10 mark and 20 mark question
4. Applying material from Item A and your knowledge, evaluate sociological
contributions to our understanding of the trends in divorce in the United Kingdom since
1970. (20 marks)
Item A - There has been a significant increase in the number of divorces since 1970.
One important factor behind the increase has been the changes in the law relating to
divorce. However, legal changes alone may not be enough to explain the trend and
sociologists have suggested a number of possible causes of a higher divorce rate. One
of these is a decline in the influence of traditional norms about marriage that used to
stigmatise divorce.
Figures show that there has been a great increase in the number of divorces in the
United Kingdom since the 1960s. In the year 1961 The Legal Aid and Advice Act gave
financial assistance for the costs of divorce - which made it far more possible for those
of the working class to cope with the expense of divorce. Not only have changes in the
law been made, there too has been a declining stigma towards divorce. As a stigma
declines, divorce becomes more socially acceptable to which we are at the point now
where divorce has been normalised. The higher expectations people now place on
marriage would too have a major impact on the rising divorce rates, amongst many
other factors both legal and not.
Between the years of 1961 and 1969 the number of divorces doubled, and doubled
again by 1972. Twelve years down the line after legal aid became available there were
over 27,000 divorces. Before this law was introduced divorce was very difficult to obtain
especially for women. As for men, they were able to divorce unfaithful wives, while for
women to do the same they had to prove their husbands’ cruelty or offence in addition
to adultery. Gradually as time progressed there have been three kinds of changes in the
law: equalising the grounds making it fair for both men and women, widening the
grounds for divorce which enabled more people to file for a divorce, and making divorce
more affordable. When the grounds were made equal for both men and women there
was a drastic rise in the number of divorce petitions from women. The same goes for
the introduction of the Legal Aid and Advice Act in 1949 and the widening of the
grounds in 1971 to ‘irretrievable breakdown’, divorce rates have risen with each change
in the law. However, legislation cannot be seen as a cause of higher divorce rates, it
has simply made divorce easier to obtain if couples want it. It is clear that couples are
taking more advantage of these liberal divorce laws, although changes in the law often
reflect changes in public opinion.
Mitchell and Goody (1997) noted that there is a decline in the stigma of divorce, which
