Divorce is probably one of the leading reasons for the break down of the family.

GCSE Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)

Divorce is probably one of the leading reasons for the break down of the family. In this study we have looked into why divorce rates are changing for the worse of the family and the functionalist.

Marital breakdown and divorce.

One of the most dramatic changes in family life in Britain today has being the increase in divorce. The simple number of divorces is not the best way of calculating how common divorce is, since if the number of marriages increases then divorce is also likely to increase. A better way of measuring divorce is a divorce rate. This is usually expressed either as the number of divorces per thousand people married or as the number of divorces per thousand marriages in a year. I n both cases the figures provide an estimate of the prevalence of divorce in relation to marriages.

Trends in divorce

While divorce has increased during this century, it has not increased at a steady rate. For example, there was a marked peak immediately after 1945. This was partly due to the backlog of divorces due to world war. In contrast, the 1950,s was a period of relative stability. However in the 1960,s the divorce rate began to climb and increased more rapidly after the divorce reform act became effective in 1971.

Problems with interpreting divorce statistics

While official statistics are a reliable indicator of the extent of legal divorce, it cannot be assumed ...

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Trends in divorce

Problems with interpreting divorce statistics

While official statistics are a reliable indicator of the extent of legal divorce, it cannot be assumed that there is a straight forward relationship between rates of divorce and rates of marital breakdown. Marital breakdown is very difficult to measure for example a marriage can breakdown when a couple remain in the same household. William Goode suggests that divorce is only one mechanism adopted by societies for dealing with marital problems.

Explanation of changing divorce rates

The removal of legal and financial barriers- the fact that changes in divorce laws has generally made it easier and cheaper to get divorced is a major factor encouraging high divorce rates.
Changing expectations of marriage and family life-divorce rates as evidnce of increased expectations and higher standards of marriage. Couples are no longer prepared to put up with un happy ‘empty shell’ marriages and thus divorce is mor common.
Changes in women’s social position-Women have higher expectations due to greater equality and increased opportunities to escape from unhappy marriages.
Changing social values-In the nineteenth century a good deal of shame and stigma was attached to divorce. In this century attitudes have slowly changed, divorce has become far more common place and socially acceptable in itself may make divorce a better solution than marital breakdown.
Demographic changes- higher divorce rates today most probably reflect longer potential duration of marriage due to people living longer.

Conclusion

Explaining divorce rates is difficult. Many factors are involved and their relationship is constantly changing.