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What, exactly, are we measuring? Examining heteronormativity in relation to same‐gender marriage
Author(s) -
Bartholomay Daniel J.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
sociology compass
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 31
ISSN - 1751-9020
DOI - 10.1111/soc4.12563
Subject(s) - heteronormativity , scholarship , sociology , gender studies , conversation , closure (psychology) , context (archaeology) , conversation analysis , political science , queer , law , paleontology , communication , biology
Focusing on the relationship between same‐gender marriage and heteronormativity, my objectives in this paper are twofold. First, I examine the scholarly conversation examining same‐gender marriage as a practice that either reinforces or challenges heteronormativity. I agree with the arguments posed by contemporary sociologists that reducing same‐gender marriage to being purely supportive or disruptive of heteronormativity oversimplifies the issue. Next, I critically examine how challenges to heteronormativity are being measured in the context of same‐gender marriage. I argue that future scholarship would benefit from more thoroughly considering how challenges to heteronormativity manifest in different forms and impact the social system of heteronormativity in distinct and varied ways.