There is a batch of argument between sociologists about tendencies in divorce rates and what factors impact them. The most normally reached decision is that there are multiple elements which cause the divorce rate to lift or autumn ; nevertheless. some are more important than others.
The divorce rate is the figure of divorces per 1000 married people every twelvemonth. Recent research has mapped out the divorce rate since the 1950s. It shows the divorce rate addition exponentially. duplicating between 1971 and 1981. go oning its upward tendency. top outing in 1993. with 180. 000. However. since 2005. the divorce rate seems to hold slowed down slightly.
Some sociologists argue that the addition in the divorce rate is due to altering societal attitudes. They maintain that an addition in the proportion of persons who disregard the stigma attached to disassociate has led to an addition in the figure of divorced people. Therefore. they argue. divorce rates have shot up because divorce has become less stigmatised and is fast going a norm for some. They point out that famous person divorces. for illustration. do divorce more acceptable – divorce going more common. the stigma attached to disassociate going less terrible. An illustration of this is when Princess Diane divorce Prince Charles.
Another facet of this statement is that alterations in societal attitudes have led to the mean age at which people get married to increase. In the late fiftiess. people tended to get married early because that was the norm ; and if they didn’t. there was a stigma attached to them for being excessively old to get married or that no 1 wanted to get married them because they were ‘undesirable’ . However. now that the age at which people can get married has increased. people have realised that even if they get divorced. they can remarry subsequently on in life. regardless of their age. Research has shown that there has been an addition in remarriages and reconstituted households as the divorce rate has risen.
There are some sociologists who explain the rise in the divorce rates in footings of the spread of feminism. which links in with altering societal attitudes. As adult females become more sceptered. they are less willing to digest their husbands’ ‘unreasonable behaviour’ or remain trapped in their unhappy brotherhoods. Statisticss show that 75 % of all divorce requests in Britain are filed by adult females. Furthermore. an lift in the societal place of adult females means that adult females are able to work and gain their ain life ; therefore they no longer necessitate to trust on their hubbies for fiscal support. In add-on. many feminist argue that matrimonies are inhibitory establishments that seek to work adult females. with work forces keeping all the power. which has contributed to the figure of people taking non to get married. every bit good as the divorce rate.
Another statement which besides links in with altering societal attitudes is secularization. As the influence of faith lessens. people place less value on taking sacred vows in forepart of God. civil partnerships and speedy matrimonies in register offices increasing. the spiritual barrier to disassociate weakens. doing it easier for people to disassociate subsequently on.
All the statements put frontward so far have suggested that. to a big extent. altering societal attitudes has the most impact on the addition of the divorce rate. However. there are some sociologists that argue that there are other factors which have impacted the divorce tendencies in the last few decennaries. One statement is that legal alterations have led to disassociate being easier. quicker and cheaper. The Divorce Reform Act in 1971 allowed people to disassociate on the evidences of things like criminal conversation. inhuman treatment. ‘no mistake separation’ and matrimonial dislocation. Previous to this. if an person wanted a divorce. they had to turn out that their partner was perpetrating criminal conversation.
This Act removed the necessity for either spouse to turn out the other at mistake in order to stop the matrimony. Sociologists who support this position point out that the divorce rates doubled right after the Divorce Reform Act was introduced. On the other manus. some sociologists argue that it is the outgrowth of the Welfare State which has led to an addition in divorce rate as it provides benefits for adult females and kids so they would non be left impoverished if the twosome chose to disassociate. doing it easier for the adult females to back up herself and her kids.
Last. there are besides a group of sociologist who maintain that the rise in divorces is due to the influence of the mass media. They argue that the media portrays a rose-colored and romantic image of matrimony which influences immature girls’ positions on matrimony. However. when the world is far different from what they expected. many of these immature adult females want to acquire divorced. Harmonizing to the website ‘divorce. com’ . the 3rd most common ground people divorce is due to “failed or different expectations” .
Overall. it is clear that all sides have powerful statements. The statement. nevertheless. for altering societal attitudes is peculiarly strong ; proposing that. to a big extent. the addition in divorce rates is due to a alteration in societal norms. But one could besides reason that other factors. such as secularization. the influence of the mass media or the alteration in statute laws has resulted in the divorce rate increasing quickly. Therefore. the most appropriate decision would to state that there are multiple factors which cause the divorce rate to lift or fall. with some being more important than others.
