Deviate Behavior, Same-Sex Marriage

Topic: Engage in any kind of deviant behavior, observe and analyse how people around you react. Examples: Face the wall in an elevator. Talk to yourself while walking through a crowd. Walk backwards down the street. Stand up while everyone else is sitting. Or laugh at a sad story.

Introduction:

In this academic paper, I have chosen a topic that if I have engaged in a deviant behavior, how and why people around me will react. This time, I have chosen a controversial activity, same-sex marriage or have an intimate relationship with same gender. For me, I am a male. Given that I have a close relationship with a boy such as we hold each hands and hug in the open area, how others will react around me. There will be definitely two reactions to me; one is opponents’ attitude and supporters’ attitude. Actually, nowadays, there has long been a contrary over the issue of whether the same-sex marriage should be allowed in Hong Kong. As there are many democracy countries, such as Demark, have already implemented laws to protect the same sex couples. Unfortunately, there are still many people, gay and lesbian people in particular, striking for the right of marriage. Hong Kong, as an international-renown metropolis, has not had a consensus on it. Worse still, people in Hong Kong consider same sex marriage as a deviant behavior, some of them boycott them.

It is quite surprise for me to choose this topic. I need to make a statement first, I am not a homosexual people, I have engaged in homosexual way just in order to figure out the reaction of people around the homosexual people. The reason why I will take in this activity, as I found that many people in Hong Kong as well as the foreigners have a negative attitude to those homosexual people. Why will they have such attitude? Also, I have found there are an increasing number of people who support the homosexual people. And why they argue that it is okay to have such intimate relationship. The structural-functionalism and social conflict perspectives can prove this situation, beyond the normal norm.

Same-sex marriage is still considered as a deviant behavior nowadays. Deviance is a behavior that goes against norms, which means that behavior is not the people around expected. Norms are specific behavioral standards, ways in which people are required to follow, the paradigms for a predictable behavior in society. They may not necessarily a moral but they are the rules of conduct, not universal, but keep changing; shifting as society shift; mutable, emergent, loose, reflective of inherent biases and interests, and highly- selfish and one-sided. This will vary from class to class race to race and in the generational ‘gap’. Moreover, it is an unusual behavior- behavior we seldom see others in our own society engage in. (Henry, 2004)

Same-sex marriage is considered as a homosexuality. This behavior is a person who has and prefers sexual contact with the same gender person. Same-sex marriage is a legally or socially recognized marriage between two persons of the same biological sex or social gender. I will take a focus on the reaction of religious people, government, and the families with children. The detailed views will be illustrated as follows.

Structural-functionalism approaches:

This approach is a basic concept. It builds up a whole society, and sees the society as an industry that people have their role to play and keep working with each others in order to make the society stable and united. As its names suggests, this approach points to social structure and function. It relates to stable social behavior and the consequence for the operation of society as a whole. Also, according to Merton’s theory, there is a term called dysfunction, which means some social pattern may ruin the operation of the society.

Many people consider the same-sex marriage as an abnormal behavior. The reason why they will have such concept is that “family” has played a of paramount importance role in a society. Family is a kind of socialization. In a family, the children will learn from their parents and get to know the basic norms in their society. Second, in the family, the children can get familiar with the meaning of love, and they are able to get the physical and psychological support including emotional and financial supports. And in the family, children can know how to give a birth to next generation, kinship, because of regulation of sexual activity.

Based on this approach, many opponents of same-sex marriage argue that the traditional marriage must contain one father and one mother. Many people using the negative eyes on this situation think that such “marriage” affect the traditional marriage. For the religious grounds, they believe that the same-sex marriage is not the will of the God. They will not allow you to do so. For examples, many Christian in the world have already held numerous marches to fight against the allowance of same-sex marriage. Many Christian have already been vocal and politically active in opposing same-sex marriage. In Hong Kong, His Eminence Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-Kium blames the same-sex marriage; the same-sex relationship should not be included in the domestic violence. Many Orthodox Jews also have the same views on banning the sexual acts and the marriage amongst members of the same sex. What is more, there are many conflicts between whether should legislate the same-sex marriage, and it makes numerous argument overwhelming in the society, in order to make the society become stable, they opponents always use that approach to fight against others. (A committee, 2006)

Besides, for the aspect of family and children, the children should have the right to be raise by a father and a mother. Also, some scholars found believe that children raised by the homosexual couples will develop homosexual or bisexual preferences or more lively to have a same-sex relationship in the foreseeable future. (An article, “The Christian Case Against Same-Sex Marriage”, 2008) It is an endless circle. Recently, there several psychological studies have shown that an increase in the exposure to negative conversations and media messages about same-sex marriage creates a harmful environment for the LGBT population that may affect their health and well-being. They will easily get AIDS through intimate relationship with their same-sex partner. (Potoczniak, Aldea, DeBlaere, 2007)

What is more, some conventional families and religious argue that family is a function that produces our next generation; biologically, same-sex couples cannot have the ability to do these kinds of work. If they insist to being with each others, aging-problem will certainly become an alarming problem. And it will definitely affect our society, say; the aging problem in Hong Kong is worsening. That’s the reason why this behavior cannot be accepted by some countries.

On one hand, taking all above-mentioned statements into accounts, it is not difficult to find that why there are still numerous people regard it as a deviant behavior and dysfunction. It is not uncommon to see the people around the gay people have such negative attitude. On the other hand, there are an increasing number of supporters including the Christian and supporters of same-sex marriage. They always use the human right as a main backup reason. The views will be shown as follows.

Always do universal human rights and equality be used as a reason to prove that same-sex marriage is like a normal marriage and should be respected in society nowadays. The term “marriage equality” or “gender-neutral marriage” is used to stress that the gay and lesbian couples to be neutral in the society, they need to be accepted. (An article form Kevin)Also, they have stated that the one husband, one wife family is the traditional one, in this modern stage, homosexual marriage is newer. That also proves why there are almost 18countries and regions implementing the allowance of same-sex marriage. (Information comes from website, http://www.blur-f.com/i03.php)

Besides, those supporters argue the point that the children in the homosexual families will not perform as well as those in normal families. (Harry, 2009)But it is not the truth. Some researches reflect that lesbian and gay parents can also act like as normal parents. They still can give children parental love as well as financial support. This relates to the structural-functionalism approach that family is a place providing emotional care and economical supports to their children. It is just like what normal families can do.

Moreover, some Christians agree that those same-sex couples have their rights to have such intimate relationship with the same gender. Nowadays, there are many gay couples adopt a children in order to look like a ‘true’ families. And the churches have already figured out this problem, if we still blame or ban the same-sex marriage, how will it affect the children? The children are all innocent. They come to the world is to get love and care from others. Raising the marriage to the same-sex couples can strengths the intuition of marriage and provide a legal and safe protection to our children of gay and lesbian parents. This way can definitely follow the aim of structural-functionalism which is providing a warm family to the children.

Also, some people argue that whether the child in a same-sex marriage family will get easily to follow their ‘parents’ to become another gay or lesbian. However, some researches disapprove of it. All remains equal wherever the child is. They are allowed to choose whether they will be homosexual.

According to the analysis of the supporters’ view, it seems that homosexual marriage is not different as normal family. That makes some people in world start respecting and accepting this change of marriage. China, in particular, is a special country. It is hard for Chinese to accept your behavior. Therefore, even you are gay or act some homosexual behaviors; others will not be surprised or strange. Or else, some may proud of you having courage to air your different behavior or personality.

Social conflict perspective:

The social-conflict perspective approach gives us another view to see the inequality of socialization. There is no doubt that domestic violence is right here and become serious not only in Hong Kong but also in foreign countries.

The supporters of same-sex marriage believe that their behaviors can alleviate such conflicts. Some researchers have pointed out children living in homosexual families will do better than those who live in normal families. Teaching some homosexual marriage to students will definitely help them to have an open mind to everything. Students may learn how to accept others. Also, such marriage can avoid patriarchy, as both lovers are men or women; there will not be anyone is stronger than others. Seldom will that situation happen again.

However, some opponents state that the homosexual marriage cannot alleviate the problem of property and race. Also, children in homosexual, on one hand, they still need to face the internal difficulties just like those in normal families. One the other hand, the children may be teased by classmates. It is a double-attack to children. How can children in their early childhood suffer these two detrimental situation and feelings? A father and a mother in a family is a natural thing. And this relationship has lasted for thousand years, why people need to change it?( Gerald and Sheila, 1989)

Therefore, you should not be doubted why others will use strange eyes looking at you. Even though people in the world including in Hong Kong, western countries, and China, become more open-minded, they still cannot accept you as a normal one. Worse still, if you act such intimate behavior with your partner in some traditional villages such in China or in Afghanistan, you will definitely be caught, and punished by them. But, if you stay in a society overwhelm homosexual couples; your behavior actually is not a deviant one. Other will accept you. You can talk to them and share something you like.

All in all, taking all above-mentioned argument into accounts, even though I accept the concept of “homosexual”, I still cannot tolerate an intimate relationship between two people with same gender in front of me. Hong Kong, an international society, supposed the people here have an open mind toward new thing, but as there are numerous Chinese people right here, kinship is the most important thing in their mind. Hardly can they accept such new concept as the Chinese family remains relatively unchanged for approximately 2000 years. If they find that there are homosexual person in their family, they will truly be very angry, and will blame on the person. So you should not be strange while people around you dislike you. But actually, from my point of views, how can a man act as in mother way, or a woman act in father way in a homosexual family, it is hard for children to learn the true role form their family. With a view to giving children a healthy family life, I suggest the homosexual couples think twice before adopting any children and try to turn back into heterosexual way.

Reference:
Harry Vandenburgh. Deviance, The essentials, 2004(pp.4) New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River
Harry R. Jackson JR.. One Man, One Woman—Only. The Washington Post Company. Http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/09/AR200950902323.html.

Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb, Orthodox Respond to Same-sex Marriage,NY Jewish Week(Mar.26,2004) http://www.ou.org/public_affairs/article/ou_resp_same_sex_marriage/

A Review and Analysis of Research Studies Which Assessed Sexual Preference of Children Raised by Homosexuals

Kevin Bourassa and Joe Varnell, “Equal Marriage for Same-Sex couples” http://www.samesexmarriage.ca/

Case No. S147999 in the Supreme Court of the State of California, In re Marriage Cases Judicial Council Coordination Proceeding No. 4365, Application for leave to file brief amici curiae in support of the parties challenging the marriage exclusion, and brief amici curiae of the American Psychological Association, California Psychological Association, American Psychiatric Association, National Association of Social Workers, and National Association of Social Workers, California Chapter in support of the parties challenging the marriage exclusion

Gerald R. Leslie and Sheila K. Korman, The family in social context, 1989 (Seventh Edition). Pp.81-83. New York: Oxford University Press,

Committee on Jewish Law and Standards, Homosexuality, Human Dignity, &Halakhah: A Combined Responsum for the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards(approved by a majority of the Committee on Dec. 6 ,2006) Http://www.rebbinicakassembly.org/docs/Dorff_Nevins_Reisner_Final.pdf

Potoczniak, Daniel J.; Aldea, Mirela A.; DeBlaere, Cirleen"Ego identity, social anxiety, social support, and self - concealment in lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals." Journal of Counseling Psychology, Vol 54(4), Oct 2007, 447-457.

Website:

http://www.blur-f.com/i03.php
(The information of the countries having a legislative same-sex marriage)