Examine the Changes in Patterns of Marital Breakdown Since the 1960s in the Uk.

By marital breakdown sociologists mean divorce, separation or any other form of relationship that has eroded to a point where it cannot be restored. Since the 1960s patterns of marital breakdown have changed completely in the UK. This is due to changes in society and changes in views towards marital breakdown. But, separation is not always a simple split between the married couple. A bond may still exist between them due to a child or financial problems. This is very different to the world of marital breakdown in the 1960s.
One pattern of marital breakdown that has changed since the 1960s in the UK is that much more women are filing for divorce or separation. Today, 7 out of every 10 petitions for divorce come from women. Feminists say that this high divorce rate from women is desirable as it shows that women are rejecting the patriarchal institution of marriage. But, this theory is flawed as it does not explain why women remarry. In 2007, 13% of women in the UK had been married twice, this shows that women are not rejecting the institution of marriage - they are just rejecting the partner they were previously married to.
Another pattern of marital breakdown that has changed since the 1960s in the UK is that there are a much higher amount of divorces and separations. The number of divorces in the UK doubled between 1961 and 1969 and doubled again by 1972, the upward trend continued and peaked in 1993 at 180,000.