S/S/29. Can the rise in divorce in Britain (and other Western countries) be explained as the disintegration of the family?

In the early twentieth century divorce existed, but it was relatively rare. In the 1950s there was approximately 3000 divorces a year, but this increased to 60 000 by 1970 and 120 000 by 1972. After this sudden and dramatic upsurge in divorces, the divorce rate continued to rise more steadily and by 1994 there were around 160 000 divorces a year. (Population Trends, 1996). This trend was not unique to Britain; the divorce rate in the USA is the highest in the world: approximately half of all marriages end in divorce, while in Britain four in ten marriages end in divorce. This essay will explore a number of factors which have affected the rise in divorce. The essay will propose that the family is not in decline, rather, the family is changing and assuming new forms. This has been influenced by changes in the law, attitudes and expectations, gender relations and the rise of institutionalised individualism.