Divorce Flashcards
What are the grounds for the divorce?
Name three
Adultery
Unreasonable behaviour
Desertion
Name the six explanations for divorce
Changes in the law
Declining stigma
Secularisation
Raising expectations of marriage
Changes in the position of women
Feminist arguments
Ao1
Changes in the law
Divorce was difficult in the 19th century for women so changes in the law has made divorce easier
In 1969, the divorce reform act allowed couples to divorce after they separated for two years, if there was no one to blame
In 1984 the legislation reduced amount of time people had to be married before they could ask for a divorce this had changed from three years to 1 year
Ao3
Changes in the law
Although changes in the law have given people the freedom to divorce more easily, this does not explain why more people choose to take advantage of this
To explain the rise in divorce rates we must look at other changes too these includes the changes in public attitude towards divorce
Ao1
Declining stigma
There has been a rapid decline of stigma attached to divorce since the 1960s.
As Stigma declines and divorce becomes more socially acceptable couples become more willing to resort to divorce as a means of solving their marital problems.
Rather than being seen as shameful today it is more likely to be regarded as misfortune
Ao3
Declining stigma
Despite these changing attitudes family patterns tend to be fairly traditional
Most people still live in a family, most children are bought up by couples and most couples marry and many divorces remarry
Ao1
Secularisation
Secularisation is the decline in influence of religion
As a result of secularisation religion is less likely to influence peoples decisions to divorce
At the same time, many churches have also begun to soften their views on divorce and divorces this is because they fear losing credibility with large sections of the public and their own members
Ao3
Secularisation
Some sociologist challenge whether secularisation is occurring and point to the number of first-time marriages taken place in religious context
This suggest there is still a demand for religious weddings, even amongst those who have been divorced before
Ao1 rising expectations of marriage
Fletcher argues that the high expectations people place on marriage today is the major cause of divorce
Higher expectations make couples nowadays less willing to tolerate an unhappy marriage.
This is influenced by the ideology of romantic love which is the belief that a marriage should be based solely on mutual love, rather than economic reasons or duty
In the past there were lower expectations, so people were less likely to feel dissatisfied by the absence of romance and intimacy
Ao3
Rising expectations of marriage
However, despite today’s high divorce rate functionalists such as Fletcher, take the optimistic view
They point out the continuing popularity of marriage
Most adults marry and there is a high rate of remarriage after divorce
Ao1
Changes in the position of women
There has been changes in women’s economic positions, making them less financially dependent on their husband
The proportion of women working rose from 53% in 1971 to 67% in 2013
Changes in the law has narrowed the pay gap
And welfare benefits mean that women no longer need to be financially dependent on husband
Ao3
Changes in position of women
Feminists argued that the fact that women are now wage earners, as well as homemakers has itself created a conflict between husbands and wives, which is leading to more divorces
Feminist argue that marriage remains patriarchal women men benefiting from their wives
Ao1
Feminist arguments
Feminist argue that many married women now have a dual burden, which is paid work and housework this leads to a conflict between spouses that can lead to divorce.
Legal changes have meant real progress for women however, change remains slow in the private sphere which is that marriage remains patriarchal
Bernard argued that women are becoming more disatisfied with patriarchal marriage and women are more likely to petition for divorce showing that more women are accepting feminist ideas
Ao3
Feminist arguments
However Cooke and Gash found no evidence that women are more likely to divorce
Name the three alternative to divorce
Desertion
Legal separation
Empty shell marriage
