Same-sex Relationships Stability

Introduction

Stability beginning of the 21st century has experienced a rise in same-sex attention amongst the media and scholarly articles. The rapid expansion of social science research and studies on gay and lesbians has been enabled by the prevalence of same-sex relationships as described by Manning, Brown, & Stykes ((2016). It is important to note that same-sex relationships have been lawful in Canada since the years 1969 when the criminal law amendment Act was initiated upon royal assent (Osterlund, 2017). Since then, the widespread phenomenon of a homosexual relationship has rapidly doubled in the last few decades, whereby, a global survey that was conducted in 2015 showed that an 80% of the general Canadian population favored the social acceptance of the homosexuality. Therefore, according to the 2016 census in Canada, there were 72,880 same-sex couples in Canada, which represents 0.9% of all the couples in the region (‘Census in Brief: Same-sex couples in Canada in 2016’, 2019). Similarly of all the same-sex couples, one-third, which represents 33.4% of the same-sex couples, were legally married. The recent report by the Institute of Medicine has called for more study and research in regards to how the health and the general well-being of adults and children can vary across a range of living arrangements, comprising those households with same-sex couples. Ideally, since well-being and health standards are attributed to the stability of a given romantic and sexual relationships amongst people, it is imperative to compare and contrast same-sex kind of relationships to the normal different-sex couples in respect to Stability

Existing Theories of Same-Sex relationships Stability

It is imperative to note that the theories in regards to the Stability of same-sex relationships have, over the years, evolved as evident in the decade of year’s research that compares the same-sex relationships to different-sex relationships Rostosky, & Riggle, (2017. Evidently, these theories have an assumption that the correlates of the relationships Stability are in most cases applicable and similar to both the different sex relationships and same-sex arrangements. As such, the emerging differences in regards to the Stability of different and same-sex arrangements are a function of differences in their rewards, barriers, and alternatives. Research has shown that not only do the same partners have few legal obstacles that may challenge their relationships but also experience more stress in their daily lives as compared to different-sex relationships. According to the minority group stress viewpoint, sexual minors like gays, lesbians, and bisexuals are exposed to unique stressors like institutional and interpersonal discriminations; these stressors can, therefore, weaken the value of their romantic relationship. The minority stress perspective similarly describes the couple-level stressors that same-sex partners must navigate in their romantic lives. For instance, these couples must always negotiate and manage the visibility of their relationship among their family members, friends, and work colleagues. As much as different-sex couples also have to decide on how and when they can introduce their couples to a third party, they are unlikely to expect and experience disproval of their relationship.

As both women and men engaging in same-sex kind of relationships seem to be equally exposed to most of the minority stressors that can affect their relationships, it is also important to note that men in same-sex kind of relationships experience more stress that is related to harassment and violence while on the other hand, a woman in this kind of setting experience more of the stress coming from their family reaction to their engagements. As such, same-sex couples are more likely as compared to different-sex couples to anticipate disapproval. Hence, the same-sex couple is more likely not to capitalize and invest in their own relationships by not moving in a living together. They are also less likely to integrate their partners to their social networks, which is ultimately an investment that, more often than not, stabilizes any relationship. As such, this research study focuses on same-sex relationships by comparing the Stability among couples and different-sex marriages.

Research on same-sex relationship stability

The empirical study on same-sex relationships has utilized data that was collected decades ago and consequently compared them to the current patterns of the relationships. Evidently, across the prior studies of differences in the Stability of relationships, there exists a wide range of differences of same-sex relationships and different-sex relationships; this can be attributed to the time period of the relationship, country of existence, and the selection of couples as depicted by Gates, (2015). One of the most constant patterns cutting across the different relationships is arguable that most of the female couples in a relationship are less stable as compared to both male couples and the different sex kind of relationships. As such, male couples in a same-sex relationship have a higher chance of dissolving their most recent relationship as compared to different-sex relationships. The basis of this argument is that most of the men couples pose great emphasis on autonomy and in most cases, are more exposed to minority stressors as compared to different-sex couples. A research study by (‘Census in Brief: Same-sex couples in Canada in 2016’, 2019) has also identified that men couples in a relationship have a higher rate of dissolution as compared to the different sex relationships counterparts. In my research, I have assumed that the anticipated gaps in regards to male couples and different couples in the level of dissolution would be smaller throughout the period of cohabiting as opposed to during the entirety of the relationship.

Similarly, the lower rates of stability may ideally be observed among the same-sex couples because of social demographic indicators in an environment, the presence of children in the setting may also affect the relationship and the corresponding homogeny of race, age, and education (Cao, Zhou, Fine, Liang, Li, & Mills‐Koonce, 2017). Firstly, children are a long-term relationship-specific investment, which in most cases acts as a barrier to the dissolution of relationships. Nevertheless, the relationship-specific investment cases in same-sex families are sporadic among the couples who are cohabiting. Better yet, the children in same-sex kind of families are a product of their prior different-sex relationships that they may have indulged in. As such, the same-sex family is similar to a stepfamily. Evidently, stepfamily relationships, in most instances, are associated with much higher stability among s the different sex relationships as compared to same-sex families. Secondly, homogamy is perceived to be associated with much more excellent Stability in a different-sex relationship. But on the other hand, a prior study has indicated that homogamy concerning education, race, and gender is significantly lower among same-sex relationships as compared to the different-sex couples. Similarly, same-sex couples that are cohabiting may ultimately be experiencing a greater stability as compared to the different couples since they are more advantaged in regards to incomes, education, and homeownership, as such, they are not likely to be poor, and in most cases, they do not need public assistance

Some nations, on the other hand, have provided supportive policies that protect the LGBT from any kind of discrimination, For instance, the same-sex couples that live in the United States of America have protective laws that protect them against employment discrimination and bullying from their peers. These protective policies provided by the government in a target of helping the sexual minorities have helped in curbing the level of severe psychological conditions that might be causes d by discrimination and bullying. Important to note, before the legalization of same-sex marriages in the United States, some of the state policies in the country forbade the recognition of same-sex marriages.

Same-Sex Parenthood

The parenting of same-sex couples continues to be a controversial issue in the contemporary world in regard to biological and institutional constraints. This has evidently increased the cost of having a child as a Gay and lesbian couple, which can be attributed to the lower demand for children. This phenomenon describes as a “lesbian boom” where same-sex couples take parenting roles began way back in the year 1930 and as same parents adoption became legalized in the United States, there has been a substantial increase in the number of gays becoming fathers. The research study has found out that children raised in female same-sex families were ultimately comparable in their well-being and problems behavior to those kids reared in a different-sex family. The findings have substantially found out that the children’s psychological adjustment is attributed to the quality of parenting as opposed to the sexual orientation of the parents. Research undertaken by Gates, G. J. (2015) has provided evidence on the issue in that, regardless of the family type a child is brought up in, adolescents have the ability to function well and those that are much closer to their parents ultimately perform well in school. Similar to the existing pressure of fulfilling the heteronormative expectations of the society of having children, it is imperatively lower in same-sex marriages as compared to the different-sex couples. According to Whitton, Kuryluk, & Khaddouma (2015), childless gay and lesbian people are less likely to show a desire for parenting as compared to their different-sex counterparts. Whitton, Kuryluk, & Khaddouma (2015) have established that even though same-sex couples do not express their desire to have a child, they approve of the value of parenthood just as secure as the different-sex couples

Conclusion

This research plays a significant role in contributing to various research works that have brought same-sex couples to the forefront of social science study. It significantly provides an innovative analysis of same-sex stability as compared to the different-sex couples without overlooking any variable that may impact their relationship standards. The findings from the various empirical studies have suggested that in several regards, lesbians and gay people significantly anticipate an imperatively low benefit and a higher cost of being in a relationship; this does not apply to a parent in a same-sex relationship. It is similarly evident that same-sex parenting is continuing to be imperatively rare. Notwithstanding the growing attention put in the differences that exist between same-sex couples and different-sex couples, the current work and research have rarely compared the specific relationships from its formation to dissolution, nor does it shed some light on the existing same-sex unions in the non-western contexts. The result found in these studies has demonstrated the fact that young adults who experience homosexuality and heterosexuality kind of relationships share an imperatively similar dynamic across the United States. Another imperative result that is evident in the study is that same-sex relationships are more likely to be homogamous in education and age but are imperatively less likely to become homogamous in regards to family economics status as compared to different-sex marriages. The findings in the study are based on the argument that same-sex couples are not so much bound by the social norms which are persistent on unequal age and the educational status that drives the Unions but on the other recommends a union based on the similar economic background of the two families connected by the couples.

References

1. Cao, H., Zhou, N., Fine, M., Liang, Y., Li, J., & Mills‐Koonce, W. R. (2017). Sexual minority stress and same‐sex relationship well‐being: A meta‐analysis of research prior to the uS Nationwide legalization of same‐sex marriage. Journal of Marriage and Family, 79(5), 1258-1277.
2. Census in Brief: Same-sex couples in Canada in 2016. (2019). Retrieved 18 November 2019, from https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/as-sa/98-200-x/2016007/98-200-x2016007-eng.cfm
3. Gates, G. J. (2015). Marriage and family: LGBT individuals and same-sex couples. The Future of Children, 67-87.
4. Manning, W. D., Brown, S. L., & Stykes, J. B. (2016). Same-sex and different-sex cohabiting couple relationship stability. Demography, 53(4), 937-953.
5. Osterlund, K. (2017). Love, freedom, and governance: Same-sex marriage in Canada. In Marital Rights (pp. 115-132). Routledge.
6. Rostosky, S. S., & Riggle, E. D. (2017). Same-sex relationships and minority stress. Current Opinion in Psychology, 13, 29-38.
7. Whitton, S. W., Kuryluk, A. D., & Khaddouma, A. M. (2015). Legal and social ceremonies to formalize same-sex relationships: Associations with commitment, social support, and relationship outcomes. Couple and Family Psychology: Research and Practice, 4(3), 161.