PROPOSED TOPIC: How does the type of parenthood according to gender impacts the child’s psychosocial development?
With the ratification of same-sex marriage in numerous states in the United States and several different countries around the world, so does the majority of the rights and privileges of these married couples. Along with the right to wed, same-sex couples were also extended the right to build a family and raise children. Critics of the same-sex marriage argue that the court failed to consider the ramification of this action to the youth and the underlying social norms. However, supporters of the same-sex marriage advocates say that over the past decades, parenthood has not been limited to heterosexual couples. The diversification of family forms had been around longer than there had even been talks about homosexual unions. An earlier study enumerated the different family forms that had been around for decades including single parenthood, cohabitating and stepparent families, and multi-partner fertility (Cenegy, Denney & Kimbro, 2017, p.198). The authors of this article also stated that same-sex couples who are raising children are not a new practice. The only difference is that more homosexual partners are more open about their relationships now and they are more outspoken. These very same characteristics of the LGTB community is perceived to be a threat to the psychosocial development of the child. This was confirmed by a study in 2015 suggesting that children raised by homosexual develop emotional struggles as a result of psychological distress and child peer stigmatization (Sullins, 2015). Still, we cannot exclude the possibility that children raised by same-sex couples, especially both women, are well-adjusted as per the result of a recent study that involved children raised by lesbians (Gartrell & Bos, 2018). Considering the conflicting results in academic studies, this paper would like to assess the psychosocial development of children raised in a nonconventional family structure or a same-sex parent household. The goal of this paper is to determine the impact of same-sex parenthood on a child’s psychosocial development mainly dealing with the child’s cognitive, emotional, and social wellbeing. Does the type of parenthood according to gender—male-male, female-female, significantly affect the child’s development? Is it the domestic environment that fosters a negative impact on the child, or is the social stigma that compromises the child’s psychosocial well-being?
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RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS: Same-sex parenthood has a significant negative correlation with the child’s psychosocial development.
NULL HYPOTHESIS: The type of parenthood according to gender has no significant correlation with the child’s psychosocial development.
During the course of this study, several observations has to be established. First, that same-sex parenthood has a negative impact on the child’s overall psychosocial development. Compared to the children from the controlled group (i.e., the traditional family structure composed of the father, the mother and the child), the children from the experimental group (i.e. same-sex parent and child) exhibits impaired or compromised psychosocial development. Second is to establish the specific relationship of this type of parenthood on the child’s cognitive, emotional and social well-being. Initially, this study believes that same-sex parenthood has a negative correlation with the child’s psychosocial development given the social stigma attached to same-sex marriage. It is the belief of this study that as families go against the norm in terms of family structure, the level of psychosocial wellbeing decreases. Thus, showing direct relationship between the dependent and the independent variables. In this case the independent variable is type of parenthood based on gender, while the dependent variable is the child’s psychosocial development classified according to three dimensions: (a) cognitive, (b) emotional and (c) social dimensions.
PARTICIPANTS: Families from Oakland, California were selected to participate.
The decision to select this particular locale was primarily because of the high percentage of same-sex marriage in this area. According to a report published by the New York Times, Oakland, Ca. has the 6 th highest rate of same-sex male marriage (1.40%) and the highest rate of same-sex female marriage (2.10%) in the US (Bui, 2016). The decision to select this locale was based on the assumption that there will be a better chance of better representation if the study is done in an area where there is a large population of homosexual marriage. Furthermore, the decision was also partly based on the openness of the community to homosexual union to avoid unnecessary conflict in securing consent. There will be four groups for this study which is divided into two categories—the controlled group and the experimental group. The controlled group will be formed by families from the traditional family structure, which is composed of a straight male-straight female parents. The experimental group will be composed of families from the nonconventional family structure. This group will be further divided into three subgroups: male-male parents, female-female parents, and gay-lesbian parents.
SAMPLING METHOD: This study will use the Stratified Random Sampling method to identify the different members of the subgroups.
Since the goal of the study is to gain insight from the specific sample and later on apply these insights to the general population, the researcher deemed it best to select the needed sample which will serve as the unbiased representative of the population. Since the study will need to get enough sample for each of the subgroup, families from Oakland, California had been preselected because of the large number of homosexual marriages in the area. This will allow the marginal sector to have adequate representation in the study. By ensuring that there are enough families from the marginalized sector to participate in the study, the result will be unbiased. The unbiased data gathering process will help assure the validity and reliability of the final outcome of the study.
There will be four groups in the study which will identify the strata. These strata will include the group of: (a) straight male-straight female parents, (b) male-male parents, (c) female-female parents, and (d) gay-lesbian parents. Contingent on the numbers of participants, the actual figure may be adjusted to ensure that there is equal number of representatives for every stratum. Potential participants are identified through their social media accounts like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Every potential recruit shall be notified through a “private message.” An introduction and general overview of the study shall be provided to all potential participants. If the potential participant decides to partake in the study, a more extensive explanation shall be provided to the participant and a consent form shall be emailed to secure the participant’s willingness to participant in writing. The tools that will be used in this study will include: (a) The Adolescents’ Psychosocial Functioning Inventory (APFI), and the (b) The Strength and Difficulty Questionnaire (SDQ). Both tools are designed to measure the child’s psychosocial development. Although these samples do not stand to represent the general population, it will offer an insight on the impact of the type of parenthood according to gender on the child’s psychosocial development.
References
Bui, Q. (2016). The Most Detailed Map of Gay Marriage in America. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/13/upshot/the-most-detailed-map-of-gay-marriage-in-america.html
Cenegy, L., Denney, J., & Kimbro, R. (2017). Family Diversity and Child Health: Where Do Same-Sex Couple Families Fit? Journal of Marriage and Family , 80 (1), 198-218. doi: 10.1111/jomf.12437
Gartrell, N., & Bos, H. (2018). The Children of Same-Sex Parents – Are They Well-Adjusted? Retrieved from https://pure.uva.nl/ws/files/25595644/The_Children_of_Same_Sex_Parents_Are_They_Well_adjusted_Pediatrics_for_Pare.pdf
Potter, D., & Potter, E. (2016). Psychosocial Well-Being in Children of Same-Sex Parents: A Longitudinal Analysis of Familial Transitions. Journal of Family Issues , 38 (16), 2303-2328. doi: 10.1177/0192513x16646338
Sullins, D. (2015). Emotional Problems among Children with Same-sex Parents: Difference by Definition. British Journal of Education, Society & Behavioral Science , 7 (2), 99-120. doi: 10.9734/bjesbs/2015/15823
