To what extent to sociologists agree that the married couple family is no longer the typical family?

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H/W                                                                        20.01.2008

To what extent to sociologists agree that the married couple family is no longer the typical family?

        Facts tell us that there is a huge increase in family diversity since the 1950s. Since 1971 there has been a huge decrease of married couples with dependant children from 35% of all households in Britain to 23% in 2002. There has also been a corresponding increase in single person households from 6% in 1971 to 10% in 2002. The married couple family is undoubtedly also under threat now with around 40% of marriages ending in divorce. This has increased steadily throughout the 20th century although the rate appeared to stabilise during the 1990s.

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        It is strongly argued by some sociologists that marriage is becoming much less popular. This is echoed by the statistics that say that the marriage rate has declined. The decline according to sociologist Jon Bernades is not due to lack in marriage but more due to the increasing average age that people get married. He points out however that most people do marry at some point in their life. This may suggest that the reasons people do marry have changed. Some may argue that the family is no longer the child rearing agent for capitalism that Marxists believe it is.

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