Sociology Marriage and Divorce Essay - 1885 Words

Sociology – Family Unit – Marriage and Divorce Most people argue that the family is in ‘crisis’. They point to the rapidly increasing divorce rate, cohabitation, illegitimacy and number of single parent families. What is happening to Marriage? Marriage has increased in popularity, reaching a peak in 1971. Since then there has been a significant decline in the number of marriages, from 459000 in 1971 to 250000 in 2001. There is a decline in first marriages where neither partner has been married before. But there is a growing number of remarriages, in which one or both partners have been divorced; these marriages constitute 15% of all marriages in 1971 and 40% in 1996. The average age at which people first marry has steadily increased†¦show more content†¦Taken as a whole young British Asians have more choice and say than previous generations. Their current situation is probably not dramatically different from that of young no-Asian adults who, while choosing their marital partners on the basis of romantic love, often marry people very similar to themselves in terms of background factors such as social class and educational qualifications. Parental influence may be less direct than in an arranged marriage, but parents can show disapproval on ‘inappropriate’ boyfriends or girlfriends. What are the Patterns in Divorce? From 1971 to 1996 the number of divorces has more than doubled. In 1991 there were 350000 marriages but 171000 divorces meaning that there were nearly half as many divorces as marriages. The proportion of marriages, which are remarriages, has also been rising, for example 15% of all marriages in 1961 were re-marriages for one or both partners; by 1991 this figure has risen to 36%. Britain has the highest divorce rate in Europe according to official EU statistics (Eurostat, June 2001). Each year, 2.7 people per thousand of the population get divorced in Britain compared with the EU average of 1.8 per thousand. Who Divorces? Young spouses and young marriages are most at risk. A person’s age at marriage is strongly associated with the likelihood of divorce. Generally speaking, the older people are when they marry, the less chance they have ofShow MoreRelatedDivorce And Its Definition Of Marriage978 Words   |  4 PagesMarriage is ending often in divorce due to marrying young, the expectations placed on it, living together before marriage, and women’s independence. In this research paper, I will be discussing divorce and its definition. I will also discuss what sociologist theorists are saying regarding divorce in the research that I’ve read and reviewed. It is interesting to see how the reason for divorce continues to change but as society sees fit with their definition of marriage, divorce, and even whatRead MoreDivorce And Its Effect On Children902 Words   |  4 Pagesconcept of divorce is entrenched in the very idea of marriage. The possibility of marriages breaking down ha s increased considerably with some statistics placing the rate at 50% of all marriages. Divorce is a legal term that represents the separation of two people who had previously entered into a marriage agreement. While the prevalence of divorce is astonishing, the effect these instances have on families is critical. Many of the people who are divorced have children, whom the divorce affects considerablyRead MoreRecent Changes in British Society and Greater Diversity of Family Types1379 Words   |  6 PagesBritish Society and Greater Diversity of Family Types Recent changes in British society have led to a greater diversity of family types, Some writers have argued that traditional family life is disappearing in Britain Moore, 1987, Sociology alive. Most people seem to view the traditional family as a married male and female with dependant children, however family types today may include one parent families, same sex families, unmarried parents who co habit and most popularlyRead MoreArticle Review On The Divorce Rate Of Male Sociologists1241 Words   |  5 PagesArticle Review The article Divorce Among Sociologists Married to Sociologists u explores the divorce rate of male sociologists. No actual hypothesis was formulated due to the fact that the authors *stumbled upon a correlation while doing a study on religious apostasy and divorce. The data were obtained using a mailed questionnaire. The questionnaires were sent out randomly to 760 members of the American Sociological Association, the data were specifically formed by analyzing the 334 (out of 353)Read MoreChanges from the 1960s1143 Words   |  5 Pagessocial and political movements that were happening. The feminist movement started to make changes for women, in the work place and for their roles at home were changing. Divorce was starting to lose its social stigma â€Å"The idea of a lifelong marriage blessed by God is clearly less significant† (). The law was changing, â€Å"the divorce reform act 1969 replaced blame with irretrievable breakdown† () My perspective on the 1960s is that a Marxist theory is one that can relate to the time, as people wereRead MoreEssay on Sociology on Marriage1621 Words   |  7 Pages12/2/2010 Sociology Final Paper Marriage and Family The simplest and most basic foundation of a sociological civilization or group begins at the core center of sociology; which is marriage and the inner-fabric creation of a family. It is said that matches are made in heaven, however finding and defining your â€Å"soul mate† differs from one social group to the next. The social institution of marriage changes and adapts consistently through time, religious practice, and national beliefsRead MoreHigh Divorce Rates1163 Words   |  5 PagesWhy is the Divorce Rate So High? Intro to Sociology April 25, 2006 A question that has been plaguing sociologists for years is the issue of high divorce rates. Since the 80s there has been an extremely high rate of divorce in our country. In statistics I found from 2004 the percentage of divorce was at 47(NCHS). This question has been studied vigorously, sociologist have looked in every direction for one solid reason that our divorce rate is so high, even compared to other developed countriesRead MoreEssay about sociology and the family1732 Words   |  7 Pageswhen discussing the variety of family and household types. You will be required to reference your work throughout and produce a correct and current bibliography to demonstrate that you have used different sources to obtain your information. Sociology and the Family The Nuclear Family generally consists of a Mother, a Father and at least 1 child, this image of a family is thought to of come about at the time of the Industrial Revolution. (Willmott and Young) believe that an increase in theRead MoreNegative Effects of Divorce on Children Essay889 Words   |  4 PagesNegative Effects of Divorce on Children Divorce has a strong negative effect on children. The children are brought into the family and then ripped out of what they know is right or of their norms. James M. Henslin defines the family as being two or more people who consider themselves related by blood, marriage, or adoption (445). When married you are instantaneously put into a family. When two people decide to get a divorce, their children do not wholly understand what is going on. RegardlessRead MoreSociological Explanations For The Divorce Phenomenon1154 Words   |  5 PagesA major change that has occurred in the Western family is an increased incidence in divorce. Whereas in the past, divorce was a relatively rare occurrence, in recent times it has become quite commonplace. This change is borne out clearly in census figures. For example thirty years ago in Australia, only one marriage in ten ended in divorce; nowadays the figure is more than one in three (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 1996: p.45). A consequence of this change has been a substantial increase in the