The Increase in Divorce Rate is because changes in Law. Discuss

The increase in the divorce rate is, however, more likely to be concerned to variety of other reasons Hart, a Marxist argues that even though many women now go to work they are still expected to do housework and childcare and this can cause resentment against the husband and the lead to divorce. Nearly 75% of divorces are started by women who are not financially dependent on their husband and have a greater belief in their own right not to be physically or sexually abused.

Dennis, a Functionalist, the welfare state has replaced most of the functions of the family and so once a couple no longer in love they do not have to stay together for example economic reasons.

It is claimed that social controlled like religion, friends and family kept married couples together and that in the past people were ashamed of being divorce, but today people are less religious. The divorce rate is high and so divorce does not have the same stigma that it did in the past.

Feminist like Oakley and Dobash say that the family can be a great place of unhappiness for women and children, but today women are less likely to put with this so they divorce.

If legislation (laws) was the cause of divorce them you would not expect divorce rate to be influence by social class, age and culture. There is higher divorce rate amongst the working class and lower middle class who have more economic pressure on them because they are the poorest in their class. People who came from different culture backgrounds are more likely to divorce and so people who marry under the age of 21. They are also other social factors which seem to affect divorce for example Asians are the least to divorce pr there divorce is increasing.

Divorce legislation has an increase in divorce rate because it has allowed women to escape from empty shell marriage and violent marriages but the legislation is not the cause of divorce it just makes it easier for people to escape from an unhappy marriage other factors are the real cause of marriage for example changing expectations and religion have all made divorce more acceptable. Clearly there are wide varieties of reasons why the divorce rate has increased