The family type I selected for the course project paper is the same-sex family. With an increase in queer representation and visibility in modern society, discussion of the characteristics and specialties of same-sex families now is vital for family studies. There is a significant lack of literature on the topic of same-sex type of family, which could be explained by a lack of data and experience. The matter emphasizes the overall state of society being unfamiliar with same-sex families, proving the need for further research. The same-sex family is a relatively new type of family, meaning that significant historical events that supported the development and continuation of this type of family took place in the modern age. Analyzing the societal occasions and events that influenced the development of this type of family would provide additional context to the current perception of family, parental roles, and parental relations with children. Moreover, there are several aspects of same-sex family type that require further development and research.
Even though gay people participated in the parenting of their children throughout history, they were forced to conceal their orientation. Thus, their participation in a family was mostly related to heterosexual type of marriage, or nuclear family type, with a small number of families with a single gay parent. Moreover, there was a common misconception that only heterosexual individuals are fit for the parenting of children (Pistella et al., 2018). Therefore, most historical instances that influenced same-sex family development relate to the American gay liberation movement and the society accepting same-sex marriages. The four instances that will be featured in the paper are the 1969 Stonewall riots for gay rights and the 1997 case of Mary Ward which emphasized society’s negative approach toward gay parenting. The work will also focus on the impact of the U.S. Supreme Court making same-sex marriage legal in all 50 states in 2015 and the 2017 case of Pavan and Smith, which affirmed that marriage equality implies parenting equality for same-sex couples.
Reference
Pistella, J., Tanzilli, A., Ioverno, S., Lingiardi, V., & Baiocco, R. (2018). Sexism and attitudes toward same-sex parenting in a sample of heterosexuals and sexual minorities: The mediation effect of sexual stigma. Sexuality Research and Social Policy, 15, 139-150.