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Homogamy Unmodified
Author(s) -
Cohen Philip N.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
journal of family theory and review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.454
H-Index - 17
eISSN - 1756-2589
pISSN - 1756-2570
DOI - 10.1111/j.1756-2589.2010.00080.x
Subject(s) - categorization , terminology , cohabitation , sociology , word (group theory) , psychology , gender studies , social psychology , computer science , political science , linguistics , law , artificial intelligence , philosophy
I propose that homogamy and heterogamy be used to signify same‐sex and opposite‐sex unions, respectively, including marriage and cohabitation. This is intended to address a terminology impasse that has given us marriage versus same‐sex marriage in popular and academic usage. After a brief review of the word origins and scholarly uses of these terms, I conclude that the new uses for homogamy and heterogamy could be adopted relatively easily, with scientific benefits for categorization, and could remove a conservative bias in the current usage.