Family Diversity

Question 1

Divorce
- trends

Answer 1

number of divorces doubled between 1961 and 1969, and doubled again by 1972
- 40% of all marriages will end in divorce

65% of petitions for divorce come from women, rise from, in 1946, only 37% of petitions came from women

10% of marriage end in divorce within 7 years, 18% within 10 years, and 41% within 25 years. Median duration = 12.9 years

Question 2

Divorce
- declining stigma

Answer 2

Mitchelll and Goody
- changes since 1960s has been the rapid decline in stigma attached to divorce

Question 3

Divorce
- rising expectations of marriage

Answer 3

Fletcher
- higher expectations people place on marriage today = major cause of divorce

Question 4

Divorce
- CPOW stats relating to women working

Answer 4

Proportion of women working rose from 53% in 1971 to 67% in 2013

Question 5

Divorce
- Feminists arguements

Answer 5

Hochschild
- women felt more valued at work than at home

Sigle-Rushton
- divorce less likely when mothers stayed at home

Bernard
- women becoming more dissatisfied with patriarchal marriage

Question 6

Divorce
- modernity and individualisation

Answer 6

beck & Giddens
- modern society results in traditional norms disappearing
- e.g. duty to remain with same partner

Question 7

Marriage
- trends

Answer 7

Average age of first marriage rose by 10 years between 1971 and 2020 when it was 35.4 for men and 33.2 for women

In 1981 60% of weddings were in religious ceremony, compared to 15% in 2020

Question 8

Changes in marriage patterns
(4)

Answer 8

• Secularisation
• Decline in stigma to alternatives
• CPOW
• Fear of divorce

Question 9

Cohabitation
- trends

Answer 9

In 2022, there were 3.5 million cohabiting couples in Britain. About 20% of all unmarried adults are now cohabiting - 2.5x the number in 1996
- most prominent in 16-29 year olds and 45-60 year olds

Question 10

Explanations for increase in cohabitation
(3)

Answer 10

• Decline in stigma
• only 44% of people agreed that ‘premarital marriage is not wrong at all’, but by 2012, 65% took this view
• CPOW
• Secularisation
• 2001 census, young people with no religion more likely to cohabit than those with a religion

Question 11

Is cohabitation now used as an alternative to marriage?
- NO it’s a stepping stone

Answer 11

Chester
- cohabitations is part of the process of getting marriage

Coast
- 75% of cohabiting couples say they expect to marry each other
Cohabitation = trial marriage

Question 12

Is cohabitation now used as an alternative to marriage?
YES it’s an alternative partnership

Answer 12

Chandler
- permanent alternative to marriage

Bejin
- attempt to create a more personally negotiated and equal relationship

Shelton and John
- found that women who cohabit do less housework than married counterparts

Question 13

Sexual identity
- trends

Answer 13

Number of people identifying as homosexual or bisexual has been steadily increasing since 2014

More same-sex couples are getting married

Question 14

Explanations for increase in same sex relationships
(3)

Answer 14

• Legal changes
  Civil partnerships act came into effect in 2004, gave same-sex couples similar legal rights
• Decline in stigma
• Secularisation

Question 15

Are homosexual relationships and families similar or different to heterosexual ones?
- Similar

Answer 15

Weeks
- ‘chosen families’ offer same security and stability
- increased social acceptance enables stable relationship

Weston
- same-sex cohabitation = ‘quasi-marriage’
- many gay couples are now cohabiting as stable partners

Question 16

Are homosexual relationships and families similar or different to heterosexual ones?
- Different

Answer 16

Allan and Crow
- absence of framework = negotiate their commitment and responsibilities more than married couples.
- same-sex couples more flexible and less stable

Einasdottir
- want relationship to be different to heterosexual ones, due to worries of legally recognition limit relationship

Question 17

One person households
- trends

Answer 17

• Ever since 2000, 3/10 households were one person, 3x that in 1961
• 46% of all one-person households in 2022 were people of pensionable age
• men under 65 most likely to live alone

Question 19

Reasons for more one person households
(3)

Answer 19

Divorce patterns
- increase in divorces, children live with mothers
Marriage patterns
- decline in marriage
Creative singlehood
- Stein, deliberate choice to live alone

Question 20

Living apart together
- research found…

Answer 20

Duncan and Phillips
- 1 in 10 adults are ‘living apart together’

Question 21

Reasons for more LATs
(3)

Answer 21

Decline in stigma
CPOW (liberal)
Limited finances

Question 22

Child bearing
- trends

Answer 22

• 51.4% of children are born outside marriage, over twice as many as in 1986
• women having children later, rose from 23.7 to 29.1
• women having fewer children, fell from 2.93 in 1964 to 1.94 by 2010, significant drop to 1.58 due to pandemic

Question 23

Reasons for the trends in child-bearing
(2)

Answer 23

Decline in stigma
- only 1/3 of 18-24yrs old think marriage should happen before parenthood
CPOW
- link to Sue sharpe and O’conner

Question 24

Lone parent families
- trends

Answer 24

• In 2022, LPFs made up 27% of all families with children
• 85% of lone-parent families are headed by families
• 44% of children living in poverty are in LPFs

Question 25

Reasons for increase in lone-parent families (2)

Answer 25

CPOW Increase in divorces

Question 26

Reasons why one-parents families are often female headed (2)

Answer 26

Courts - radical feminists, mother gain custody of children due to naturally suited to ‘expressive’ role Impact of feminism - women may actively choose to limit father’s involvement - Renvoize found professional women were able to support their child without father involvement

Question 27

New Right explanations for increase in LPFs (1)

Answer 27

Murray - creates ‘perverse incentive’ where irresponsible behaviour is rewarded

Question 28

Stepfamilies/reconstituted families - trends

Answer 28

In 2011, stepfamilies accounted for 4.5% of all families

Question 29

Reasons for increase in reconstituted families (2)

Answer 29

Divorce/seperation - lone parents form new partnerships Courts

Question 30

Pros and cons of being in a reconstituted family - PROS

Answer 30

Ferri and Smith - stepfamilies similar to first families

Question 31

Pros and cons of being in a reconstituted family - CONS

Answer 31

Ferri and Smith - stepfamilies are at greater risk of poverty due to more children (generally) Allan and Crow - face problems of divided loyalties