Divorce

2 Objectives Having viewed this slide show you should be aware: That during the last century, the divorce rate increased dramatically. Currently, one in every two new marriages ends in divorce (51.5%). That many couples separate without divorcing. That high divorce rates are a global phenomenon.

3 Sign of the times? Billboard poster in the USA from a law firm.

4 Introduction Marriage is a legal agreement between two people that can only be legally terminated through divorce. In 1911, there were just 859 divorce applications. The divorce rate is beginning to fall simply because fewer people are getting married.

5 Recent Trends in Divorce In 2006 divorce rate fell for a second consecutive year and by 7 per cent compared with 2005 In past 20 years the average age at divorce has risen ( for men) and ( for women), partly reflecting the rise in age at marriage.

6 Long-term Divorce Rates in the UK This graph shows the dramatic increase in divorce in the latter part of the last century. Note the dramatic growth in 1970s explained by the Family Law Act discussed on a later slide.

7 Serial Divorce 1 in 5 men and women divorcing in 2006 had a previous marriage ending in divorce. This proportion has doubled in 25 years.

8 Who Gets Divorced? Social class: the lower the social class of the husband, the more likely of divorcing (n.b. divorce is still common in all social classes). Age: couples who marry young are more likely to get divorced (n.b. divorce is common in all age groups) Unemployment, dependency on benefits and low income are all linked to high divorce rates.

9 Who Gets Divorced (continued) Second marriages are more likely to end in divorce than first marriages. Mixed-class, ethnicity or religion can cause marital problems. Couples may have less in common and experience a lack of acceptance from their families.

Family Law Act Introduced the no-fault divorce. Couples can quickly get divorced on grounds that their marriage has ‘irretrievably broken down’. Evidence for this was living apart for 12 months. Divorce now became a “rubber stamp” process.

11 Divorce and Changes to the Law Clearly changes to the law have resulted in an increase in the divorce rate. But the divorce rate has risen at times when there have been no legislative changes e.g. during the 1960s. Legislative changes do not, in themselves, explain why more people choose to get divorced.

12 Increased Marital Stress and Conflict More women are dissatisfied with the unfair division of labour inside the family. Where both partners work, who acts as a ‘stabiliser of adult personalities’ (Talcott Parsons) now? Financial problems, increasing debt, pressures to have a high material living standard can all undermine relationships.

13 Changing Attitudes Divorce used to be regarded as sinful but with the decline in the influence of religion this attitude is outdated. Even though the Catholic Church does not recognise divorce its influence is weakening. However, note how divorce is still rarer amongst many ethnic groups where religion is stronger.

14 Over-high Expectations? Functionalists like Ronald Fletcher argue that people expect more out of marriage and family life than they used to. Couples are no longer prepared to be part of ‘empty-shell marriages’. Therefore divorce is more common.

15 William Goode 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.

16 “For the sake of the children” In the past, couples stayed together 'for the sake of the children.' Today, many accept that children are better off with a single parent, rather than with two parents who are arguing. Mavis Hetherington (2002) says negative effects of divorce have been exaggerated.

17 Changes in Women’s Position Three-quarters of divorce applications come from women. Women expect more out of a marriage than men and have less to gain from empty-shell marriages. Opportunities for women have improved in the past 50 years, e.g. they are economically more independent.

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19 Women and Divorce Feminists say that the increase in the divorce rate is a reflection of what is wrong with the traditional patriarchal marriage. Divorced men are more likely to re-marry than divorced women.

20 Women and the Labour Market Nicky Hart (1976) says that the rise in the working women has put more strain on marriages. The increase in the divorce rate suggests that women want a better bargain out of marriage. Employment (and welfare) offers women opportunities to live independently of men.

21 Conclusions Marital breakdown has been and will be significantly affected by: 1. What happens to female labour markets. 2. What level of state support is granted to one-parent families. 3. What changes to patterns and expectations of male- female domestic relationships emerge.