SHOULD ALL U.

S
CITIZENS HAVE
EQUAL RIGHTS
REGARDLESS OF
MARITAL STATUS?

CHRISTIAN
STORRS

INTRODUCTION
Is the institution of marriage
discriminatory?
Is the original idea of marriage a
human rights issue?
Has marriage become outdated in
todays society, should it be redefined?
* Cohabitation; an arrangement between two people that live
together(emotionally or sexually) without formally registering
the relationship as a marriage

HISTORY OF MARRIAGE IN THE U.S

What is marriage?
The legally recognized union
of a man and a woman
Marriage had a strategy and
there was an agenda to be
executed. Marriage fulfi lled a
specifi c function
legal, social, and economic
stability,
The formation of a family
Procreation, legitimizing
sexual relations.
Fulfi lling religious obligations
Publicly declaring love for one
another
Obtaining citizenship

18 t h century: Colonial
times
Ma rriage was largely a matter of prope rty
and reproduction.

19 t h Century: Victorian era

Brought a bout the idea of roma ntic love,
Slaves were forbidden t o marry at all.
Free slaves were able to ma rry.

20 t h Century: Industrial
Revolution
Courtship and marriage developed more
during this period.
Post war marriages
Higher divorce rates

21 s t Century: New
Millennium
Same-sex marriages

IS MARRIAGE DISCRIMINATORY?
Our society has been pre-wired to believe that
marriage and a nuclear family is the ultimate goal.
Non-traditional marriages even within the heteronormative standards ( man and woman) can be
discriminated against.
Switching of stereotypical gender roles Woman as bread
winner, and stay at home father.

Man possessing more power than the woman in a

marriage
The woman and children taking the mans last name
Those that are in a marriage obtain 1138 benefi ts,
that those who are single or in a non-traditional
relationship are omitted from
Those who are single or in a non-traditional

HUMAN RIGHTS & MARRIAGE

S l a v e r y a nd i n t e rr a c i a l l y m a rr y i n g i n t h e p a s t
Wo m e n w e re o n c e p ro p e r t y o f m e n w i t h m a rr i a g e b e i n g t h e u n i fi c a t i o n
t h a t s o c i a l l y p e rm i t t e d d o m e s t i c s l a v e r y
T h e re a re 1 1 3 8 m a r i t a l b e n e fi t s t h a t a re g i v e n t o t h o s e w h o b e c o m e
m a rr i e d . W h e t h e r s a m e - s ex o r h e t e ro s ex u a l
Tax, Employment, medical, and death benefi ts
Estate planning, government, housing, family, and consumer benefi ts etc

A n y re l a t i o n s h i p t h a t w o u l d n o t l e a d t o l e g a l m a rr i a g e , w o u l d n ' t t b e
c o n s i d e re d a s o c i a l l y a c c e p t a b l e l i f e s t y l e a n d w o u l d n o t b e re c o g n i z e d
as such
Before gay marriage, those in a partnership weren't given the allowances that a
heterosexual couple would assumedly be given (ex. Health related issues)

S o c i e t y s e e s f a m i l y a s t he n a t u r a l a n d f u n d a m e n t a l g ro u p u n i t o f s o c i e t y
It is believed that the nuclear family is entitled to protection by society and the
state.

IS THE DEFINITION OF MARRIAGE

OUTDATED, SHOULD IT BE REDEFINED?
5 0 % o f a l l m a rr i a g e s e n d i n d i v o rc e , m e a n i n g s o m e t h i n g i s w ro n g h e re .
O u r s o c i e t i e s d e fi n i t i o n o f m a r r i a g e i s a l w a y s c h a n g i n g .
I t s t i m e t o re - d e fi n e w h a t c oh a bi ta t io n c a n b e , a s t h e re a re a v a r i e t y o f
d i ff e re n t t y p e s o f u n re c o g n i z e d re l a t i o n s h i p s , t h a t d o n t g a i n v a l i d i t y s u c h
as;

Single parent households

Blended and extended families
Adult children living with and caring for their parents
Senior citizens who are the primary caregivers to their grandchildren or other relatives
Close friends or siblings living in non-conjugal relationships and serving as each others
primary support caregivers

m a r r i a g e u s e d t o d e fi n e : c h i l d re a r i n g .
Cohabitation would eradicate the problem of fi nancial stress, no matter how long the
relationship lasts, because both individuals only invest emotionally instead of investing
fi nancially in the relationship, the issue of money as a focal point disappears.

h t t p s : / /y o u t u . b e/ F 3 e M 0 f t h Y v U

CONCLUSION/ MY THOUGHTS
Th e varying typ e s of re lationships in our society, are ofte n oute d
an d une qual be cause of th e marriage in stitution.
Th e curre n t id e a or mod el of marriage is outdated , the re are s o
many var ious type s of re lationships , which makes the curre nt
mode l inade quate and ine ffi cie nt.
As s uch a ne w alte rnative for de fi ning le gal re lationsh ips is
de spe rately ne e de d, ye t als o iden tifi able for socie ty, and come s
with the add ed b ene fi ts on e would ge t th rough a mode rn and
tr ad itional leg al marr iage .
For an example, th e id e a of coh abitation cou ld foste r a more
op en and e qual future society, with the as pe ct of re -de fi ne d
re lation ships.
A large focus should be on tr uly de tac hin g c hurch and state
altog ethe r, this could le ad to change s in many institu tions

QUESTIONS/COMMENTS?
What is your stance (or ideas) on
this issue?
Do you agree or disagree with
what has been aforementioned?
Do you think the definition of
marriage is outdated and needs to
change? Why or why not?

CITATIONS
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