1. LOOKING THROUGH A GENDERED LENS
The family is the first, and most
influential social structure through
which individuals form gendered
identities. It is through the family that
each member of society learns to
conform to societal gender
expectations and to communicate their
gender. Families are organized by
distinctly gendered roles. In the same
way that individuals create their own
identity through the performance of
identity, so too does a society's
communication of and about family
create acceptable cultural ideas
regarding the structure of family. It is
the collection of individual family units
that make up the fabric of a society. In
this way, it can be said that "the state of
the family is an indicator of the state of
society. "(DeFrancisco and Palczewski
p. 153)
The Family as a Social Institution
WHAT DO YOU IMAGINE WHEN
YOU THINK OF THE WORD
FAMILY?
A family is a group of people
who live together as parents
and children. There is one
thing in common among then
and that is they are members
who share common goals. It is
the basic unit in a society
which together natures the
future interests of the group.
Merriam-Webster contributed
definition from Vincentt Makokha ·
Chaplain at Administration Police
fam·i·ly (fm-l, fml)
n. pl. fam·i·lies
1.a. A fundamental social group in society
typically consisting of one or two parents
and their children.
b. Two or more people who share goals
and values, have long-term commitments
to one another, and reside usually in the
same dwelling place.
2. All the members of a household
under one roof.
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/family
Definitions of FAMILY
Merriam-Webster:
The basic unit in society
traditionally consisting of two
parents rearing their children;
also : any of various social units
differing from but regarded as
equivalent to the traditional family
<a single-parent family>
Medical Definition
HOW DO YOU DEFINE FAMILY?
FAMILY

2. The concept of the nuclear family
emerged during the Industrial
Revolution in the 1800's along with
traditional stereotypical ideas of
masculinity and femininity. Although the
nuclear family and its associated roles
for males and females has never actually
been the predominant family structure
for Americans, it has come to be
perceived as the ideal; one for which all
should strive. In this model, the mother
stays in the home and nurtures the
family. The father is the head of the
household and the breadwinner. In
reality, this idealized concept of the
nuclear family has been attainable only
for a small segment of the population.
Historically, very few family units have
had the resources to allow a single
wage earner to provide all of the
earnings while another adult stays
home and assumes a caretaker's role.
At the same time, developing
technology has added both money and
time demands on families. Still, the
concept of the nuclear family has
become the assumed standard for all
American families. Anything outside of
this structure is seen as an exception to
the rule.
Honey, I'm home!
RECIPE FOR A NUCLEAR FAMILY
COMBINE TOGETHER:
TWO PARENTS - ONE MALE AND ONE
FEMALE
CHILDREN - BIOLOGICAL, IDEALLY AT
LEAST ONE MALE
ADD FOR GOOD MEASURE:
ONE DOG, ONE CAT, A HOUSE IN THE
SUBURBS, AND A PICKET FENCE
WARNING: DON'T MIX TOO VIGOROUSLY.
FOLD TOGETHER GENTLY TO KEEP
FEMALES AND MALES IN THEIR PROPER
ORDER!
A QUESTION POSED ON "YAHOO ANSWERS": DOES THIS DESCRIBE THE "IDEALIZED" VERSION OF A
NUCLEAR FAMILY?
WHAT IS THE PICTURE PERFECT FAMILY?
BEST ANSWER - CHOSEN BY VOTERS
THE PICTURE PERFECT FAMILY IS THE ONE THAT PRETENDS TO BE PERFECT AND PRESENTS A SHALLOW
IMAGE OF THEMSELVES AS BEING HAPPY AND SMILING WHEN IN REALITY THEY FIGHT CONSTANTLY AND
AREN'T HAPPY WITH EACH OTHER. THE PICTURE PERFECT FAMILY IS ONE THAT IS PRESENTED FOR OTHERS
TO SEE PUBLICLY, BUT PRIVATELY IT'S FAR FROM THE TRUTH.
THE NUCLEAR FAMILY

3. PERCEPTION VS. REALITY
CAN A NON-TRADITIONAL
FAMILY BE A HAPPY FAMILY?
THE PERPETUATION OF THE IDEAL NUCLEAR MYTH LEADS TO A
CULTURAL CONFLICT. EVEN THOUGH SUCH A FAMILY IS NOT
ATTAINABLE TO MOST MEMBERS OF SOCIETY, BEING PART OF ONE IS
THOUGHT TO BE THE ONLY PATH TOWARD HAPPINESS.

4. Early TV families helped to define the traditional
definition for an ideal nuclear family
TV FAMILIES
LEAVE IT TO BEAVER
1957-1963
THE FLINTSTONES
1960-1966
TV FAMILIES INSTITUTIONALIZE IDEA OF NUCLEAR FAMILY
AS BEING IDEAL......
HAPPY DAYS
1974-1984
MODERN FAMILY
2009-PRESENT
During the economic boom of the
1950's widespread availability of
television helped to institutionalize
the idea of the nuclear family.
Early television shows portrayed
ideal families in ideal
environments. The commercial
advertisements accompanying
those shows, further influenced
Americans to strive for this ideal.
Throughout the years there have
been many traditional families
portrayed on television. Modern
Family is one such show. It
features a traditional family with
Phil (working father), Claire (stay
at home mother), and three
children all living in a beautiful
suburban home. But Modern
Family is a truly modern television
show. Featured alongside Phil and
Claire's family are two other family
units: one with two gay fathers,
and another with a mixed race
couple. Hopefully, Modern Family
will help modern audiences
become more accepting of all
types of family structures.

5. TV FAMILIES BROADEN OUR VIEW
EVEN THOUGH ELLEN WAS A
WELL LOVED STAR, AMERICAN
AUDIENCES IN 1997 COULD NOT
SUPPORT THE IDEA OF A GAY
LEADING LADY IN A ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP. HER SHOW WAS
CANCELLED IN THE SEASON AFTER SHE CAME OUT. HOWEVER,
ELLEN PAVED THE WAY FOR OTHER OPENLY GAY CHARACTERS.
SHOWS SUCH AS WILL AND GRACE AND FRASIER (FEATURING GAY
BROTHER, NILES) SERVED AS STEPPING STONES FOR BROADER
LEVELS OF ACCEPTANCE. CURRENTLY, THE SHOW MODERN FAMILY,
FEATURING A GAY COUPLE AND THEIR CHILDREN IS ONE OF THE
MOST POPULAR SITCOMS ON TV. IT RECEIVED AN EMMY AWARD IN
2012 FOR BEST TELEVISION SERIES, AND ERIC STONESTREET, WHO
PLAYS CAM, A MELODRAMATIC GAY FATHER, HAS RECEIVED
NOMINATIONS FOR BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR, THREE SEASONS IN A
ROW.
ONE DAY AT A TIME
1975-1984
MODERN FAMILY
2009-PRESENT
ELLEN
1994-1997
NEW IDEAS...
In the same way that original TV
families served to institutionalize
the notion of the ideal nuclear
family, modern TV families have
helped (albeit slowly) to
broaden our definitions of
acceptable family units. The
Brady Bunch featured a blended
family. One Day at a Time
showed viewers a strong-
minded, divorced, single mother,
head of household. The Cosby
show highlighted a prominent
African American family with
two highly educated wage
earners.
COSBY
1984-1992
THE BRADY BUNCH 1969-1974

6. Interlocking Social
Institutions
The family unit is an integral part of other
larger social institutions within the grater
society. These relationships with other
institutions can perpetuate traditional
definitions of family and gendered role
expectations thus creating gendered
scripts. These scripts lead to gendered
personality and behavioral expectations.
A WOMAN'S PLACE IS IN THE
KITCHEN!
REAL MEN DON'T EAT QUICHE
Modern ideas of gender roles and
expectations do not always fit
with traditional structures:
Harriet Lerner, Ph.D. , renowned
relationship expert and author of The
Mother Dance, writes that in order for
parents to achieve true equality in both
parenting and career roles, they should
share equally in parenting. She suggests
that both parents take equal time off for
child rearing and spend equal amounts of
time building their careers. While this
concept sounds ideal, our social work
structures don't support a system of two
parents being part time wage earners, as
Ms. Lerner suggests. Part time work for
either individual doesn't allow access to
the health care benefits or wage increases
that all young families need. Current
social institutions leave American families
struggling to juggle work and child care. If
a family has the means to survive on a
single income, one partner (often the
woman) inevitably sacrifices career growth
and wage earning opportunities while the
other (often the male) increases career
opportunities and sacrifices parenting
relationships. This imbalanced structure
perpetuates traditional gendered roles.
WHO WEARS
THE PANTS?
AS WE GROW AND ADVANCE AS A
CULTURE, WE CHALLENGE
TRADITIONAL IDEAS OF
GENDERED SCRIPTS. THIS CAN
CREATE A BACKLASH THROUGH
WHICH NEGATIVE GENDERED
TERMS ARE CREATED. THE 1970'S
BROUGHT: CRAZY WOMAN
DRIVER AND MALE CHAUVINIST
PIG
NEW YORK TIMES
1960
LOIS RABINOWITZ, A 28-YEAR-
OLD SECRETARY APPEARS IN
TRAFFIC COURT WEARING
SLACKS. THE JUDGE SCOLDS HER,
SAYING, "YOU'RE TOO
ATTRACTIVE TO DRESS LIKE A
MAN." MRS. RABINOWITZ, SAYS
SHE FEELS FLATTERED AND
ADMITS THAT THE JUDGE IS
RIGHT.
HUFFINGTON
POST
JULY 13, 2013
IOWA CITY, IOWA -- THE IOWA
SUPREME COURT ON FRIDAY
STOOD BY ITS RULING THAT A
DENTIST ACTED LEGALLY WHEN
HE FIRED AN ASSISTANT BECAUSE
HE FOUND HER TOO ATTRACTIVE
AND WORRIED HE WOULD TRY TO
START AN AFFAIR.

7. CURRENT INSTITUTIONAL SHIFT
Traditionally, hospitals restricted
visitation rights "to a narrow
interpretation of family that excludes
those not legally or biologically related
to the patient. "(http://www.hrc.org/
resources/entry/sample-visitation-
policies ) This definition does not fit all
family units and has resulted in painful
experiences for those people who have
been separated from their loved ones at
a time of great need. Public outcry has
resulted in new interpretations of who
an individual can regard as "family" while
undergoing medical care. The term
Family Centered Care was developed to
allow patents more freedom of choice
in designating family. At the Conley
Clinic at The University of Maine, all
speech therapy is family centered. At
this clinic, family is defined as "anyone
who is important to the client. " At the
Conley Clinic, the therapists know that
the communication impairments of an
individual affect all members of a family.
In order to provide effective therapy, it
needs to be inclusive. Hospitals too, are
beginning to find that inclusive
definitions of family result in better
healing for patients.
Concept of Family Centered Care
helps to redefine the term "family"
FAMILY - A NEW
DEFINITION
“Family” means any
person(s) who plays a
significant role in an
individual’s life. This may
include a person(s) not
legally related to the
individual. Members of
“family” include spouses,
domestic partners, and
both different-sex and
same-sex significant
others.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/
Family_centered_care)

8. The Function of
the Family:
The family serves to teach and maintain
cultural norms - including gender norms
and rules. Parents teach their children,
through modeling, interacting, and the
placement of expectations.
CHILDREN ACQUIRE A GENDER
IDENTITY BETWEEN AGES 2
AND 3 (DEFRANCISCO AND
PALCZEWSKI P. 164)
Modern Gender Conundrum:
Since the 1970's with the onset of the
Women's movement, expectations,
responsibilities, and opportunities have
been expanding for women. Women are
now more educated (making up more
than 50% of most college campuses) and
their career opportunities are limitless.
Women continue, though, to be
responsible for more household labor and
childcare responsibilities than men. This
leads women to feel as though they must
"do it all."
Traditional ideas of masculinity, though,
have limited opportunities for men to
expand their roles. Women have "crossed
over" into realms traditionally reserved
for men, but it has been less acceptable
for men to enter traditional "boxes"
reserved for women, This may be because
the idea of moving into a feminine role
construes ideas of both giving up
masculinity and giving up power. As a
result, men tend to be stuck in traditional
roles and women feel burdened with the
need to be "super woman."
Think About It:
More and more names once reserved for
boys are becoming female names. As soon
as a name is construed as "feminine," it is
less acceptable as a boy's name: Kelly,
Ashley, Brook, Courtney,Tracy, Jordan...
THE SUNSHINE
FAMILY
FAMILIES TEACH GENDER AND
ROLE EXPECTATIONS THROUGH
THE TOYS THEY PROVIDE FOR
THEIR CHILDREN. THE SUNSHINE
FAMILY WAS MY FAVORITE TOY
IN THE 1970'S. WHILE THE DOLLS
DO NOT SEXUALIZE INDIVIDUALS,
AS DO BARBIE DOLLS, THEY
EXEMPLIFY THE TRADITIONAL
FAMILY.
PERFUME AD
1980
CHRISTINA: I CAN PUT THE WASH
ON THE LINE, FEED THE KIDS, GET
DRESSED, PASS OUT THE KISSES
AND GET TO WORK BY 5 TO 9.
'CAUSE I'M A WOMAN, ENJOLI!
(ANNOUNCER): CHARLES OF THE
RITZ CREATES ENJOLI. THE NEW
8 HOUR PERFUME FOR THE 24
HOUR WOMAN.
CHRISTINA: I CAN BRING HOME
THE BACON!
CHORUS: ENJOLI.
CHRISTINA: FRY IT UP IN A PAN!
CHORUS: ENJOLI.
CHRISTINA: AND NEVER, NEVER,
NEVER LET YOU FORGET YOU'RE A
MAN!
'CAUSE I'M A WOMAN!
CHORUS: ENJOLI!
HTTP://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/

9. IS ANDROGYNY INCLUDED IN THE DEFINITION OF FAMILY ?
Heteronormativity refers to the
assumption that everyone is
heterosexual and wants to be married.
In the US, heternormativity remains the
predominant cultural expectation. Our
language and society require that
anything outside of a heterosexual
relationship must be explained. We do
not have neutral words to explain a
different type of relationship. Children
are socialized from the very beginning
to want to date and be married.
Despite social crises with mounting
levels of debt, the traditional white
wedding, costing many thousands of
dollars, is considered to be a peak
experience in an individual's life.
Modern couples include engagement
photos in their "wedding dossiers" that
are more romanticized than at any
other time in history. Modern ad
campaigns dictate acceptable dating
partners and acceptable grooming
behaviors. The heterosexual romantic
bond is maintained as the only way that
men and women can connect
(DeFrancisco and Palczewski p. 165). In
our culture, platonic adult same sex
friendships are given less value than
heterosexual romantic relationships.
Media representations of dating couples
tend to be romanticized, often
portraying what would be considered
stalking in real life (DeFrancisco and
Palczewski p. 166). Couples are still
looking for the fairy tale "happy
ending." The only problem with this is
that the so, called happy ending means
"getting the girl" and far too often that
means "possessing" her.
The Formation of Family:
Friendships and Dating Relationships
IDEALS:
ENGAGEMENT PHOTO
FAIRY TALE WEDDINGS
KRAFT ZESTY MAN
SCHICK QUATTRO AD FOR
FEMALE GROOMING
SOCIALLY ACCEPTABLE
DATING PARTNERS?

10. One of the most fiercely fought cultural battles in recent
times has been the political wars waged in every state
regarding marriage rights for same sex couples. Each state
has had to make a decision about whether the word marriage
pertains to a man and a woman, thus legitimizing only those
types of unions, or if same sex couples can also claim
ownership of legal marriage, thus legally legitimizing other
types of marriages and their resulting families. In
November, Maine became the 13th state to legally allow
same-sex marriage. In June, the Supreme Court made two
important decisions regarding the institution of marriage
when it declared the Defense of Marriage Act
unconstitutional and also granted federal benefits to same
sex couples whose states allow same sex marriage. These
legal actions will allow us as a culture to rapidly expand our
ideas about marriage.
A POLITICALYEAR FOR MARRIAGE
THE AD ON THE LEFT, FOR A
POLITICAL CAMPAIGN AGAINST
GAY MARRIAGE, USES A
TRADITIONAL FAMILY IMAGE TO
PERPETUATE THE IDEA THAT THE
NUCLEAR FAMILY IS THE ONLY WAY
TO BE A FAMILY.
SKIING IN WHISTLER ELSIE’S BIRTHDAY CAMPING IN OREGON
WHAT IS A PROPER MARRIAGE?
WHO BENEFITS FROM MARRIAGE?
DURING THE TIME THAT THE IDEA OF THE NUCLEAR FAMILY BECAME INSTITUTIONALIZED, THERE WAS A
POTENTIAL BENEFIT FOR BOTH MEN AND WOMEN IN SUCH FAMILY STRUCTURES. WOMEN NEEDED MEN
TO BE WAGE EARNERS. MEN NEEDED WOMEN TO BE THE NURTURERS AND TO TAKE CARE OF THE FAMILY
HOME. NOW THAT WOMEN HAVE MORE EQUAL ACCESS TO EDUCATION AND EARNING POTENTIAL, THERE
MAY BE AN IMBALANCE OF BENEFIT IN THE TRADITIONAL NUCLEAR FAMILY STRUCTURE; WOMEN DON'T
NEED TO BE MARRIED IN ORDER TO CHOOSE TO HAVE CHILDREN OR TO BE FINANCIALLY STABLE. THE
DECISION TO MARRY IS BASED LESS ON NEED AND MORE ON FEELINGS OF LOVE. PERHAPS THIS CHANGE
IN RELATIONSHIP DYNAMIC WILL IMPACT THE INSTITUTION OF MARRIAGE IN THE UNITED STATES?

11. ADVICE FOR A MODERN MAN?
Example of modern gender
scripted advice found on the
internet:
Whipped to a pulp:
from: http://www.askmen.com/dating/
curtsmith/36_dating_advice.html
"Some men will do anything for their
women. Unfortunately, women will see
this as a sign of weakness.And then before
a man knows it, his woman will be wearing
the pants in the relationship.
Jimmy is an example (albeit an extreme
example) of what can happen to most
men who let their women make the rules.
Unfortunately for Jimmy, there is not much
he can do -- he's whipped.Yes, we've all
heard it.The dreaded seven letter word
whipped .And believe it or not, if you're
not careful with how you behave with
your love, you too might be the next man
who's cat-whipped to a pulp.
When it comes to relationships, the ideal
situation involves communication and
equal partaking in both the decision-
making and responsibilities. But this is not
the case with most couples. In general, it is
usually one spouse who ultimately takes
control.
This is why I highly recommend that you
wear the pants before your wife does.
Otherwise, before you know it, you'll be
wearing a skirt around the house while
dusting the furniture.
I believe that it is the man's fine duty to
control the decision-making process of all
family related decisions -- or at least
pretend he does.Why? Because like it or
not, it is probably the only thing left in life
that we men can still lay claim to. Once
you lose it, you no longer have anything to
look forward to."
GENDER SCRIPTS
WOMEN TAKE PRIMARY
RESPONSIBILITY FOR
RELATIONSHIP MAINTENANCE
WOMEN SHOW AFFECTION BY
TALKING. MEN SHOW AFFECTION BY
DOING
SOME (POTENTIALLY GENDER
BIASED) RESEARCH CLAIMS THAT
MEN ARE NOT GOOD LISTENERS AND
CANNOT DO OR VALUE TALK AS
MUCH AS WOMEN DO ( TEXT P. 167)
THE SURRENDERED WIFE
"THIS CONTROVERSIAL APPROACH
TO MARRIAGE HAS TRANSFORMED
THOUSANDS OF RELATIONSHIPS,
BRINGING WOMEN ROMANCE,
HARMONY, AND THE INTIMACY THEY
CRAVE.
LIKE MILLIONS OF WOMEN, LAURA
DOYLE WANTED HER MARRIAGE TO
BE BETTER. BUT WHEN SHE TRIED
TO GET HER HUSBAND TO BE MORE
ROMANTIC, HELPFUL, AND
AMBITIOUS, HE WITHDREW -- AND
SHE WAS LONELY AND EXHAUSTED
FROM CONTROLLING EVERYTHING. DESPERATE TO BE IN LOVE WITH
HER MAN AGAIN, SHE DECIDED TO STOP TELLING HIM WHAT TO DO
AND HOW TO DO IT.
WHEN DOYLE SURRENDERED CONTROL, SOMETHING MAGICAL
HAPPENED. THE UNION SHE HAD ALWAYS DREAMED OF APPEARED.
THE MAN WHO HAD WOOED HER WAS BACK.
COMPASSIONATE AND PRACTICAL, THE SURRENDERED WIFE IS A
STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE THAT TEACHES WOMEN HOW TO:
• GIVE UP UNNECESSARY CONTROL AND RESPONSIBILITY
• RESIST THE TEMPTATION TO CRITICIZE, BELITTLE, OR DISMISS
THEIR HUSBANDS
• TRUST THEIR HUSBANDS IN EVERY ASPECT OF MARRIAGE -- FROM
SEXUAL TO FINANCIAL" WWW.AMAZON.COM
GENDER SCRIPTED
MARITAL
COMMUNICATION

12. Traditional Power Structures
Can Lead to DomesticViolence
In traditional views of male and female relationships, the
power is given to the male. Males are biologically stronger
than females and traditionally use their strength to exert
their power while women use communication. The
institutionalized model of the nuclear family gives the
power in a relationship to the male. In some cases, a
power imbalance can lead to physical violence.
"Those with powernever willinglyconcede theircontrol."
-- Elizabeth LesserBroken Open
Domestic Abuse Intervention Project

13. TOYS FOR BOYS
The Toy Industry Targets Stereotypes of Male Strength
and Female Weakness
Words taken from television
toy advertisements marketing
to boys aged six to eight show
that toy makers capitalize on
stereotypical boy behaviors and
interests. Boy toys tend to
feature action or aggression.
Word collage created by:
http://www.achilleseffect.com/2011/03/word-cloud-how-toy-ad-
vocabulary-reinforces-gender-stereotypes/

14. In her book,The Achilles Effect,
Crystal Smith discusses the
affect of gender stereotyping on
boys. Her project using words
taken from toy advertisements
marketing to boys and girls
paints a striking picture. In this
project, the font size of each
word reflects the number of
times the word was used in
television advertisements. For
boys, the most used word was
BATTLE. For girls, the most
highly used word was LOVE.
"The Achilles Effect explores gender bias in the
entertainment aimed at primary school boys, focusing
on the dominant themes in children’s TV shows, toy
advertising, movies, and books: gender stereotypes of
both sexes, male dominance, negative portrayals of
fathers, breaking of the mother/son bond, and the
devaluing of femininity. It examines the gender messages
sent by pop culture, provides strategies for countering
these messages, and encourages discussion of a vitally
important issue that is rarely talked about—the impact
of gender stereotypes on boys."
http://www.achilleseffect.com

15. DomesticViolence in the Media
Escalates over the Decades:
THEN: SUNDAY MORNING FUNNIES DEPICT PHYSICAL VIOLENCE IN 1957
NOW: POPULAR MUSIC IN 2013 DEPICTS PHYSICAL AND SEXUAL VIOLENCE
Song discovered on my 15 year-old
nephew's iPhone.
Want to make it your ringtone?

16. IS THE NUCLEAR FAMILY SUCH AN IDEAL IDEA?
THIS EXAMINATION OF THE
GENDERED IDENTITIES
WITHIN THE IDEALIZED
VERSION OF THE SOCIAL
INSTITUTION OF THE
NUCLEAR FAMILY BEGS US
TO ASK SOME QUESTIONS:
Is this structure...
ideal?
normal?
secure?
romantic?
safe?
equitable?
IN THE IDEAL GAME OF LIFE, YOU GET TO CHOOSE.
FOR MANY YEARS, AMERICAN CULTURE HAS BEEN STUCK IN A FOCUS ON THE IDEALIZED VERSION OF THE
NUCLEAR FAMILY. THIS SOCIAL INSTITUTION HAS GENDER-DESIGNATED ROLES FOR EACH FAMILY
MEMBER. MEDIA AND INTERLOCKING SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS HAVE SERVED TO MAINTAIN THIS
TRADITIONAL VIEW OF THE FAMILY. WHILE THIS FAMILY STRUCTURE MAY HAVE BEEN IDEALIZED IT MAY
NOT BE IDEAL. IT IS NOT ACHIEVABLE FOR MOST AMERICAN FAMILIES, AND WORSE, THE TRADITIONAL
STRUCTURE PERPETUATES "SEXED IDENTITIES OF DIFFERENCE AND INEQUALITY" (DEFRANCISCO AND
PALCZEWSK P. 174) THAT MAY EVEN CONTRIBUTE TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
FROM MY VANTAGE POINT, HOWEVER, MUCH IS CHANGING. THERE IS GREATER AWARENESS AND
ACCEPTANCE OF MANY MORE TYPES OF DATING RELATIONSHIPS AND FAMILY UNIONS. RECENTLY I
PLAYED THE GAME OF LIFE WITH MY TWO NIECES, AGES SIX AND EIGHT. AINE, THE EIGHT-YEAR-OLD
WAS IN CHARGE OF PASSING OUT CARS AND PEOPLE. EVERY TIME A PLAYER GOT MARRIED, SHE WOULD
ASK, "DO YOU WANT TO MARRY A BOY OR A GIRL?" AINE HERSELF HAD TWO CARS, ONE WITH A "GIRL
AND A BOY" AND ONE WITH "TWO GIRLS." MAEVE CHOSE A CAR WITH TWO BOYS AND A GIRL-BOY CAR.
THESE TWO YOUNG GIRLS ALREADY KNOW THAT THEY HAVE A CHOICE. ISN'T THAT THE WAY LIFE SHOULD
REALLY BE?!