Cohabitation 02 20 2014 Have homework movie and assignment due by next Thursday Exam next Thursday MC True False some short answers Don t need to know specifics but know your readings and film also lectures May lead to marriage but still changing the face of relationships Less commitment more potential for multiple sexual partners No clear commitment Roles less defined Less socially acceptable to have children more and more children being born into this when a sudden pregnancy comes up Why Starting point for most marriages Why is it on the rise Fear of unstable marriage Increased acceptance Availability of birth control Can save money via shared rent and ideally avoided divorce More failed marriages divorces cohabitation likely to follow before another marriage that may fail and see if families can merge Focus on self until you re secure where you want to be and older age of first marriage so cohabitation makes sense Who Higher rates among those less educated initially Those that have children either the couple s or from past relationships More egalitarian share their roles more equally Value money more thinking that it is fiscally responsible More open to the idea of divorce think that they need to test it so divorce is not the end result More likely to be different couples than those who do not cohabit Cohabiting women are more likely to be older and more educated than the male partner than in married women Cohabitation Outcomes Higher likelihood of dissolving if the female is unhappy Higher likelihood of staying together but not marrying if the man is Higher rate of divorce among those who cohabit There is the potential that the relationship will change a lot even though you are still living together Things haven t really changed and become unhappy more exciting More likely to marry sooner if family life is a shared value Children born to unmarried parents are more likely to see their parents relationship dissolve and less likely to be supported by and or see the father if it does Same sex Couples Same Sex Marriage 02 20 2014 Initially the gay movement was trying to remove itself from families o Fears that marriage legislation will stir trouble hold back some from pro marriages as well as thoughts of family as hierarchical that said most desire marriage rights o Did not want to be a part of the family movement Federal Defense of Marriage Act 1996 by Bill Clinton o Denies federal recognition of same sex marriages States may do what they do but when it comes to federal benefits we will not recognize it o Gives states right to refuse same sex marriage licenses given by other states you will not be married there o February 2011 President Obama announces that the section of the law clarifying marriage as a man and a woman will no longer be upheld Legalization of inter racial marriage paved the way for same sex marriage rights o Some states are more progressive than others sometimes one step up two steps back o Over time marriage among gay and lesbian couples has become more common and more accepted Same sex Marriage Rights Positive changes that may result from legalized gay marriage are o Less stigma more recognition legal rights more acceptance With the privilege of marriage comes the privilege of divorce which is also important While homosexuality has been documented historically homosexual families are a newer concept Ironically gay marriage would allow for 2 parent families that conservatives desire o If the best interest of children is what is being considered then why deny the right to marry Same sex Parenting The most studied and common gay families are parent came out after having a child and now has shared custody Gay custody battles are far more common now Legal issues involving gay and lesbian families often favor biological ties and not always the strongest tie Without a legal bind rights of partners can be lost to biological families If your relationship dissolves you have no right to that child second parent adoptions allow for the non biological partner to be a full legal parent This is becoming more accepted and they would technically have three parents Gay men have a harder time forming a family because they do not have biological options and the stigma is against them making fostering or adopting more difficult Stigma that they are addicted to sex and should not be around small children This makes the adoption process more difficult As women intentionally having babies out of wedlock become more of a family type the entire concept of family has changed This has made the idea of a lesbian couple more open minded Lesbian families can be created via adoption or other means such as one partner getting pregnant There are particular challenges for lesbian couples who must deicide who will bear the child Sometimes they will both have a child with the same sperm donor so children are half related A variety of methods have been attempted to make both mothers Lesbian Women Parenting feel included Same sex families Research research Those that exist Not a ton of studies on gay and lesbian families as there is not much o Focus on divorced gay or lesbian partners Divorce may put a lot of stress on families making it skewed o White middle class families which is not representative o Ignore that there may be a new partner in their comparison to mother headed homes Not recognizing the new partner the child must adjust too Results find positive differences if any Same sex families o More cooperative o Egalitarian parenting relationships o More nurturing than heterosexual families to protect them from outside sources that are less accepting by offsetting it Often because of the challenges of becoming a gay or lesbian parent the parents are o Better educated as more educated tend to be more open minded such as being accepted o Older for men don t have to worry about the limited time o More compatible o White fewer burdens for the children to bear which offset Support systems are well created and far reaching in gay and Gay and lesbian families are particularly supportive to children who window challenges lesbian circles are gay o The likelihood of having gay lesbian children is no higher for gay lesbian parents o Children of gay lesbian parents are more likely to explore their sexuality but this does not mean that they are homosexual Biggest problems for children of gay lesbian families o Homophobia o Lack of legal protection parental rights etc Ultimately it is the quality of