Diverse Sexualities and Culture

Test 2

Due: Tuesday, March 16, 2010 at 1:15pm in person unless previously agreed upon

Answers to the questions must be typed, either double- or 1.5-spaced using 12 point font.

The question is worth 40 points. To receive full credit you must have a thorough, well-
written answer that addresses all of the items highlighted in the question. You should put
considerable thought into your answer. To organize your answer, create an outline before you
begin writing.

Feel free to discuss the questions with others on the listserv but your answer must be your own
work.

Test question:

The current societal debate on same-sex marriage focuses largely upon religious,
sociological and anthropological arguments. The issues are not always simple and often
incorporate many assumptions. In this essay, we want you to examine the arguments and
assumptions used in the debate. I strongly encourage you to follow the outline provided
below. I am not asking for your opinion on the debate but rather an analytical critique.

1. You should first lay a foundation for your discussion by examining how different
societies incorporate or exclude non-heterosexuals in their religious practices.
a. What roles do the non-heterosexuals have in the religious practices?
b. How is religion used to explain diverse sexualities?
c. Compare the situations for non-heterosexual Native Americans, Muslims
in Indonesia, practitioners of Vodou in Haiti, the religions of other traditional
peoples, the ancient Greeks, and American Christians.
d. Draw on Patrick Chapman’s lectures from earlier in the quarter, Debbie
Teed’s lecture on Haiti, the various films, readings, and seminars as applicable.
2. Once this foundation is established, discuss what marriage is and how it is
expressed.
a. How is it expressed in societies around the world and in what
circumstances are same-sex marriages allowed in non-Western traditional
cultures?
b. How do gender roles influence the concept of (modern) marriage and
influence the patterns that same sex relationships take in Western society?
c. You should be able to make connections to the history of and trends in
Western marriages.
d. Draw on Patrick Chapman’s and Erica Dixon’s lectures, the various films,
readings, and seminars as applicable.
3. Finally, critique the arguments for and against same-sex marriage.
a. Include in your discussion the explicit arguments for and against same-sex
marriage. (Erica Dixon’s lecture)
b. Draw on Erica Dixon’s and Patrick Chapman’s lectures, the readings, and
the Daddy and Papa video.