Although two parents are often more effective than one, the parents' genders make little difference in terms of the child's development.
THE GIST:
* Children usually benefit from having two parents instead of one.
* The gender of each parent, however, does not have a significant impact on a child's success.
* This finding strikes at the heart of one of the major arguments of gay marriage and adoption opponents.
In a finding that confronts deeply rooted beliefs about parenting, a new study concludes that parents' genders have little impact on children -- suggesting that same-sex couples are as effective at raising children as heterosexual couples.
On average, children succeed most when raised by two parents rather than one. The parents' genders, however, make little difference in terms of a child's development, according to a landmark study published in the Journal of Marriage and Family.
The analysis of 81 parenting studies by sociologists Judith Stacey of New York University and Tim Biblarz of the University of Southern California challenges the widely held notion that children need both a mother and a father in their household in order to thrive. Read more:
(How) Does the Sexual Orientation of Parents Matter?
Judith Stacey; Timothy J. Biblarz
American Sociological Review, Vol. 66, No. 2. (Apr., 2001), pp. 159-183.
No comments:
Post a Comment