Changing Views of Marriage & Family

With a recent lifting of the ban of the right to same-sex marriages in Massachusetts, sociologist Kersti Yllo says that "same-sex marriage recognizes the basic humanity of each of us" but that it will definitely threaten traditional marriage, and even change civilization as we know it ("Sociologist" 2003). Yllo points out that changes in society since the 1960s have already changed what was long considered traditional marriage, and that allowing same-sex marriages will remove the final barrier between the genders, which was the basis of traditional marriage. The traditional marriage prescribed distinct gender roles for males and females, although these roles have ben changing slowly over time. Women no longer vow to 'love, honor and obey' their husbands, and with the advent of two-income families, with most women joining the work force and even some men staying home to mind the children, coupled with the developments in birth control and alternatives to conventional reproduction, marriage is just not what it used to be. Today, says Yllo, it is not about having children, but about love and commitment between two people.

With the increase in diversity of the American family, there is no longer a norm to which alternate forms can be compared (Ruether 19). According to the 1996 census, the single person household has become a major form in the United States, representing almost one third of all households. Thirty-four percent of households are two-income families, with o

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from partaking in traditional marriage if this is their desire. They do not threaten the institution of marriage: what threatens it is a lack of commitment by the individuals in the marriage, and this is not the exclusive domain of homosexuals: the divorce rate among those in traditional marriages speaks to this. With nearly 50 percent of heterosexual marriages ending in divorce, surely the addition of more committed individuals to the institution of marriage - and no one can deny these same-sex couples are committed, since they are willing to undergo the stigma which is attached to such unions - can only bolster the position of those who believe in a life-long commitment to marriage. On the other side of the argument, most Americans are against same-sex marriage (Ratzinger 23-24). It goes against all the teachings of the Catholic Church that marriage does not just refer to any union between two human beings, but was established by the Creator and has been elevated by Christ to the dignity of a sacrament. While the teachings of the Catholic Church are that homosexuals "must be accepted with respect, compassion and sensitivity" and discrimination against them avoided, they are expected to live in chastity. The Catholic

Category: Psychology - C