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.
Applying trends from Item A and your own knowledge, evaluate sociological contributions to our understanding of the trends in divorce in the UK since 1970. (20 marks)