Economic Factors
Increasing inequality in the UK has meant that the lower social classes now get paid less compared to rising living costs (mortgages/ bills).
This means that both partners in a marriage now need to do paid work to get by, which puts a strain on the marriage which leads to higher numbers getting divorced.
A positive evaluation of this is that divorc.
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Feminism/ Changing Gender Roles
The changing position of women in society.
Is crucial to understanding the increase in divorce rates.
The proportion of women staying on in higher education and entering paid work, especially professional occupations, steadily increased during the 1970s and especially the 1980s and early 1990s.
The proportion of women in some kind of paid work is n.
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Functionalism
There are a number of reasons linked to the Functional Fit Theorywhich could explain the increase in divorce:.
1) Functionalists such as Goode (1971) believe that conflict has increased because the family has become more isolated from other kin, placing an increased burden on husbands and wives who have little support from other relatives.
2) Dennis.
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How has marriage changed over the years?
The number of remarriages has increased.
Couples are less likely to marry in church.
There is a greater diversity of marriages (greater ethnic diversity and civil partnerships).
There has been a very recent increase in the marriage rate.
For a fuller account of trends in marriage please see:
trends in marriage cohabitation and divorce. ,
Postmodernism
Both religion and traditional values have declined in Britain.
As a result there is no longer a set of social values which force people into staying married, there is less social stigma attached to getting a divorce and so people are freer to choose to get divorced.
This change reflects the declining importance of social structure and the rise of c.
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Social Policy Changes
The Divorce Act of 1969 explains the rapid increase in divorce during the early 1970s.
Prior to the Divorce Act it had been difficult to get a divorce because one person had to be at fault and accept blame for the marriage breaking down, through for example having had an affair.
The 1969 the Divorce Act extended the grounds of divorce to ‘irretriev.
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What are the perspectives on marriage in modern society?
The experts contributing to this volume bring a wide range of perspectives—sociological, anthropological, economic, historical, psychological, and legal—to the problem of marriage in modern society.
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What is contemporary marriage?
Contemporary Marriage begins with an important assessment of the revolution in marital behavior since World War II, tracing trends in marriage age, cohabitation, divorce, and fertility.
The focus here is primarily on the United States and on idustrial societies in general.
Later chapters provide intriguing case studies of particular countries.
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Why are sociologists interested in the relationship between marriage and family?
Sociologists are interested in the relationship between the institution of marriage and the institution of family because, historically, marriages are what create a family, and families are the most basic social unit upon which society is built.
Both marriage and family create status roles that are sanctioned by society.
So what is a family? .
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Why Has There Been A Long-Term Increase in Divorce?
There are four main factors which can explain the long term increase in divorce since the 1960s:.
1) Social policy changes, mainly the Divorce Act of 1969.
2) Economic factors such as the rising cost of living.
3) Changing gender roles such as more women going in paid-work.
4) Postmodernsisation which has meant the decline of religion and more freedo.
Marriage ceremonies within Africa vary greatly between countries due to the diversity of culture and religion throughout the continent.
Africa has a population of over 1.2 billion people spread throughout 52 countries.
The large size and extreme diversity of the continent leads to enormous diversity among the marriage ceremonies and traditions that take place.
Marriage ceremonies throughout Africa vary greatly depending on the faith of the individuals.
The World Book Encyclopedia states that 40% of Africans identify as Christian while 45% are Muslim.