Marriage & Divorce (AQA GCSE Sociology): Flashcards
Exam code: 8192
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Define monogamy.
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Define monogamy.
Monogamy is being married to one person at a time, which is the accepted form of marriage in the UK.
Define serial monogamy.
Serial monogamy is when a person divorces and remarries repeatedly, so marriage is not seen as a lifelong commitment.
True or False?
Bigamy is legal in the UK.
False.
Bigamy, marrying when already married to another person, is a criminal offence in the UK.
Define polygamy.
Polygamy is when a person has more than one spouse at the same time.
Define polygyny.
Polygyny is when a man has two or more wives at the same time.
When a woman has more than one husband at the same time, this is called .
When a woman has more than one husband at the same time, this is called polyandry.
What has happened to the number of marriages in the UK since the 1970s?
The number of marriages has fallen, from 480,000 in 1972 to 219,850 in 2019.
Give two reasons why people are getting married later.
People marry later because women are establishing careers and are more financially independent, young people stay in education longer and there is less stigma attached to cohabiting.
Why did the number of civil partnerships fall sharply between 2013 and 2014?
Civil partnerships fell sharply because same-sex marriage was introduced in 2014.
True or False?
Births outside marriage are still stigmatised in the UK.
False.
Births outside marriage are now socially acceptable; in 2022, over half of births (51.4%) were outside marriage.
Give two reasons for the increase in cohabitation.
Cohabitation has increased due to secularisation, changing social attitudes and its lower cost than a wedding; some couples also see it as a gateway to marriage.
Define divorce.
A divorce is the legal ending of a marriage.
Why do divorce statistics not show the full extent of marital breakdown?
Divorce statistics do not reveal the extent of empty shell marriages.
What did the Divorce Reform Act (1969) introduce as the basis for divorce?
The Divorce Reform Act introduced irretrievable breakdown of marriage as the basis for divorce.
Since April 2022, couples can have a divorce without blaming each other or giving a reason.
Since April 2022, couples can have a no fault divorce without blaming each other or giving a reason.
True or False?
Divorce is more stigmatised today than it was in the 1960s.
False.
Since the 1960s, divorce has become less stigmatised and more socially acceptable within particular social groups.
How has secularisation contributed to the rise in divorce?
Secularisation has contributed to the rise in divorce because fewer people take sacred vows before God, which has weakened the religious barrier to divorce.
How has the changing status of women contributed to the rise in divorce?
The changing status of women has contributed to the rise in divorce because more married women earn their own income, so they are less economically dependent on their husbands and need not stay in an empty shell marriage.
How has the media contributed to the rise in divorce?
The media emphasises romantic love, creating high expectations of marriage that may not match everyday reality.
Give one financial consequence of divorce.
After divorce, adults manage on less money, and lone parents with dependent children are more likely to live in poverty.
Give two reasons why divorced people remarry.
Divorced people remarry because they still believe in marriage, want a partner to help raise their children or want companionship and love.
Why are men more likely than women to lose emotional support after divorce?
Men's friends and kinship networks are more likely to change, whereas women are more likely to have their own support networks.
Why do feminists see a high divorce rate as desirable?
Feminists argue it shows women are breaking free from the oppression of the patriarchal nuclear family.
True or False?
Functionalists argue that a high divorce rate threatens the institution of marriage.
False.
Functionalists argue the high remarriage rate shows marriage remains popular; people simply have higher expectations of it.
How do Marxists explain higher divorce rates among the working class?
Marxists point to a lack of resources and men's frustration at exploitation at work, which is often taken out on their wives.
Why does the New Right see a high divorce rate as undesirable?
The New Right argues it undermines the nuclear family, creates welfare-dependent lone parents and leaves boys without a male role model.
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