Inequality based on sexual orientation is a common social problem people encounter every day of our lives. A lot of our societies have seen discrimination based on sexual orientation and it has become a spread out issue in many states. Because of this, same-sex marriages have been a serious concern to society. Gay marriages is looked upon as a major social problem within our society today and can viewed through three different perspectives which are functionalist, conflict, and symbolic interactionist.
The components of marriage is a union between two people who share their resources, maintain a healthy family if raising children, and loving each other. Marriage is considered to be a constitutional law and it gives the right for most Americans to legally get married. Yet, in most states, same-sex marriages have been a major issue to people who oppose these new changes to their society. People still continue to follow the traditional marriage and they feel like it should neutrally stay this way. Today, only Vermont and Massachusetts have legalized same sex marriages.
Functionalists view society as an orderly system composed of what each part functions for stability as a whole. They look at marriages to be like the “traditional” marriage with one man and one woman married and forms a family together. Traditional marriage is known to be between a man and woman. Opponents of same sex marriage argue that it should remain that way because we see it as a “tradition” from the past. In an article by Nancy Cott (2011), she stated, “In a predominantly agricultural United States, men plowed the fields to grow the grain, and women made the bread from it: both were seen as equally necessary to human sustenance, survival, and society” (p. 40). In the past, men is called out to be the leader of a family household where they support the family and make most of the decisions unlike the wives, they take care of the family by cooking, cleaning, and support their children....