1. Changing Family Patterns
Divorce - ‘A legal ending of a marriage’
Miss Russell

2. What’s happened to Divorce?
Using the graph on page 211 answer:
Approximately how many divorces were there in 1972?
Approximately how many divorces were there in 1992?
What’s the difference? Why?

3. Lesson Objectives Understand To describe trends in divorce rates.
Apply
To explain sociological reasons and perspectives of these trends.
Evaluate
To assess the effects of changes in divorce rates on society.

4. What does this suggest about the reasons for the high divorce rate?
But why….?
Chandler (2005): Approximately 40% of marriages will end in divorce.
7 out of 10 applications for divorce now come from women.
What does this suggest about the reasons for the high divorce rate?

5. The 5 Non-Theoretical Reasons….
What is the reason
Reduce it down into key/memorable points and names. How did it lead to Divorce?

6. The 5 Non-Theoretical Reasons….
What is the reason
Reduce it down into key/memorable points and names. How did it lead to Divorce?
Changes in Law
Declining Stigma and changing attitudes
Secularisation
Rising Expectations of Marriage
Women’s increased Financial Independence
Now rank them from being most influential reason, 5 being least influential reason for increase in Divorce.

7. Reasons for Divorce: High Expectations of Marriage
gWuU
What’s in your marriage plan?

8. 1950’s Marriage… Some people had little choice over who they married.
Marriages were often based around economic factors
Romance was a ‘bonus’ not an expectation. It was not something a marriage should be based upon.

9. Divorce Parties: Declining Stigma!

10. Theoretical Reasons for increase in Divorce
Feminism
Postmodernism
Individualisation Thesis
Modern Society
Pure Relationship
Individualism
Self Interest
Dual Burden
Triple Shift
Patriarchal
Emotion Work, Domestic Work, Paid Work
Connect the key terms to explain each theoretical reason for Divorce.
Extension: Compare the two, which is the better explanation for increase in Divorce rates? Why?

11. The Effects or ‘meaning’ or Divorce Rates on Society!
What would the following perspectives argue about the effect of the high divorce rate in society?
1) Functionalism
2) The New Right
3) Feminism
4) Postmodernism
5) Interactionism
6) Personal Life Perspective
1) Label whether or not they believe high divorce rates to be positive or negative
2) Explain why…

12. The Meaning of High Divorce
The New Right – UNDESIRABLE
Undermines the traditional nuclear family.
Creates an underclass of welfare dependant female lone parents
Leaves young boys without a male role model.
This links to the conservatives plans to introduce tax reductions for those couples who are married.

13. Feminists- High divorce
High Divorce = DESIRABLE
Women’s Liberation
Women are breaking free of the oppression of the patriarchal nuclear family.

14. High Divorce- Postmodernists
Gives people freedom to choose what they want
Creates greater family diversity

15. High Divorce- Functionalists
High divorce rate does not prove that marriage as a social institution is under threat.
Just shows peoples high expectations.
High remarriages show a commitment to marriage.

16. High Divorce- Interactionists
You need to understand what divorce means to every couple.
Morgan(1996) You can not generalise about the meaning of high divorce.
Everybody has different experiences.

17. The Further impact of Divorce
What does Tamara Afifi say is the impact of divorce on children?
2. List the short term effects of divorce that Tamara Afifi states?
3. List the long term effects of divorce that Tamara Afifi states?
What is the overall impact of Divorce on Children? Write a conclusion.

18. Additional Reading

19. Apply it! Divorce Scenarios
We were in Vegas and got too drunk we stupidly got married, we don’t want to live together and we want to get a divorce straight away!
We were standing at the altar and I accidently said the wrong woman’s name when saying my vows. I love the woman I am marrying but I do have feelings for somebody else as well.
I feel bad but I found someone who was hotter and more exciting than my wife so now I want to be with her instead.
My husband has been caught cheating on me with many different women, I don’t feel I can trust him anymore.
Understand: What are the reasons for their divorce?
Apply: What would the perspectives say about each of their Divorce cases?
Evaluate: Should they be granted divorce and why?

20. Changing Family Patterns
Marriage Miss Russell

21. ‘Marriage today is all about the dress, party and honeymoon’.
To Start…
‘Marriage today is all about the dress, party and honeymoon’.
How far do you agree?

22. Lesson Objectives: Partnerships…
Understand
To describe trends in partnerships, considering different types of partnerships that are emerging.
Apply
To explain sociological reasons and arguments for trends in partnerships.
Evaluate
To assess the effects of trends in partnerships on society.

23. What are right and wrong reasons to get married?
The most obvious type of partnership is marriage.
Read the scenarios.
Decide…
Which are the best and worst reasons to get married and why?

24. What’s happening to Marriage?
Marriage rates are at their lowest since 1920… But why…?

25. If less people are getting married… what does this mean for couples?
However…
There are more re-marriages
The average age of marriage is increasing – 30 for women!
Couples are less likely to get married in church – opting for civil ceremonies!
If less people are getting married… what does this mean for couples?

26. There are more people… Cohabiting Entering same sex relationships
Living in one person households

27. Over to you…Presentation Stations
Lauren & Mollie – Cohabitation
Dana, Sophia, Harriet – Marriages
Jess & Abby – Same Sex Relationships
Natasha & Tia - One Person Households
Prepare a short presentation/lesson on your allocated partnership.
You must ensure that at the end of your presentation the rest of the class take away a set of notes or a resource.

28. Presentation Checklist – What to include?
Recent statistics on your type of partnership
Reasons for the emergence of your type of partnership
Sociological arguments on your type of partnership – including names of sociologists.
Recent news stories on your type of partnership – if possible.
What would Functionalists, Feminists, New Right and Personal Life perspectives think about your type of partnership?
What effects would your type of partnership have on Society?

29. But what about families with children? How have they changed?

30. But what about families with children?
Children are now born outside of marriage
Women are having fewer children and having children later!
Lone parent families are increasing…most of which are headed by mothers!
Step or reconstituted families are on the increase!

31. But why?? Look at the statistics and trends on families with children…
From what we know about demography, divorce and marriage, try to suggest some reasons for these statistics. E.g. Why have lone parents increased?
Challenge:
What would functionalism, marxism and the new right argue about each of the statistics?
What effects would the patterns have on society?

32. How have families with parents and children changed?
Childbearing
47% of children are being born outside of marriage, double the amount there was in 1986.
Women are having children later – average age is now 28.1 years.
Women are having fewer children. In 1964 the average number of children per woman was 2.95, compared to 1.63 in 2001.
More women remain childless
Lone Parent Families
LPF’s now make up 22% of families with children.
1 in 4 children live in a LPF.
90% of these are headed by women
A child from a LPF is twice as likely to be in poverty in comparison to a child with 2 parents.
In the 1990’s divorced women were the biggest source of LP mothers, but this slowly changed to LPFs headed by women who had never been married.
Step Families (Reconstituted)
Account for over 10% of all families with children.
In 85% of stepfamilies at least one child is from the woman’s previous relationship.
In 11% there is at least one child from the man’s previous relationship.
In 4% there are children from both partners’ previous relationship.
But why?
What would sociological perspectives say? What effects would this have on society?
What would sociological perspectives say? What effects would this have on society?
What would sociological perspectives say? What effects would this have on society?

33. Ethnic Differences in Families
Black Families
Asian Families
What are the patterns in these families?
How do these families compare to British families?
What are the reasons for this?

34. Extended Families
What is happening to the extended family today? (refer to evidence!)
What is the Beanpole family?
Why did the Beanpole family come about?
What is meant by obligations and the principle of reciprocity?
What could be concluded about the extended family?

35. Exam Q’s
Using one example, explain how changes in the position of women have led to changes in patterns of marriage (2 marks)
Outline 3 reasons why lone parent families are generally headed by the mother (6 marks)
Applying material from item A and your knowledge, evaluate sociological contributions to our understanding of the trends in divorce in the UK since (20 marks)
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