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Recommended: Surrogacy abstract
What makes anyone a legal parent?
How easy is it for the courts to decide who should be the legal parent of a child? With the advances in assisted reproduction technology (ART), such as surrogacy and in vitro fertilization (IVF), more people both inside and outside the traditional relationships of a biological mother and father have a chance to have a child. These families consist of single parents and also same sex couples. With same sex relationships, a third party has to be involved, which could be either a surrogate mother or a male donor. This leaves the child with more than the two biological parents. How do authorities determine who will be the most beneficial to the child? The courts try to determine the legal parents out of the best interests of the child but their ruling gives the biological parents more rights over other individuals. Unfortunately, this discriminates against same sex couples because only one partner can be the biological parent. This closed judgment by the courts and society demonstrates that both parties do not understand the abilities same sex couples have in raising a child. Many partners in nontraditional relationships lose their involvement in their child’s life because courts make these conventional decisions which do not recognize same sex marriages. Everyone should have the same opportunities to raise a child because, as many successful adoptions show, a biological tie is not required for a person to be the best parent for a child.
Lesbian co-mothers are growing in population. ART has contributed to a significant increase in the number of lesbian and gay individuals choosing to raise genetically related children (Goldstein 412). Most lesbian couples obtained a child from either a past heterosexual relationship or by alternative insemination where the child then has two mothers and a male donor. One of the main questions is how fitting is a lesbian couple to raise a child? Society seems to discriminate against same sex couples. As mentioned earlier, one reason is because there are more than two possible parental figures. People within society are concerned about this because it is not a traditional type of family. They feel that a child should have both a male and female figure represented in a family to make an ideal environment.
In the United States today more than one-half of all marriages end in divorce. The purpose of this paper is to examine the reason why women have typically received custody of the children far more often than the fathers. In order to better understand child custody one must first examine how fathers have often times been left out of the picture, and conversely why mothers have had such hard times raising children on their own. This paper will first examine the perspective of a father who has lost custody of his children.
In Hugh Lafollette’s paper, “Licensing Parents” he talks about the need for government licensing of parents. His argument states that for any activity that is harmful to others, requires competence, and has a reliable procedure for determining competence, should require licensing by the government. This argument relates to parenting because it can be harmful to children, requires competence to raise those children, and we can assume that a reliable procedure can be formulated. Therefore, parenting should require licensing by the government. I agree with Lafollette and shall focus on supporting him by addressing the most practical objections: There is no reliable procedure for identifying competent parents and it is impossible to reasonably enforce parent regulations. I shall address these objections and their reasoning, followed by responses that Lafollette and myself would most likely have, thereby refuting the objections.
Thus, according to Frankenstein and Candide, we can see how feminism represents the oppression of women in both the culture and time period in which the novels were written. In Frankenstein, the role of the women characters was insignificant, thus having a minimal influence on the plot. After they fulfilled their duties in their domestic sphere, they were discarded. Likewise, in Candide, Voltaire expressed the obstacles women faced and demonstrated the conditions of 18th century Europe and the dangers it was to be a woman at that time. As a result, according to both accounts of women in the two novels, we can see how the time period and culture reflects the inferiority and passivity of the roles of women in both England and Europe during the 18th and 19th centuries.
This study was conducted in the Netherlands. First, the authors studied the association between “parental characteristics” and “child-rearing” factors. Second, they examined the “child adjustment” in planned lesbian mothers families and in heterosexual parents families. 100 planned lesbian mothers families were recruited through the Medical Center for Birth Control, homosexual parenting experts, the Dutch advocate group for homosexuality, and advertisement in the lesbian magazine. Compatible 100 heterosexual parents families were recruited from two cities. Participants participated in various data collection methods such as questionnaires, observations (home-visit), and diaries. Data were collected in three main areas: “child adjustment (internalizing, externalizing, and problematic behaviors), parental characteristics (balance between work and family tasks, satisfaction with the partner as coparnet, degree of wanting child, child-rearing aims, and parental justification), and child rearing (emotional involvement, parental concern, power assertion, induction, supportive presence, respect for the child’s autonomy, structure, and limit-setting).”
This essay will first address the statute used and interpretation of the threshold test by the courts, and then focus on cases involving vulnerable children to assess whether the statute in The Children Act 1989 is sufficient in protecting these children from harm. I will look at the argument in favour of the current approach taken by the courts, and the counter-argument in favour of changing the current approach. The arguments are delicately balanced and the law is always developing, so it will be interesting to see how the Supreme Court resolves this issue in future.
Caroline Beaufrot the mother of Victor, is the first example we have of women’s subservience to their male counterparts. She had been caring for her ill father as ‘her time was more entirely occupied in attending him’ but when his death came she was left ‘an orphan and a beggar’. Even though she had worked tiresly in his need. She was in reality only a form of comfort to him until death came. Alphonese Frankenstein was friends with her father Beaufrot, and on a visit to the chamber he discovered Caroline weeping by her father’s coffin. Some would argue that Alphonese is the ...
JaeRan, K. (2013, March 5). Report on children adopted by gay and lesbian couples - Stability, Permanency and Adoption Blog. Report on children adopted by gay and lesbian couples - Stability, Permanency and Adoption Blog. Retrieved May 13, 2014, from http://blog.lib.umn.edu/cascw/adoption/2013/03/report-on-children-adopted-by-gay-and-lesbian-couples.html
Second parent adoption is an important tool utilized by same-sex couples in an effort to protect their parental rights in states where same sex marriage is not recognized. Although gay and lesbian paren...
...n color. Even those that mean well reveal racism when they speak. A white man in the movie speaks nicely to John. However, he calls John, a fully grown man, boy. Even blacks display racism preferring lighter skin over dark skin.
...sed on what is best for the child or children involved. It should not be based on the sex of the parent, or who the judge may think would be the better parent because of biased opinions. The decision needs to be based on facts, and on the mental statuses of the parents involved. Which parent has the child best interest at heart? If it is the father, then grant him custody, if it is the mom, then give her custody, or if they are agreeable grant them joint custody. Do what is best for the child.
Whether a created family is from previous heterosexual relationships, artificial insemination, or adoption, it deserves the same legal rights heterosexual families enjoy. Full adoption rights needs to be legalized in all states to provide a stable family life for children because sexual orientation does not determine parenting skills, children placed with homosexual parents have better well-being than those in foster care, and there are thousands of children waiting for good homes. The argument sexual orientation interferes with ones parenting skills is common belief that Charlotte J. Patterson identifies as myth in her work, Lesbian and Gay Parents and their Children, suggesting the belief that “lesbians’ and gay men’s relationships with sexual partners leave little time for ongoing parent–child interactions.” In the Who is Mommy tonight? case study, how 18 lesbian adoptive parents, 49 lesbian parents who formed their families biologically, and 44 heterosexual adoptive parents experience and perceive their parenting role, how they respond when their children seek them or their partner for particular nurturing, and how the parents negotiate the cultural expectation of a primary caregiver (Ciano-Boyce & Shelley-Sireci, 2002) is looked at.
Though Frankenstein may seem like just another horror story, a closer look at its message indicates a strong presence of feminist themes. Through Victor Frankenstein’s thoughts and actions, one can easily see Shelley’s intention of revealing men’s fears toward strong women in society. While it may have not been able to change the place of women in society, Frankenstein is step toward unveiling the hidden strength of a woman’s voice.
Homosexuality is becoming more and more accepted and integrated into today’s society, however, when it comes to homosexuals establishing families, a problem is posed. In most states, homosexuals can adopt children like any other married or single adult. There are many arguments to this controversial topic; some people believe that it should be legal nationally, while others would prefer that is was banned everywhere, or at least in their individual states. There are logical reasons to allow gays to adopt children, but for some, these reasons are not enough. The main issue really is, what is in the best interest of the child? This type of problem isn’t really one with causes, effects, and solutions, but one with pros and cons. Like any other adoption situation, a parent prove themselves to be responsible and capable enough to raise a child on their own, or with a spouse.
Dr. Hicks (2008), a scholar at the University of Salford, stated profoundly that “instead of asking whether gay parenting is bad for kids, we should ask how contemporary discourses of sexuality maintain the very idea that lesbian and gay families are essentially different and, indeed, deficient.” By viewing same-sex parenting as an equal means of bringing up a child, research could move on to deeper studies that incorporate this family structure into analyses of children, marriages, and families.
Adopting children in that environment would lack both mother and father figure in their life. For example, “Children without a father figure would have higher risks of early sexual activity and teen pregnancy; however, children without a mother figure deprive emotional security and unique advice that mothers provide (Pro Con).” The question is raised, should adopted children be reared and educated into a lifestyle that isn’t natural before they are old enough to understand the discrepancies? Young children that grow up in same-sex marriage environment may experience confusion and embarrassment in public surroundings; likewise, young adults and teenagers who have family members or who are personally members of the LGBT community may experience embarrassment and unusual social pressure. Children in a stable family with both mother and father figure would provide the best environment for them to mature and be responsible. Some same-sex family dynamics are from previous heterosexual marriages; therefore, this could affect the relationship between children and the immediate family members. Being part of the LGBT community could influence immediate and extended family on whether they accept or reject their relationship to the