A major change that has occurred in the Western family is an increased incidence in divorce.
An important issue for sociologists, and indeed for all of society, is why these changes in marital patterns have occurred.
One type of explanation for rising divorce has focused on changes in laws relating to marriage.
Another type of explanation is one that focuses precisely on these broad societal changes.
The two explanations described above have very different implications for social policy, especially in relation to how the problem of increasing marital instability might be dealt with.
It is difficult to offer a comprehensive explanation for the growing trend of marital breakdown; and it is even more difficult to find solutions that might ameliorate the problems created by it.
Finally, it is worth pointing out that, whilst we may appear to be living in a time of increased family instability, research suggests that historically, instability may have been the norm rather than the exception.
It is difficult to offer a comprehensive explanation for the growing trend of marital breakdown; and it is even more difficult to find solutions that might ameliorate the problems created by it.
Hart (cited in Haralambos, 1995), writing from a Marxist-feminist position, traces marital conflict to changes in the capitalist economic system and their resultant effect on the roles of men and women.