, and these expectations not being met. Functionalists such as Fletcher believe that over the last few centuries, and idea of ‘romantic love’ has become dominant; when the love dies, people see no reason to stay together. The obsession for finding ‘the one’ can be pursued after divorce. Another reason for divorce rate increasing is that the stigma that used to be attached to it is disappearing. People used to view divorce as shameful, the church condemned it and would refuse to marry people who had been divorced. However, divorce us now seen as bad luck for those involved rather...
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...Examine the reasons for changes in divorce rate since 1970 Since the 1960’s divorce rate began to increase dramatically but the biggest rise in divorce rate was in 1972 when it doubled and was 120,000. The divorce rate continued to rise and in 1993 reached its peak at 180,000. There has been explanations for the rise in divorce which are: secularisation, changes in law, divorce had become cheaper and also changing attitudes in society especially with women as they had begun to receive more rights. By the times divorce had become a lot more socially acceptable. In the 19th Century divorce was extremely difficult to obtain, more so for women. Eventually in 1923 grounds were equalised for men and women, but this was followed by a sharp rise in the number of divorce petitions from women. Again in 1972, the grounds widened to ‘irretrievable breakdown’ which made divorce easier to obtain and produced a doubling of the divorce rate overnight. The introduction of legal aid for divorce cases in 1949 lowered the cost of divorce. With each change in the law divorce rates have risen. The new right are against the introduction of new laws which make marriage easier as it breaks up the idea of a traditional family which they support. It lead to a trend in single parent households. There were many laws which helped divorce become a lot cheaper and easier to obtain, the most significant law put in place in examining the reasons for changes in divorce rate is the law which was passed in 1971...
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...It has been proven that divorce rates have increased rapidly in the least 50 years or so. This can be seen from the actual number of divorces each year and from the increase in the divorce rate. Firstly, one reason for changes in the divorce rate since 1969 is the change in how divorce is perceived by society. For example, 50 years ago divorce was considered to be shameful and dishonourable as it was considered good for society if couples got married and stayed together. However, since then, although divorce is still a personal misfortune, it is no longer seen as a disgrace. The reason for this change is the shift in social norms and values and also the reinforcements of new laws and changes to existing ones. The major change has been the introduction of the Divorce Reform Act in 1969. This particular law allowed the termination of marriage and made the whole process become a lot easier. It also targeted two main areas of the old law that were abolished: the irretrievable breakdown of marriage and the evidence of adultery, separation and poor behaviour having to be provided. Another reason for the change in divorce is the changing opinions of women in society. This is because during the 1950s, women were expected to get married soon after they left school and start a family. If they didn’t meet these expectations, they would have been considered to have failed within society. Sue Sharpe conducted a study in both the 1970s and the 1990s to find what teenage girls aspirations...
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...Examine the reasons for the changes of divorce rates since 1969 In 1969 the idea of an ‘irretrievable breakdown’ was introduces meaning that divorce could be given on these grounds and without having to find blame. In 1971 this idea became law meaning that couples could divorce on the ground of ‘irretrievable breakdown’. As there was no need to find blame it became to easier to become divorced meaning more people who wanted to divorce who wanted to divorce before the law came into action but didn’t due to the long hassling process, were now divorcing increasing the divorce rates. Also during the time of 1971 and 1975 two new laws came into play making women more equal in society. Both the equal pay act and the sex discrimination act gave women more freedom and independence. As a result of these two new laws, a very sharp increase was witnessed in women filing for divorce as they had greater independence and financial stability as they were working and thus earning their own money as well being able to get help from the welfare state. As divorce rates increased the stigma attached to divorce decreased. Pre 1969 to be divorced was seen to be shameful and it was frowned upon. But as society advanced so did the thoughts of people. But today’s society is very influenced by the media and the media like to portray the idea of a ‘prince charming’ and ‘romantic love’ which people live their live by. So when marriages do not live up to expectations and standards set by the outside...
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...material from item B and from your knowledge, evaluate the sociological explanations for changes in the divorce rate. There were a total of 118,140 divorces in 2012, a slight increase on 2011, when there were 117,558. Of the 2012 total, almost half of these divorces occurred in the first 10 years of marriage. There were 13 divorces an hour in England and Wales in 2012, Women were granted 65% of all divorces. One in seven divorces was granted as a result of adultery. These are just a few of many trends when it comes to divorce rates. But why is divorce increasing? Well again there are a lot of reason as to why this may be like changing social attitudes causing less stigma to divorce or generally just being unmarried, The attitudes and roles of women are changing and women are becoming more financially independent so they don’t need to marry to have a man to be dependent on financially. Secularisation would be another reason as religion has lost its importance to most in today’s society so there is less importance and rush when it comes to marriage. In the past because of the stigma attached to being unmarried people would just stay in their marriages even though there was no love or properties of what marriage should have, but now that there is less stigma a lot more lone parents have popped up, the government has realised this and has given help to such and this could be another reason why divorce is increasing. Finally, there has always been an importance of sex to humans and in...
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...In Item B it says that ‘A change in law 1857 permitted men to divorce unfaithful wives, but women had to prove adultery as well as another “matrimonial offence”’. One reason for the changes in the law being the main cause of increases in the divorce rate is that before the law it was a lot harder to get divorced, but now the law has come into place it is easier. Couples today are much more likely to get divorced as it is easier for them to do so, they don’t have to prove anything other than irretrievable breakdown. 1 in 5 men and women divorcing in 2006 had a previous marriage ending in divorce, this has doubled in the past 20 years. William Goode argues that marriage has become an occurrence for more emotional reasons. In the past, people married for practical reasons and the fact that partners did not love each other wasn’t a problem. However, Robert Chester is critical of the exaggerated claims of divorce. He argues that most marriages last a lifetime, and most divorces will re-marry, this shows that people still like marriage as an institution and will only divorce as a last resort. In Item B it says that ‘when the law makes divorce more difficult, couples may find other solutions’. One reason for the changes in the law being the main cause of increases in the divorce rate is that the Legal Aid and Advice Act provide financial help to those unable to meet the cost of divorce. Today even though people in society have a better economic position there is financial support offered...
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...Examine the reasons for the divorce rate in Britain today. Divorce is the legal separation of married couples. A divorce rate is the number of divorces occurring among the population of a given area during a given year. Since the 1960s there has been a great increase in the number of divorces in the United Kingdom. In Britain today, the numbers have fallen somewhat, but still stood at around 157,000 in 2001. This rate shows that about 40% of marriages will end in divorce. Some couples are more likely to divorce than others – couples such as those who marry young, those who have a child or cohabit before marriage and those where one or both partners have been married before. Functionalists are interested in divorce because they argue that a high divorce rate does not necessarily prove that marriage as a social institution is under threat. One reason for the changing rates in divorce is due to changes in the law. In previous centuries divorce was very hard to obtain, especially for women. Gradually changes in the law have made it easier for divorce to be achieved. Law changes such as equalising rights for men and women in the area of divorce, widening the grounds for divorce and making divorce cheaper are all factors which are changing the rates of divorce. Although divorce legally ends a marriage, couples find other solutions to solve the problem of an unhappy marriage; one partner leaving the other although they remain legally married (desertion); legal separation of the financial...
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...“Rises in the number of divorces in the UK since the 1960's are due mainly to changes in the law” (Asses the extent to which sociological evidence and arguments support this statement) Divorce is the legal termination of a marriage contract between two people. The divorce rate is the number of legal divorces filed per 1000 married people per year as opposed to the total number of divorces which is the entire amount of divorces filed. The changes in the law is seen as on of the main reasons for the increase in divorce over the years. As the years have past these changes have made divorce somewhat easier. One of the three changes in the law is known as Equalising the grounds for divorce between the sexes this meant that women were now able to freely file for divorce as only men could do previously. Another change was the Widening the grounds for divorce, this was enforced in 1937 and therefore made divorce easier to obtain and allowed a doubling of the divorce rate because more reasons were now accepted for a divorce to take place. The last change in the law includes, Making divorce cheaper, the introduction of this legal aid lowered the cost of divorces which allowed more couples to file for a divorce as it was more affordable also those of wealthy families found that it was easier to file for a divorce and pay the price rather than to actually work things out between their partner. All three changes allowed the divorce rates to rise vastly. Due to the process being...
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...Examine the reasons for the changing patterns of marriage and divorce over the last 50 years Sude Dramali Families in Britain are continually changing over time, but over the last 50 years there have been major changes. There has been a huge increase in the numbers of divorce, and a decrease in the number of marriages. The divorce rate has especially increased, as now one-half of new marriages today are likely to end in divorce. New forms of the family are rising, such as lone parents, same sex marriages and cohabitation. These changes mean that families and households today bear little resemblance to those of fifty years ago, and the "typical family" no longer seems to exists. One of the reasons for the changing pattern of marriage and divorce is the changing role of women. Feminists might argue that women's expectations of life and the quality of their relationship have risen during the last century, and so are less likely to accept a traditional housewife role. Around three quarters of divorce petitions are initiated by women, which would imply that more women are unhappy with they're marriages than men are. On top of this; the employment of married women has dramatically increased, and now it is the norm for married women with children to also be in employment. This change is reflected in TV shows and films, as the mother role is no longer portrayed as only being a housewife, but also as a working mother with her own career. Being employed increases women's financial...
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...| The Effects of the Economy on Divorce Rates | | | = | I. Introduction Divorce has become quite common over the last few decades in the United States, as well as in other industrialized countries. It is often discussed as a social problem or phenomenon, with its causes usually related to cultural and structural changes such as increased female labor force participation and legislation which makes divorce easier to obtain. Furthermore, divorce today has become more socially accepted, as individuality has become the dominant value in our capitalist society. Despite the social acceptance of divorce, I think most would agree with me in stating that divorce is not desirable, as it causes emotional, physical and financial strains not only on those directly involved, but on their children and extended families as well. In this paper, I investigate the relationship between divorce and economic cycles in the United States from 1950 to 2000. My intention is to discover whether and how divorce rates change in periods of economic recession, as compared to periods of economic growth. It is important to look into further trends in divorce rates, as its increase over time may not simply be an issue of social and cultural changes, but rather another one of the effects of the economy on the family unit in the United States. My hypothesis is that divorce rates will decrease in periods of economic growth, as a husband's increased income has been identified to have a stabilizing...
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...increase in the number of divorces since the 1960s Divorce refers a married couple ending their marriage contract between themselves. Official statistics show that the divorce rate has generally risen over the last 40 years; also there have been fluctuations during that time. Since the 1960s the numbers of divorces have increased greatly in the United Kingdom, the number of divorces doubled between 1961 and 1969, and had then doubled again by 1972. The upward trend continued, peaking in 1993 at 180,000. Since then, numbers have slightly decreased to 157,000 in 2001. This rate means that about 40% of marriages end in divorce. About 7 out of 10 applications for divorce come from women; this is in contrast to the situation in the past. For example, in 1946 only 37% of applications came from women – barely half todays figure. Sociologists have identified the following reasons for the increase in divorce: changes in the law, declining stigma and changing attitudes, secularisation, rising expectations of marriage and changes in the position of women. One explanation for the increase in the number of divorces since 1960 is the changes in law. Divorce was very difficult to do in the 19th century Britain, especially for women. Gradually, over time divorce has been made easier. There are three kinds of changes in the law; equalising the legal reasons for divorce been the sexes, widening the grounds for divorce and divorce being made cheaper. The most significant change in law was the introduction...
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...assess the view that changes in the law are the main cause of the increase in divorce. Divorce is on a rapid rise, Item B provides statistical evidence to prove this claim for an increase in this legal separation, by stating that "there are now 50 times more divorces each year than there were in 1921” this shows that divorce is increasing. They are many other factors which have led to this dramatic increase, one of them being the changes in the law. The first law passed which allowed a divorce was in 1857; here “divorce was only obtained by a special and costly Act of Parliament” as mentioned in Item B. Men were required to prove their wives of adultery and women were to prove their husbands of both adultery matrimonial offences. This made gaining a divorce difficult; therefore when the grounds for divorce were equalized in 1923, they were 50 times more divorces each year than they were in 1921. This increase illustrates that once given the opportunity most couples decided to separate, and this was mainly due to being legally allowed to do so. Another example of a change in the law which led to an increase in divorce, is the introduction of Legal Aid (1949) which made divorce cheaper and accessible to all social classes, item B suggests that divorce was hard to gain and this law made it easier for people to get a divorce, this made getting a divorce easier as it which provided people unable to pay for a solicitor with free legal aid, thus increasing divorces for people who did...
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...Examine the reasons for changes in divorce rate since 1969 (24 marks) The divorce rate in the uk has increased to 6 times the amount in 1969, studies prove that 40% of marriages end in divorce. 70% of these marriage petitions coming from women. There are various factors which contribute to the rapid increase in divorce rate, for example: FLETCHER, a functionalist, argue that this increase is due to the higher expectations of marriage which exist today, as marriage, in contrary to the past is not based on economic factors, therefore the purpose of marriage is purely love, therefore if the love dies and the marriage turns into an "empty shelll marriage" then there is no longer any use for it, which in turn leads of divorce and furthermore an increase in divorce rates. Feminisits on the oter hand would argue that the increase in divorce rates would be due to the changin position of women in society, for example the financial aspect, women have the oppurtunity to be in paid work, or recieve welfare state benefits, therefore meaning they don't have to rely economically on a marriage, and also they have the costs to cover divorce. This is also an explaination of the divorce pattern of 70% of petitions coming from women. Feminists would also state that the impact in feminist ideas have resulted in an increase in divorce, rates as it gives women more of a sense of economical independance, and also influences them to turn away from marriage, which is said by feminists to be a patriachal...
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...As defined in the dictionary, a divorce is the legal dissolution of a marriage by a court or other competent body . When a couple divorce, it is because they are having problems on their marriage and it is not a healthy relationship anymore. There are many causes for spouses to have problems such as economic issues, infidelity, arguing, violence, etc. Divorce can have different emotional and psychological effects on adults and children. The United States is the country with the highest rate of divorce in the world. Rate of Divorce in the United States Research indicates that United States is the country with the highest rate of divorce been over 50%. In addition, around 67% of second marriages get divorce as well. Not only divorce is prevalent in USA, but also it is prevalent on woman. Women are more likely to initiate a divorce than man is, and if they have kids, women are more likely to have their custody. It has also been demonstrated that the overall divorce rate is declining, even when the percentage of middle adulthood divorce is increasing. The following graph demonstrates this tendency. Effects of Divorce on Adults...
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