Reasons For Rise in Divorce Rate
Sociology: AQA GCSE, topic 2.6.1
Reasons for the Rise in Divorce Rate
The divorce rate in Britain is increasing. Statistics show that more than 40% of marriages end up in divorce. According to the ONS, there were almost 88,000 more divorces in 2014 compared to 1960.
Legal changes
- Laws now allow both spouses to file for a divorce without necessarily providing a reason (e.g. Divorce Reform Act 1969, the Family Law Act 1996).
- Divorce laws have made it easier and quicker for people to get a divorce, in what has become known as ‘divorce over the counter’.
- These laws have led to an increase of lone parent families and subsequently to the creation of reconstituted families.
Social attitudes/values changing
- There is less stigma attached to people who want a divorce and it is seen as more socially acceptable.
- Functionalists argue that this increase in the number of divorces is due to people having higher expectations in marriage (they think that if their partner isn’t fulfilling their expectations, they can move onto someone else).
Changes in women's attitudes
- Women nowadays value their education and their career. This change in priorities means that:
- Women are more likely to get married at a later stage in life.
- Women are less likely to stay in a marriage that doesn’t fulfil them.
Secularisation
- Secularisation is the decline in religious beliefs.
- Marriage is seen less as a spiritual union and more of a personal commitment.
- This means that if a couple wanted to end their marriage, they wouldn't have any religious guilt.
Test yourself on Reasons For Rise in Divorce Rate
Changes in the law have contributed to the rise in the divorce rate in Britain. When was the Divorce Reform Act passed?
According to the ONS, how many more divorces were there in 2014 compared to 1960?