THE COMEBACK:

WHEN ARE WE TYING THE KNOT?

AFTER THE ROPE IS SLUNG OVER THE TREE LIMB!

THE MESSAGE:

MARRIAGE IN CANADA

Some History

Marriage in Canada has undergone many changes since the 1960s. The marriage rate is in decline and the traditional idea of a family is being transformed. After the turn of the millennium, the marriage rate fell to 4.7 marriages per 1,000 people (compared to 10.9 in the 1940s). Married couples are still the predominant family structure; however, between 2001 and 2016, the number of common-law couples rose by 51.4 per cent; more than five times the increase for married couples over the same period. The definition of what constitutes a married couple also changed in 2005 with the legalization of same- sex marriage. In 2016, 65.8 per cent of Canadian families were headed by married couples. This is down from 70.5 per cent in 2001. Since the 1960s, marriage in Canada has undergone profound changes. The period (1946 to 1965) was a time when couples married relatively young. By current standards, they also had large families. Today, there are more couples without children. Meanwhile, couples are also less likely to marry early or have children. Marriage ceremonies are performed either by clergy during a religious ceremony, or by a local official during a civil ceremony. At the beginning of the 21st century, 76 per cent of marriage ceremonies were religious.

Age at First Marriage

The overall number of young people who are marrying is decreasing. The average age for both men and women when they first marry has been gradually rising. In 1950, the average age for first marriage for men was 28.5; for women it was 25.9 years. This was higher than the 1960s and 1970s, when people married at younger ages; for example, in 1972 the average age was 23.0 years for women and 25.4 years for men. By 2008, the average age for first marriage was much higher; 29.6 years for women and 31.6 years for men. What has remained stable is that men are generally two years older than women. This has implications both during the marriage and towards its end. Women, on average, live longer than men. In 2004, the life expectancy was 82.6 years for women and 77.8 years for men. A married woman is therefore much more likely to die as a widow. A married man is much more likely to die with a living spouse.

The age of newlyweds is also a key factor for first marriage dissolution. Teens who marry face a marriage dissolution risk that is almost double that of individuals who marry between the ages of 25 and 29. People who wait until their mid-30s or later have a 43 per cent lower risk

Arrangements and Duties

In the past, there was a rather strict division of labour between husbands and wives in most marriages. In general, husbands were responsible for the economic well-being of the family. Wives were considered responsible for child care, housework, keeping the family in good emotional and physical health, and generally for many of the service functions associated with a family. In addition, farm wives also worked on the farm. Many wives in working-class households took in boarders or sold their household services, to contribute to their family’s income.

Since the early 1980s, the majority of Canadian wives have been earning an independent income and contributing financially to the family. This situation has reduced the economic dependency of wives on husbands. It has also shifted the balance of power within marriages. It meant that most preschool children are cared for by somebody other than a parent during portions of their day. By 2003, more than one half (54 per cent) of Canadian children were in some form of childcare.

Although the gap between men and women still exists, the division of labour for such tasks as housework is slowly narrowing. In 1986, 48 per cent of men and 78 per cent of women reported doing some housework; by 2010, 65 per cent of men and 76 per cent of women of the same age range reported doing housework.

Separation and Divorce

Marriages can be dissolved through annulment or divorce. Both of these involve a judicial decree. Remarriage to another person can occur only after a previous marriage has been legally terminated.

Divorce law is under Federal Jurisdiction. In 1968, Canada’s first unified divorce law was passed. At that time, divorce became easier to obtain; although considerable legal and other difficulties remained. Divorce could be obtained on the basis of a matrimonial offence (previously the only basis on which divorce was available) or on the basis of marriage breakdown. Before 1986, if marital breakdown was cited as the reason for divorce, a couple had to have lived three years apart before they could obtain a divorce.

In 1986, a revised Divorce Act (1985) was proclaimed in force. The revised act included a “no-fault” divorce; the sole reason for divorce now is marriage breakdown, which is defined as either living apart for at least one year or committing adultery or treating the other spouse with physical or mental cruelty.

Divorce rates alone are not sufficient indicators of the breakdown of relationships. This is because they do not include judicial separations, divorces granted in other countries and desertions. The break-up of Common-law Unions is also not reflected in divorce rates, despite the increase in the number of these unions.

TONY TODAY:

Single-Parent Families

Lone-parent families can result from divorce, separation, death, or having a child outside of a union. Recent studies indicated that common-law families are five times more likely to experience a parental split than married parents. When there are dependent children involved, divorce usually leads to the formation of one-parent households.

In 2002, about one in four Canadian families with children (around 1.4 million families) were headed by one parent; a 58 per cent increase from 1986. About one-third of all lone parents were divorced, one-quarter were separated, and a fifth were widowed.

In 1986, figures for joint custody began to be recorded. In that year, joint custody was awarded for 1.2 per cent of the children involved; but by 2002, the rate had increased to 41.8 per cent. Joint custody does not mean that the child spends 50 per cent of the time with each parent; rather, it may only mean that both parents have an equal right to make certain decisions about the child’s life. In 2006, there were about four times as many female lone-parent families as male lone-parent families. However, from 2001 to 2006, male lone-parent families grew more rapidly (15 per cent) than did female lone-parent families (6.3 per cent). These changes were partially a result of greater acceptance of births outside marriage and a result of the changes in legislation.

In 2016, approximately 1.6 million families were headed by a single parent. This accounted for 16.4 per cent of all families. There were 3.6 times as many female single-parent families as male single-parent families.

THE MUSIC:

Tammy Wynette - "D-I-V-O-R-C-E”

THE STUFF:

What Are Some Reasons for Divorce in Canada?

Married to young.
Education differences.
Sex life inadequencies.
Previous relationships
Attractions for others
Abuse of Children
Abuse of Spouse

What Percentage of Marriages End in Divorce in Canada?

When couples can not stay happily together, most of them decide on a divorce, although it is not a good solution.

In Canada, we see that the percentage of a marriage ending, as well as the rate of divorce is increasing at an alarming rate day by day. In most cases, the length of a marriage in Canada exists not more than fourteen years. And shockingly, almost half of the total marriages end in divorce. Various stats show that almost 38 percent of marriages end in divorce in Canada. On average, the duration of a Canadian marriage is between twelve to fourteen years. This percentage is low at only 42 percent. Only a few marriages last for twenty years or more.

THE PUN: