Journel #2

Read Why Wont African Americans Get (and Stay) Married? Why Should They?* by Shirley A. Hill (Reading 13) and Marriage and Family: LGBT Individuals and Same-Sex Couples by Gary J. Gates (Reading 16). Your journal entry must address all the questions below and be at least 350 words long. Do not include the questions in your answer.

1. Based on Hills discussion of the history of African American families, why is it important to examine the institution of family with a racial, social class, and gendered perspective?
2. How do the policies of other social institutions result in additional strains on the family for African Americans that white families do not experience?
3. Many factors influence childrens well-being. Considering Gates discussion, how might the legalization of same-sex marriage positively impact the children of these relationships?
4. How might same-sex marriages challenge traditional notions of family in the United States? How might recognizing these families lead to greater equality for people of all sexual orientations?