Page 2: Legal Changes and Social Attitudes

This page examines how legal reforms and shifting social attitudes have influenced divorce rates. The text explores three major types of legal changes that have made divorce more accessible: equalizing grounds between sexes, widening divorce grounds, and making divorce more affordable through legal aid.

Example: The 1971 introduction of 'irretrievable breakdown' as grounds for divorce led to divorce rates doubling overnight.

Highlight: Mitchell & Goody's 1997 research shows a significant decline in divorce stigma since the 1960s.

Definition: Alternatives to divorce include desertion, legal separation, and empty shell marriages, though these have become less common with easier divorce access.

Page 3: Women's Independence and Secularisation

This section details how women's increased financial independence and society's secularisation have contributed to rising divorce rates. The text examines statistical evidence showing women's growing workforce participation and the declining influence of religious institutions.

Vocabulary: Secularisation refers to the declining influence of religion in society.

Example: Women's workforce participation increased from 53% in 1971 to 67% in 2013.

Page 4: Feminist Perspectives and Rising Expectations

The page explores feminist interpretations of divorce trends and how changing expectations of marriage affect divorce rates. It includes detailed analysis of the dual burden concept and patriarchal structures within marriage.

Quote: Hochschild (1997) argues that "home is unfavourable when compared to work" for women.

Highlight: Bernard (1976) suggests higher divorce rates reflect women's growing awareness of patriarchal oppression in marriages.

Page 5: Statistical Trends and Patterns

This section presents statistical evidence of changing divorce patterns since the 1960s, including detailed analysis of divorce rates and demographic factors affecting divorce likelihood.

Example: UK divorce rates peaked in 1992 at 165,000 cases.

Highlight: 65% of divorce petitions now come from women, compared to 37% in 1946.

Page 6: Modern Perspectives and Implications

The final page examines modern sociological interpretations of divorce trends, including perspectives from New Right, feminist, and postmodernist viewpoints.

Definition: The individualisation thesis suggests people are increasingly free to pursue their own self-interests in relationships.

Highlight: Different sociological perspectives offer contrasting interpretations of high divorce rates' social implications.

Page 1: Introduction to Changing Family Patterns

This page introduces the concept of changing family patterns in modern society, setting up the framework for examining shifts in family structure and divorce rates.

Definition: Changing family patterns refer to the evolving nature of family structures and relationships in contemporary society.