Reasons for the Changes in Divorce Rates in the 1960's
Examine the reasons for the changes in divorce rates since the 1960s.
Divorce rates have increased rapidly since the 1960s from 27000 in the UK in 1961 to 167000 by 2005. There are many reasons for this increase, for example decreased stigma of divorce, secularisation, more rights for women, rising expectations, and acts put in place by the government making it easier for a couple to obtain a divorce.
Decreased stigma of divorce in society from the 1960s has led to divorce rates increasing, because it is no longer seen as a negative thing in the way it used to be, it has become more socially acceptable for a couple to get a divorce, therefore more divorces are occurring because they know the possibility of them being shunned by people for just having a divorce is not present anymore. If anything, people are now encouraged by themselves, family and friends if they are not happy to get a divorce this is largely through the media and its portrayal of the perfect romance leading to rising expectations of people, women in particular.
Society has moved further and further away from religion since the 1960s. This secularisation that is occurring means that people are now not considering the bible and its teaching that divorce is wrong when their marriage is breaking down. People are now less concerned that divorce is wrong in the eyes of religion meaning that they are less scared to get a divorce, this in turn leads to the divorce rates increasing.
Functionalist writers such as Parson and Fletcher argue that divorce rates have risen because of the rising expectations in their marriage; they argue this is because of the emergence of the nuclear family instead of the extended. In a nuclear family they believe a couple want more from their marriage because they are more likely to spend more time together as the family size is smaller, this means there is no escaping or ignoring the fact that romance is not there, this in turn they argue is leading to divorce. The media
Divorce rates have increased rapidly since the 1960s from 27000 in the UK in 1961 to 167000 by 2005. There are many reasons for this increase, for example decreased stigma of divorce, secularisation, more rights for women, rising expectations, and acts put in place by the government making it easier for a couple to obtain a divorce.
Decreased stigma of divorce in society from the 1960s has led to divorce rates increasing, because it is no longer seen as a negative thing in the way it used to be, it has become more socially acceptable for a couple to get a divorce, therefore more divorces are occurring because they know the possibility of them being shunned by people for just having a divorce is not present anymore. If anything, people are now encouraged by themselves, family and friends if they are not happy to get a divorce this is largely through the media and its portrayal of the perfect romance leading to rising expectations of people, women in particular.
Society has moved further and further away from religion since the 1960s. This secularisation that is occurring means that people are now not considering the bible and its teaching that divorce is wrong when their marriage is breaking down. People are now less concerned that divorce is wrong in the eyes of religion meaning that they are less scared to get a divorce, this in turn leads to the divorce rates increasing.
Functionalist writers such as Parson and Fletcher argue that divorce rates have risen because of the rising expectations in their marriage; they argue this is because of the emergence of the nuclear family instead of the extended. In a nuclear family they believe a couple want more from their marriage because they are more likely to spend more time together as the family size is smaller, this means there is no escaping or ignoring the fact that romance is not there, this in turn they argue is leading to divorce. The media