The late 60's early 70's saw marriages in the UK grow, reaching the highest peak recorded in the history of the UK in 1972 at 480,000, however by 2001 this figure had dropped to 206,000. Along side this, the average age for first marriages rose by seven years between 1971 and 2005, where the figure reached 30 for women and 32 for males. The significant drop in marriage rates over the years is due to many factors. Firstly, the late 60's/early 70's, saw the so-called 'baby-boom' period from the 50's come into effect, after WW2 ended in the early 50's, men where coming back from war, and getting there wife's pregnant, due to not seeing each other for so long etc, this in turn meant that there was a boom period for baby's being born, the late 60's/early 70's where now seeing these baby's, who by this time where in their late teens and early twenties marrying each other at a younger age, than previous generations. This explains why there is such a peak between 1970-1980, a higher birth rate years before meant that there was a higher marriage rate, especially the record figure in 72.
Examine the reasons for changes in the divorce rate in the UK since 1969 In this essay I will explain the changes in the divorce rate since 1969 in the UK. The term ‘divorce rate’ means the number of divorces each annum per thousand married people in the population. There are two main reasons for the changes in divorce rates since the 1969 such as the changes in the law. And also the changes in society. In 1961 the number of divorces increased from 27,000 to 153,000 by 2006.
Legal changes are changes in the laws surrounding divorce. Changes in these laws have made divorces easier and cheaper to get and given men and women equal rights in filing for one – leading to a rise in divorce rates. However, there are many other factors that also contribute to a rise in divorce rates, for example secularisation and feminism – changes in society and its attitudes that form its views on different matters, including divorce. All of these factors play a role in the rate of divorce in the contemporary UK, but as to which is the main reason for the increase in divorce over the past forty years will be discussed in this essay. On the one hand, it can be said that legal changes are the main reason for the increase in divorce over the last forty years due to acts brought into force, such as the Matrimonial Proceedings Act 1984.
Mitchell and goody (1997) claim that important changes since the 1960's has rapidly declined stigma attached to divorce. This implys people attitudes towards is no longer the same and that people have more choice in their marriage. It also shows divorce would increase as in terms that your decision is valued by society and you may even get support.
The patterns of marriage, divorce and cohabitation over the past 40 years has varied quite significantly. In 1972, the highest ever number of couples (480,000) since the Second World War got married. Now, obviously there is a reason for this. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), this was due to the baby boom generation of the 1950s reaching marriageable age and these people choosing to marry at a younger age compared with previous generations. However, after this period, the number of marriages in England and Wales then went into decline.
Each year, on average, 294 youths die from suicide. Many more attempt suicide. According to Statistics Canada figures, Canadian suicide rates greatly increased in the 1960s and 1970s and, though they became stable in the 1980s, yet they are still at the highest level in Canadian history. Between 1960 and 1978, the overall suicide rate rose from 7.6 per 100,000 populations to 14.8. During the last decade, the suicide rate, though relatively stable, has been about double the rate throughout most of the period from1921 to 1961 and well above previous highs recorded during the Depression of the 1930s.
According to ABCT(2007), approximately 50% of first marriages end in divorce, one of life's most stressful events. Also, it is estimated that nearly 20% of all married couples discontent with their marriage and have marital distress. It is believed that people in a distressed marriage or poor marital relationship will feel dissatisfied and distressed and thus may argue and fight without coming to resolutions. There is not such research to find out whether people with marital distress will increase the chance of being compulsive buying disorder. This research is designed to analysis the relationship between marital distress and compulsive buying
Many different factors helped people prosper, but there were also many challenges that people faced and failed. In 1750, life expectancy averaged between 28 to 33 years. However, these numbers began to increase during the nineteenth century. The nineteenth century saw life expectancy reach as high as 39.9 years for males and 43.5 in females. England, Wales, France, Germany, Italy, and Sweden saw higher increases in life expectancy that ranged anywhere from 35.1 years to 39.9 years old in men, and 35.4 to 43.5 years old in women.
According to Dumas and Péron (1992), between the end of the 1960s and the mid 1980s, the divorce rate increased fivefold. In 1995, the most recent year for which data are available, there were approximately 77,000 divorces granted in Canada, a rate of 262 per 100,000 people (Statistics Canada, 1997). According to a report prepared by the Bureau of Review (1990), Statistics Canada estimates that almost one-third of all Canadian marriages will end in divorce. Moreover, it is estimated that one in two divorce cases involve dependent children, illustrating that each year a substantial number of children are affected by divorce[2]. According to the report, in the late 1980s, approximately 74,000 children became "children of divorce"[3].
People are more comfortable and confident to call for a divorce or an annulment. Divorce rates have increased significantly, this is a big explanation for the increase in single parent families and household in the U.K One reason for this is that religious orders are not as respected as they were in the early nineteen hundreds. The “stigma” of divorce is greatly reduced in society today prior to how it was in the early nineteen hundreds, so people no longer feel ashamed to be divorced. Also people now demand more from marriage and if it does not live up to the ideal they hold then they will get divorced and try again - this explains the growing number of remarriages. In the nineteen hundreds, women couldn’t live and depend on themselves to make ends meet; therefore it was compulsory and essential for women to be married as they depended on the man incomes.