What term characterizes marital arrangements in modern-day Britain?
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Answer: B. serial monogamy
Explanation
Serial monogamy involves having a succession of single-partner relationships over the course of a lifetime. Individuals engage in exclusive partnerships, but these relationships end through divorce or separation repeatedly. People then enter into new exclusive partnerships, creating a chronological series of marriages. Modern demographic shifts have increased rates of divorce and remarriage across industrialized nations. Sociologists use serial monogamy to describe changing family structures in contemporary Western societies. This pattern reflects cultural values emphasizing personal fulfillment within intimate partner relationships.
Contemporary family dynamics in countries like Britain frequently display this sequential partnership pattern. It highlights the modern transition from lifelong marriage to flexible, temporary commitment models. Researchers analyze serial monogamy to understand its psychological impacts on children and adults. Flexible monogamy is not a standard sociological term used to classify modern marital arrangements. Liquid monogamy is a metaphorical concept from Zygmunt Bauman rather than a formal demographic category. Reflexive monogamy is an academic descriptor occasionally used in sociological theory but lacks standard acceptance.
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