Relationship Issues and Trends – Answer sheet

1. Interracial marriages more likely to face prejudice and racist attitudes of others.
Raising a biracial child can also be a challenge for couples who must reflect on
individual identities to help child develop a positive identity.

Interfaith marriages
– difficulty in reflecting on personal value systems needed in making decisions
about daily lifestyle they share together and how they recognize holidays and
festivals.
– Partners negotiate whether to compromise some of their beliefs and customs or
to accept spouse’s beliefs and customs as well as their own

Marriage between individuals of different ethnic backgrounds

-“hyphenated Canadians” are individuals who will have to negotiate the following in
marriage:
Gender roles within marriage and workplace, independence and responsibility of
children, and relationship between conjugal and extended family

2. Interfaith marriages - the challenges typically come from within the couple itself
as they negotiate value systems and beliefs whereas interracial couples tend to
face more challenges from without (i.e. prejudice from society, or identifying with
one racial community more than the other)

3. See answer sheet

4. Unclear if there are any tangible differences between individuals of different

races, religions or ethnic backgrounds

SAME SEX MARRIAGES

1. Canadians are becoming rapidly more supportive of same-sex marriages, but

there are still a significant number of people who are not in support of same-sex
marriages.
PROS CONS

-acquired many economic benefits of -not allowed to marry legally

heterosexual couples
-free to enter into financial contracts with
each other
-Quebec law does not require opposite sex -vows must include words husband and wife
marriage
-couples can have a religious ceremony -but it is not their legal right to compel a
religious organization to marry them
3a) homosexual relationships were commonplace, considered normal and explained
through cultural myth
b) see answer sheet

INFEDILITY

1. Evolutionary Psychologists – inherent nature of human beings is to be unfaithful

2. Adultery does not work to the benefit of society, it goes against rules of right and
wrong in society as a result.
3. Needs are not being in relationship
Thrill seeker
Narcissist
Immature and acts out of self-interest in all most situations anyway
Continually Seeks emotional/sexual needs
4. Divorce, stronger relationship after counselling, destroys trust, “wronged party” has
emotional damage (feels betrayed, humiliated)