Changes in the Patterns of Marriage and Cohabitation in the Last 40 Years
Over the past 40 years patterns of marriage, the legal binding of a couple, and cohabitation, an unmarried couple living together in a sexual relationship, have fluctuated. Whilst the number of first-time marriages has declined, remarriages have increased. Cohabitation has also been on a steady increase. Sociologists are very much interested in the reasons for these changes. In the following essay I will explore the reasons for such changes, for example, secularisation, the decline in stigma, changes in the position of women, fear of divorce and forever adapting lifestyles.
It is important to recognise the role of secularisation, the decline in religious influence, of causing these trends. As the role of religion has steadily declined in society people have become less fearful of ‘sin’, sex outside of marriage and having children out of wedlock primarily. This has given rise to a number of trends, whilst first marriages have declined and cohabitation increased, second marriages have been increases. This could be accounted to people of remarriage age being older and thus more inclined to be religious whilst the younger generation are free of such superstition and thus willing to experience a life outside of marriage before committing themselves to it. However some sociologists have pointed out that although fewer people are attending church today than in previous years, this may be more of a reflection of busy lives than a decline of religious influence.
A fear of divorce is also something heavily influencing trends in both marriage and cohabitation. Young people, having perhaps experienced parental divorce are feared of entering into a commitment that they are simply not sure about, this sometimes seems like a reasonable thing to do considering the high divorce rate, a third of marriages currently ending in divorce. This would of course increase cohabitation as more and more people wish to enter into what Chester deems a ‘trial marriage’, to ensure marital
It is important to recognise the role of secularisation, the decline in religious influence, of causing these trends. As the role of religion has steadily declined in society people have become less fearful of ‘sin’, sex outside of marriage and having children out of wedlock primarily. This has given rise to a number of trends, whilst first marriages have declined and cohabitation increased, second marriages have been increases. This could be accounted to people of remarriage age being older and thus more inclined to be religious whilst the younger generation are free of such superstition and thus willing to experience a life outside of marriage before committing themselves to it. However some sociologists have pointed out that although fewer people are attending church today than in previous years, this may be more of a reflection of busy lives than a decline of religious influence.
A fear of divorce is also something heavily influencing trends in both marriage and cohabitation. Young people, having perhaps experienced parental divorce are feared of entering into a commitment that they are simply not sure about, this sometimes seems like a reasonable thing to do considering the high divorce rate, a third of marriages currently ending in divorce. This would of course increase cohabitation as more and more people wish to enter into what Chester deems a ‘trial marriage’, to ensure marital