Marriage & Cohabitation (AQA A Level Sociology): Revision Note

Changing pattern of marriage

• The patterns of marriage and cohabitation have changed significantly in recent decades

• Official statistics (opens in a new tab) provide key insights into these shifts

  • Decline in marriage rates:

    • In 1972, 480,000 couples married in the UK

    • By 2011, this number fell to 286,600, and by 2019 it dropped further to 219,850

  • Later marriages:

    • The average age of first marriage increased by 7 years between 1971 and 2012

    • By 2018, the average age was 35.8 for women and 38.1 for men

  • More remarriages but fewer overall:

    • In 2019, one-quarter of all marriages were remarriages for one or both partners

    • This trend is described as 'serial monogamy'

  • Decline in religious ceremonies:

    • Religious weddings accounted for 60% in 1981

    • By 2012, this dropped to 30%, and further to 17% in 2022

Reasons for decline in marriage

• Changing attitudes:

  • Marriage is no longer seen as the only route to a committed relationship

  • Individuals have greater freedom to choose their preferred relationship form

• Secularisation:

  • The decline of religion has reduced the sacred significance of marriage

  • Fewer people see marriage as a religious duty, with many couples choosing civil ceremonies over church weddings

• Reduced stigma:

  • Living together and having children outside of marriage is widely accepted

  • In 1989, 70% believed couples should marry before having children; this dropped to 42% in 2012

• Improved position of women:

  • Better education and career opportunities have made women financially independent

    Feminist critiques of marriage as patriarchal have influenced attitudes.

• Fear of divorce:

  • Rising divorce rates discourage marriage due to fear of failure

  • Media coverage of high-profile divorces and financial settlements reinforces the perception that divorce can be costly and emotionally damaging

• Cost of weddings:

  • Weddings now cost on average £20,000, leading many couples to prioritise buying a house instead

Civil partnerships and same-sex marriage

• Civil partnerships became legal in 2004:

  • 16,106 partnerships were formed in 2006

  • This fell to 6,276 by 2013 and 6,876 by 2022

• Same-sex marriage was introduced in 2014 as a result of the Marriage (Same-Sex Couples) Act 2013, leading to a 70% drop in civil partnerships from 2013 to 2014

• In 2022, 7,800 same-sex marriages took place, showing marriage retains cultural importance

Cultural differences

• According to the 2021 UK Census, higher proportions of individuals from Pakistani, Indian, and Bangladeshi backgrounds are married compared to other ethnic groups

• Arranged marriages remain common in some Asian communities, focusing on compatibility, shared values, and family ties rather than love as the main bond

  • Epstein (2011): Arranged marriages are often more stable due to rational partner selection

• Forced marriages are illegal in the UK as they lack consent

Sociological perspectives

• New Right

  • View the decline in marriage as harmful to society, as marriage provides stability for child-rearing

  • Married men are more likely to be employed, earn more, and live healthier lives

  • Morgan (2000) opposes same-sex marriage, arguing it undermines traditional values and the influence of the Church

• Functionalists

  • Argue marriage remains vital for maintaining social order, but family patterns have evolved (e.g., neo-conventional families where both partners work)

  • Believe marriage supports value consensus and the stable socialisation of children

  • Marriage still remains a social aspiration despite the trends above

• Feminists

  • Argue marriage reinforces patriarchal power structures, with women historically expected to prioritise motherhood and domestic roles

  • A decline in marriage is viewed as positive, giving women greater freedom and independence

• Marxist feminists

  • Barrett (1988) argues that women are socialised to believe marriage is fulfilling

  • In reality, it often traps them in unpaid domestic labour without recognition or reward

Changing pattern of cohabitation

• Cohabitation refers to an unmarried couple in a sexual relationship living together

• Trends in cohabitation have changed:

  • Significant growth:

    • In 2021, around 3.6 million heterosexual couples were cohabiting in the UK – up from 1.5 million in 1996

    • This makes cohabiting couples the fastest-growing family type in the UK

  • Same-sex cohabitation:

    • In 2023, 137,000 same-sex couples were cohabiting, up from 89,000 in 2013

  • Dependent children:

    • In 2021, 16.2% of dependent children lived in cohabiting couple families

  • Serial cohabitation:

    • About 20% of cohabiting individuals have previously lived with one or more partners

Reasons for the increase in cohabitation

• Changing social attitudes:

  • Cohabitation is no longer stigmatised and is viewed as a normal stage in relationships

  • In 1989, only 44% agreed that premarital sex is 'not wrong at all', compared with 65% by 2012

  • Younger generations are more likely to accept cohabitation as a lifestyle choice

• Secularisation:

  • Declining religious influence has made living together socially acceptable

  • Young people with no religion are far more likely to cohabit than those with religious beliefs

• Improved position of women:

  • Women’s financial independence (through work and education) means they no longer depend on marriage for security

  • Cohabitation allows women to avoid traditional expectations tied to marriage

• Cost of weddings:

  • Cohabitation avoids the financial strain of expensive wedding ceremonies

Cohabitation and marriage

• While cohabitation rises and marriage declines, the relationship between them is complex

• For some couples, cohabitation is:

  • A trial marriage:

    • Couples use it to test compatibility before marrying

    • Coast (2006): 75% of cohabiting couples intend to marry

  • A temporary stage:

    • Partners may cohabit while awaiting a divorce or life change

  • A permanent alternative:

    • Some couples see no need to marry and prefer to create more equal, negotiated relationships

    • Shelton and John (1993): Cohabiting women do less housework than married women, indicating greater equality

• This means that cohabitation doesn't mean the same thing to every couple and covers a diverse range of partnerships

Sociological perspectives

• New Right

  • See cohabitation as a threat to the future of marriage, linking it to family breakdown and moral decline

  • Morgan (2000) believes that cohabiting couples are less happy and fulfilled compared with married couples

  • Murphy (2007) argues that children born outside marriage are more likely to underachieve at school or develop health issues

• Feminists

  • Argue that cohabitation offers women greater freedom and equality than traditional marriage

  • Some feminists also note that cohabitation can lead to more egalitarian domestic arrangements, particularly in decision-making and division of labour

• Late modernity approach

  • Beaujouan and Ni Bhrolchain (2011) believe that the rise in cohabitation in the UK is linked to a decline in divorce rates

  • Cohabitation acts as a 'screening process' for weaker relationships.

• Personal life perspective

  • Smart and Stevens (2000) suggest that couples who cohabit are 'testing the water' and see it as a step towards marriage

  • Even when some relationships end, couples see themselves as no less committed than those who are married