Examine the reasons for changes in the patterns of marriage and cohabitation in the last 40 year or so (24 marks)

In order to assess reasons for the changes in the patterns of marriage and cohabitation; it is necessary to first establish the term marriage and cohabitation. Marriage is traditionally conceived to be a legally recognized relationship, between two consenting adults, that carries certain rights and obligations. Cohabitation is an arrangement whereby couples who are not legally married live together in partnership within the common law. Cohabitation has become so widespread that the term itself is now rarely used. I will now critically examine the changes in the patterns of marriage and cohabitation in the last 40 years or so. The patterns of marriage have varied quite significantly. Statistics show that in 1972, the number of couples (480,000) near the Second World War got married. The reason for this was because of the baby boom generation in the 1950s reaching the marriageable age and these people choosing to marry at a younger age (women aged 21 got married more frequently compared to men aged 27). Most recently, the trend of marriages went into decline. Statistics show that marriages reached an all-time low in 2005 when only 244,710 couples got married, trends show that marriages have decreased. People were rejecting marriage and the age of marriage was steadily rising. In support of the view that marriage is in decline, Chester (1985) suggests that in fact people are delaying marriage. It is said that people will eventually marry after a period of cohabitation, the average time a couple cohabitates is 5 years, 60% of cohabitees will eventually marry. The reason for cohabitation before marriage is probably because couples may want to test the water before they subject themselves into a lifelong commitment. Further evidence which supports this view is that the age for first time bridges in 2003 was 29 years old and for all grooms 31 years. In particular, women may want to delay marriage so they can advance career prospects. Burgoyne (1982) states that cohabitation is just a temporary phase and most cohabitees will eventually marry. Nevertheless, marriage as an institution is in decline because society has become more secular. Couples go through civil marriages or partnerships instead of marrying in the eyes of God. The British constitution of marriage is traditionally based upon the principles of Christianity e.g. the Church of England, the Baptist churches; Christians believe that marriage is for life ( till death do us part ), people are also put off by the religious ceremony of marriage. Another reason for the change in patterns of marriage is because of a range of policies such as the Matrimonial causes act (1857), the Legal aid and Advice act (1949), Matrimonial and Family proceedings act (1984) and lastly the Divorce Reform act (1969). The rate of divorce was exceedingly high especially in 1971 and in 19845. The Divorce reform act (1969) is a legislation which that has granted divorce on the basis of irretrievable breakdown . This legislation also generally made it easier and cheaper for couples to end their marriage. Couples have also been able to petition for divorce, in the 1960 s most divorce petitions were put forward by me. However in the 1990 s, 75% of divorce petitions were taken out by women. Feminists note that women s expectations of marriage have radically change, compared with previous generations; according to the survey of Thorns and Collards (1979) of married couples, they discovered that women expected more out of their marriage compared to men and they value friendship and emotional gratification, they were also less satisfied. If men failed to live up to the expectations in the marriage then women may seek elsewhere. Women also have access to career

and educational opportunities due to the Equal Pay act and Equal Opportunities legislation. Evidence supporting this is that 58% of the workforces in 1994 were female. People also go through serial monogamy a system where partners divorce and marry other partners, occasionally repeating the pattern more than once. This also produces the so called reconstituted family and includes step family. People are also marrying then divorcing their partners because they have experienced an empty shell marriage. According to Fletcher, marriage is increasingly valued; instead of putting up with an empty shell marriage people want partners that offer friendship, emotional fulfilment and sexual compatibility. However, marriage rates are fluctuating because not all broken marriages consequently results in divorce. David Morgan (The family, 1985) suggests that marriage has become medicalized , with therapist and marriage guidance counsellors at the ready to tackle marital issues and enhance marital quality. Couples still remain together even if they are entirely miserable, it may be because of the sake of the children. For example, conflict and arguments may be signs of caring and engagement in some marriages. Furthermore, as well as a decline in marriage, the proportion of non- married people cohabiting has risen sharply in the last 40 years from 11% of men and 13% of women in 1986 to 24% and 25% respectively. There are now half as many divorces as marriages, also if present trends continue, about 40% of marriages will end in divorce. The office of national statistics (ONS) suggest that cohabiting couples are the fastest growing family type in the UK, in support of this view statistics reveal that around 2.2 million families are cohabiting couples. Ultimately, despite the general decline in marriages and rise in cohabitation, is it still the main type of partnership between men and women in the UK. In 2005, seven in ten families were headed by a married couple. Reasons for cohabitation may be pragmatic, the financial cost of marriage may deter people which is why couples cohabitate. According to the Wedding guide UK, the average cost of a traditional marriage is around 11,000. All the factors I have presented has led to the change of patterns in marriage and cohabitation trends, as long as people are happy and in a loving relationship, they do not necessarily need a ring and a piece of paper with their names on it.

Rebecca Mills Sunday 1st January 2012