...Examine the reasons for changing patterns of marriage and divorce in the UK Over the last fifty years the patterns of marriage and divorce have changed. There are many reasons why they have changed. One of the reasons may be the changes in the law, which now allow women to appeal for divorce and makes it easier for couples to get divorced in general, people have high expectations, women’s roles in society have changed, the family has become privatized, and the increased life expectancy. These are just a few of the factors that contribute to the changing patterns of marriage and divorce. In 2006 the divorce rate fell for a second consecutive year (by seven percent). The divorce rate has been falling for years as less people are getting married and changes in the laws regarding marriage and divorce as well as changing attitudes in society are all factors that are contributing to this. One of the reasons for this is society no longer frowned upon by society. Until recently divorce was looked down on and considered a dark topic, divorcees particularly female divorcees found themselves alienated from society and struggled to support themselves and any children they may have had. However now divorce is accepted in societies and divorcees are offered support and if they want to can even get married again if they wish to do so. Another reason why the divorce and marriage patterns are changing is womens roles in society have changed. Previously women were expected to be housewives...
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...Examine the patterns and reasons for, domestic violence in society. Domestic violence has different types of abuse that can occur. These are physical, sexual, psychological or financial. Domestic violence can take place in families, partners or ex partners. In society domestic violence is looked down upon and seen as a bad thing to do, but it still happens on a regular basis. Sociologists argue that domestic violence cannot only happens because some people are ‘sick individuals’ because it is much more than a few individuals. Statistics show that 1 in 6 of all violent crimes are domestic violence. Official statistics will never be one hundred percent accurate because most victims don’t report the crime. This is because they fear if they do it might get worse. If the victim reports the crime there is always a chance that the offender will found out which can make things worse. Some victims think that the problem cannot be solved by the police. As only warnings and being told to stay away is the only thing the police can do. Until the offender physically abuses the victim the police cannot do much. It is more likely for women to be the victim of domestic violence as men want to be the dominant one in the household. They want to have control and a sense on power. Leaving a relationship with domestic violence can be difficult for a woman. They might fear that their partner may go searching for them. If there is children involved they may not want to split up the family for the...
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...Examine the patterns of, and reasons for, domestic violence in society. Domestic violence can come in different forms: physical, psychological, sexual or financial violence. These take place within the family or intimate relationships. Common views on domestic violence view this as behaviour from disturbed or ‘sick’ individuals, caused by psychological problems. However, this is challenged by sociologists. The issue is far too widespread to only have an effect on a few ‘psycho’ people. Statistics show that 1/6 of all violent crimes are domestic violence. This is a crime which is underestimated by many; official statistics cannot prove how much it occurs because of victims unwilling to report these crimes out of fear or thought not to be a problem the authority can solve. If victims are willing to report these crimes, police and prosecutors may be reluctant to record them. This may be because agencies are not prepared to involve themselves in domestic cases as the family is a private sphere, and the government is very male dominated therefore cases that may affect the males reputation might not be recorded to ruin it. It is more likely for women to be the victim, men wanting to be dominant within the household, in control, to have a sense of power and authority. 1 out of 4 women have been assaulted by their partner once where as 1 out of 8 has been continuously. Dobash suggests violence is set off by the male partner being challenged, that their sense of power is at risk....
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...Introduction Essay Question Examine the patterns of, and reasons for, domestic violence in society (24 marks) Domestic violence is the physical, psychological, sexual or financial violence that takes place within a relationship that creates a pattern of coercive and controlling behaviour. In society, domestic violence is seen as wrong, yet it still happens. Some people believe that a minority of people behave in this manner because of psychological causes rather than social ones, however a number of sociologists have challenged this view. Domestic violence follows a social pattern and it is mainly violence by men towards women. Although this doesnât mean that it is only women that are the victims of domestic violence, men can also be equally affected by such behaviour. Middle Radical feminists see the findings of sociologists like Dobash and Dobash as clear evidence of our patriarchal society, they see that patriarchy has divided society and that men are the enemy. Radical feminists see that men oppress women and exploit them unfairly within society. They also link domestic violence to marriage and the conjugal roles of husband and wife, and that this unit is the main source of the oppression of women. Radical feminists see the domestic violence is inevitable as long as we live in a patriarchal society as it preserves the power that men hold over women. This is their explanation as to why institutions involving the police and courts are reluctant to deal with domestic violence...
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...A definition of domestic violence, according to the Women’s Aid Federation (2008) is 'physical, psychological, sexual or financial violence that takes place within an intimate or family type relationship and forms a pattern of coercive and controlling behaviour. It may involve partners, ex-partners, household members or other relations’. A common view of domestic violence is that it is the behaviour of a few disturbed or ‘sick’ individuals, and that the causes are psychological rather than social. A startling pattern within domestic violence is that more often than not it is the woman who is abused. Kathryn Coleman (2007) found that women were more likely than men to have experienced 'intimate violence' across all four types of abuse - partner abuse, family abuse, sexual assault and stalking. Mirrlees-Black found that nearly one in four women have been assaulted by a partner at some time in her life, and one in eight repeatedly so. Whereas only one in seven men have been assaulted and one in twenty repeatedly so. This is confirmed by Russel and Rebecca Dobash (1979), where it was found that violent incidents could be set off by what a husband saw as a challenge to his authority. They also argue that marriage legitimates violence against women by conferring power and authority on husbands and dependency on wives. Official statistics on domestic violence are often an understatement of the true extent of the problem. Stephanie Yearnshire (1997) found that on average...
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...Domestic violence is defined as a pattern of abusive behaviour in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or retain authority and control over another partner. Domestic violence can be physical, emotional, economic, psychological or sexual actions or threats of actions that impact another person. Domestic violence is commonly inflicted on women though men too suffer domestic violence. Most Sociologists would attribute domestic violence towards social causes rather than psychological. The police play a key part in dealing with domestic violence however, they’re frequently subjected to criticism due to the method used when countering to the issue. Several feel the police don't take domestic violence calls as serious because police involvement would be improper in which some may consider being a family issue. Nevertheless, others claim that since the police are vital members in society and are the initial point of communication when violence ensues, they should see it as urgency and reply in an appropriate way to instances of domestic violence. Official reports show that one in four women will experience domestic violence, and one in eight repeatedly experience the crime. Russell and Rebecca Dobash established these instances can be started by what the husband saw as a contest to their power such as a wife complaining at the husband for neglecting her. The Dobash’s feel that marriage justifies violence against women talk command and power on husbands and reliance...
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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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...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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...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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...There are many reasons for the death rate to fluctuate. Since 1900 there has been a decrease in the amounts of death and the average age of death has rose as life expectancy is now longer than in 1900. In 1901, life expectancy for a man was 45 and a woman 49, more recently life expectancy is a large amount higher as in 2009 life expectancy for a man is 78 and a woman 82. Furthermore, infant mortality rate has also declined since 1900. Firstly a key factor for the decrease in the death rate is the better healthcare the country now has improved massively. In 1900, many people were to die due to illnesses that we wouldn’t see as a problem anymore such as the flu. There weren’t antibiotics and other ways to help cure these illnesses, and the ways they did have weren’t effective enough to stop people dying. In addition there are massive heath care services available in the 21st century which weren’t available in 1900 to help ill or diseased people such as the National Health Service (NHS). Similarly, medical knowledge has improved hugely as we are more aware of illnesses/diseases and the cures of these problems which could lead to death that in 1900, people weren’t aware off. Secondly, the standard of living in the 1900 may have had an impact on the death rate. Many people had large families to provide for and they usually lived in small houses that may not be fit for the amount of people living in them. Today in the 21st century there has been a change in family size by decreasing...
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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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...Throughout the world there are many religious movements with lots of different rules and beliefs. Religious movements can range from anything from a sect which demand strict rules for specific members to cults who do not demand such strict rules and have more freedom for their members. One reason for these new religious movements appealing to others is the practical reasons. For religions such as Catholicism the main mass is on a Sunday. In our modern society sport is very popular and it tends to take place on Sunday. This means that people who may play sport or work may not be able to attend this mass and so cannot feel part of their religion which reduces social solidarity and cohesion as certain members may not feel they are part of the community. This shows how new religious movements will appeal to these people as they do not require you to attend mass on a Sunday but just of a time of your choosing when it best suits you, this means members can work their religion around their jobs making it more appealing. Another reason that is put across by Webber is that it is the people who are categorised under the bottom of the social hierarchy that are more likely to be part of these movements. Webber says these groups develop a ‘Theory of Disprivilege’ meaning a religious explanation for why they are in their position in society. As sects normally promise a privileged afterlife these underprivileged people (mostly proletariats) feel that they belong to something bigger than...
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...“Examine the reasons for differences in educational achievement between different ethnic groups” There are clearly many factors that contribute to the claim that there is a difference in educational achievement between different ethnic groups in the UK. National statistics claim that: ‘In 2004 Chinese pupils were the most likely to achieve five or more GCSE Grades A*- C in England, with 79% of Chinese girls and 70% of Chinese boys respectively. In comparison with Black Caribbean pupils, With Boys who only achieved 27% and girls achieved 44% achieved five or more A*-C Grade GCSEs. The first outside school factor that contributes to the claim that there is a difference in educational achievement between different ethnic groups is Material deprivation. Material deprivation as single factor can alone affect educational achievement, but when combined with ethnicity the effects are worse. Sociologists claim that ‘if we compared pupils of different ethnic groups who were the same social class background, we would find that inequalities would still exist despite their social class. Statistics from 2006 show that 20% of white households were low-income households compared with 41% of African- Caribbean households and 62% of Pakistani or Bangladeshi households. Statistics say that African-Caribbean, Pakistani and Bangladeshi people are three times more likely to be unemployed as white people. Reasons for this could be that they may lack qualifications or knowledge of the educational...
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...An ethnic group is one that sees itself as culturally distinct from other grouping in a society and is seen by others as distinctive. Groups may differ from others by country of origin, language, religion, dress or other aspects of culture. Some ethnic groups, for example the Irish, are not physically distinctive. Others are more visible and may be subject to discrimination and harassment, including in the education system. Ever since the arrival of immigrants to Britain from the West Indies and India, sociologists and educationalists have been concerned about wide gaps in attainment between different ethnic groups. There are huge differences between the GCSE results of different ethnic groups in England, as well as gender differences. In 2004, Chinese pupils were 70-79% likely to achieve five or more GCSE grades A*-C, with Indian pupils not far behind (62-72%). These groups achieved more GCSE grades A*-C than the White ethnic group, with a 47-62% chance of getting five or more A*-C CSE grades. However, Bangladeshi and Pakistani achievement is low; Bangladeshi pupils had 41-55% chance of getting five or more GCSE grace A*-C, and Pakistani pupils had 38-5% chance. Black Caribbean students, particularly boys, performed very poorly, with their percentage of achieving five or more A*-C GCSE's being 27-44%. This has been the greatest focus of concern in recent years, because underachievement in young males is associated with unemployment, antisocial behaviour and crime. Explanations...
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...Examine the reasons why most sociologists choose not to use experiments in their research (20 marks) An experiment can be defined as a controlled observation. The researcher manipulates an aspect of the environment in order to assess the effect it has on the participants’ behavior. Experiments can take the form of lab experiments (done in a controlled environment), filed experiments (done in a natural setting but still observe the IV and DV) and natural experiment (done in a natural setting and the researcher waits for the IV and DV occur). Positivists favor primary data and they want to use quantitative to test their theories, whereas interprevists prefer qualitative data to find meanings that people attach to the world. Sociologists are unlikely to use experiments because have practical limitations, such as being expensive, time consuming and difficult to conduct. Society is too complex to fit in a laboratory so experiments are not relevant to the study of human behavior. Therefore for practical considerations are an important reason why they are not often used by sociologists. However, they have some practical strength. As they use a methodology that mirrors the natural sciences. Hypotheses can be created and variable isolated in order to establish causes and effect relationships e.g. in bandura’s experiment the hypotheses ‘violent imagery causes violent behavior’. Was used to isolate variable and establish that exposure to violent imagery (causes) led to more violent...
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