Table of Contents
Same sex marriage is marital relations between people of similar sex such as a woman marrying a woman or a man marrying a man (Spilsbury, 2011). Same sex marriage is legal in countries such as Spain, South Africa, Canada, France, United Kingdom, Sweden, and United States. This has brought various repercussions and general feeling among various ethnic groups in regard to marriage institutions. Various changes have also been attributed to the legalization of same sex marriage causing regression or progression in social and economic factors. Homosexuals’ greatest accomplishment was the liberation of their sexuality, recognition of their sexual arrangement in the society and altogether reframing the concept of monogamy and traditional marriage. This paper will discuss the legal marriage between persons of same sex, its transformation and also outline the various views about this type of marriage.
Same sex couples may have been in existence for years but have been legally recognized recently. Legal institutions provide the power of marital rights in a state and are recognized as a family which legally exists. Marriage is deeply rooted in the social and cultural perspectives and highly esteemed in many ethnic groups. Legalization of same sex marriage introduced substantial challenges, which prevent progression and acceptance of this institution. Such diversity in sexual preferences have not been embraced fully in many ethnics groups as a result of religious affiliation. Same sex couples is also thought by optimistic feminist to bring transformation in marriage by restructuring the worrying gender dynamics still rooted in heterosexual marriage. Most arguments trying to explain the basis of this cultural behavior is grounded on personal beliefs and no facts. The social gap attributed by the various views different people have had on same sex marriages can only be addressed through acceptance of diversity (Spilsbury, 2011).
The developments of homosexuality have introduced great transformation in family views. Families with strong prominence on traditional values are alleged to be more inflexible and less accepting of the diversity of sexuality rather than those with no customary family values. Traditional values have been significantly eroded by the legalization of same sex marriages thus weakening family beliefs, which are vital in the society. For instance, children are major constituents of a family and in same sex marriages; child bearing is a big issue resulting in adoption or such families are forced to remain with no kids (Hunted, 2012). This has eroded the value and the role played by children in a family. Putting aside the various objections laid out for this kind of marriage: same sex marriage is unusual thus outrightly changing the tradition framework of a family. As explained by Spilsbury (2011), same sex marriage is considered by religious groups as an abomination and a disgrace to their beliefs. Legalization of same sex has forced most people to change their beliefs and thus weakening their identity as a traditional group.
As asserted by Hunted (2012), homosexuality is a romantic attraction among people of the same sex. Sexuality is purely determined by one’s biological aspects, environmental factors, and upbringing. Homosexuality has been in existence across various cultures and also in the animal kingdom. According to Spilsbury (2011), most people discovered their sexuality from their young age. Most people who subscribe to science and use it to explain homosexuality are more probable to be in approval of equal rights for sexual minorities. Homosexuals have faced intense discrimination for many years in the UK and other developed countries thus the legalization of same sex marriage can be viewed as liberation. Social liberation involves advocating for equal rights for everyone despite of one’s sexual orientation. As such, it is currently embraced by most western countries.
Egalitarian marriage can be defined as changing process with relationship between the couples and it is mainly built on equality .Common features of children growing in egalitarian marriages include sharing, cooperation, autonomy and a gendered division of labor. Learning how to relate with others is the main social skill that children are expected to have and their parents plays a major role in the learning process. Lew-Levy (2017) argues that the children are not only nursed by their mothers but their fathers too. In such marriages, each couple has equal responsibility and in turn, the children get to learn the value of autonomy. The results obtained by Lew-levy (2017) also show that these children learn the virtue of sharing at an early age. They learn mostly through participation, observation, and direct command. In addition, It was found that children tend to imitate grown-ups behaviors, such as sharing. Most parents tend to play games with their children that focus on discouraging antisocial behaviors and ways for resolving conflicts. These games were found to allow children imagine solutions, hence increasing their propensity for cooperation. Gendered behaviors were found to be learned through imitation (Lew-levy et al, 2017).
Annotated Bibliography
Spilsbury, L. (2011). Same-sex marriages. The Rosen Publishing Group.
This book highlights various debates in regard to same sex marriage and its adoptions in many states. This book demonstrates the legal, social, and political arguments about same sex marriage. Extensive interviews with couples in same sex marriage have also intensified the experience and content of this book. The purpose of this book is to broaden the understanding of same sex relations and provides new insights as per different national context. The book educates readers on the dynamic nature of marriage as an institution The author of the book argues that embracing diversity and personal lifestyle eventually leads to intercultural development. It is presumed that the analysis of this topic is reliable and not biased. Generally, it is an informative piece of writing with great insight relevant to the current study thus a credible source.
Hunted, N. D. (2012). The future impact of same-sex marriage: More questions than answers.
This essay discusses the various changes attributed to same sex marriage. According to this article, the changes affect both family law and social meaning of marriage. The author argues that various traditional values such as division of household labor and childbearing are facing significant transformation. This article is educative and informative as it explores the impact same marriage on the contemporary society. The author of the article is with no bias and therefore the article is a credible source for the current study.
Lew-levy, S., Lavi, N., Reckin, R.Jurgi cristobal –Azkarate, J., & Ellis –Davies (2017). How Do Hunter-Gathether Children Learn Subsistence Skills?. Human Nature, 1-28.
This is an article where the author argues and presents the theoretical situation based on evidence or the empirical data. The article highlights various social and gender norms acquired by children at different stages of growth mostly within egalitarian marriages. The author suggests that sharing is aggressively taught in early stages. Cooperative behaviors are also suggested to be learned through games played by children and their parents. These findings add to the debate on knowledge and teaching acquired within egalitarian marriages as well as forager populations. The analysis on this topic by this source is presumed as reliable.
- Hunted, N. D. (2012). The future impact of same-sex marriage: More questions than answers
- Lew-levy, S., Lavi, N., Reckin, R.Jurgi cristobal –Azkarate, J., & Ellis –Davies (2017). How Do Hunter-Gatherer Children Learn Subsistence Skills?. Human Nature, 1-28.
- Spilsbury, L. (2011). Same-sex marriage. The Rosen Publishing Group.