Just like marriage? A study of young couples' civil partnerships
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Manchester
Department Name: Social Sciences
Abstract
Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
| Brian Heaphy (Principal Investigator) | |
| Carol Smart (Co-Investigator) |
Publications
Anna Einarsdottir (author)
(2009)
We, I, you: interviewing same sex couples together and apart
Brian Heaphy (Author)
(2011)
Semi-Plenary: Critically situating personal life
Brian Heaphy (author)
(2009)
Just like marriage? : young couples' civil partnerships
Brian Heaphy (author)
(2010)
Critical moments : young couples transitioning into civil partnerships
Brian Heaphy (author)
(2010)
Developments in conjugal life : same sex partnerships and lesbian and gay families
Einarsdottir, A.
(2012)
ABSTRACT: 'Fitting it in': Sex and Civil Partnerships
Einarsdottir, A.
(2012)
Researching Non-heterosexual Sexualities
Heaphy B
(2018)
Troubling Traditional and Conventional Families? Formalised Same-Sex Couples and 'The Ordinary'
in Sociological Research Online
Heaphy B
(2012)
Scripting Civil Partnerships: interviewing couples together and apart
in Qualitative Research
Heaphy B
(2018)
Reflexive convention: civil partnership, marriage and family.
in The British journal of sociology
| Description | Cultures and practices of commitment Couples' cultures and practices of commitment were informed in ongoing conversation between the marriages partners' grew up with (mostly the parents'), the marriages they 'lived by' (or marriage ideals) and the everyday circumstances and contingencies of their own 'marriages'. In this respect and others there are notable similarities between civil partnerships and contemporary heterosexual marriages. 'Mature' and enduring commitments Most couples entered into civil partnership to express (to each other, their families and friends) the 'mature' and loving nature of a well established relationship and their long-term (or even 'permanent') commitment to it. For the majority, legal 'rights' and protections were a secondary consideration, although immigration (n=8) and joint parenting recognition (n=6) were primary considerations for some. Ordinary marriages Couples mostly viewed and presented themselves as 'ordinary married' couples. They deployed the language of marriage to describe formalising the relationship, the nature of the commitment and their relating practices. The legal distinction between civil partnership and marriage was mostly viewed as insignificant (8 partners wanted formal marriage, 7 did not). Socio-cultural change Civil partnership signals how the meaning of marriage is increasingly open to interpretation 'on the ground', and how same sex relationships can be experienced as relatively ordinary. Most couples reported that their 'marriages' were accepted in daily life and formally (by law and policy) and informally (by family and personal communities) supported. Continuity Partners' accounts of their 'marriages' were embedded in relational biographies and in comparisons to their parents' relationships. These signalled continuities in the ideals of a 'good' marriage (which parents often failed to achieve in practice): based on love, enduring commitment, mutual care and support, equality and respect, ongoing communication and stability. Distinctiveness Partners displayed a greater degree of critical reflexivity about their parents' marriages than previous cohorts of heterosexual newly-weds. However, unlike previous cohorts of same sex relationships they deployed generation over gender and heterosexuality (or heteronormativity) to interpret different roles, decision-making and relationship-defining power in their parents' relationships. Gender, sexuality and beyond Everyday marriage practices did not follow gendered norms, but neither did they operate according to a distinctive same sex relational ethos. Power in core areas of practice is not reducible to gender and/or sexual identity. Finances The typical arrangement was to have a joint account for joint costs, combined with separate current accounts for independent spending. How individuals related to money was a foundational element in their relationships. Debt was a dominant framing reference for how respondents regarded money, their relationship with it, and the practicalities of their financial arrangements. Sexual commitments Most couples were sexually monogamous (45). Concerns about sexual compatibility could frame insecurities and anxieties about the relationship. Both men and women could see unequal 'sex drive' as a potential threat to the relationship. Family-making Family commitments were couple-centred and children centred where they existed. They mostly included family of origin, but not friendship-based chosen families. Seven female couples had children. Men were less likely to see parenting as part of their relational future and had less than realistic plans when they did. |
| Exploitation Route | The research could be used by: organisations and groups seeking to develop law and policy with respect committed couple and family relationships (e.g. civil partnership and civil marriage are available to same-sex couples, but the former is not available to heterosexual couples; also cohabitation is not recognised on a par with marriages or CP; by officials and businesses the provide marriage and wedding services services to inform their practice with respect to same-sex couples (for example, registrars, wedding services, hoteliers and so on) by a wide range of organisations and services that come into contact with same sex couples, so as to inform their practice (health, support and social services, family counsellors and psychotherapists, parental advisors and so on) by lesbian and gay support and service organisations to understand the significance that social differences (e.g. class, race, age, geographical locations, disability and so on) make to same sex couples experiences of family and couple relationships. by academic and non-academic researchers in developing methodologies for researching contemporary couples by academics and non-academics who want to seek to understand how social changes with respect to family and couple life are materialising in everyday life |
| Sectors | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Education,Healthcare |
| URL | http://www.socialsciences.manchester.ac.uk/morgancentre/our-research/lgbt-lives/just-like-marriage/ |
| Description | Citation and Summary in Family Platform: Critical Review of Research on Families and Family Policies in Europe |
| Geographic Reach | Europe |
| Policy Influence Type | Citation in systematic reviews |
| URL | http://WP2CriticalReviewFINAlREPORT.pdf |
| Title | Qualitative Interview Data with Couples in Civil Parnterships |
| Description | Qualitative Interview Data with Couples in Civil Partnerships |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Provided To Others? | No |
| Impact | Empirically based knowledge of the implications of civil partnership in everyday life |
| URL | http://www.socialsciences.manchester.ac.uk/morgancentre/our-research/lgbt-lives/just-like-marriage/ |
| Description | 50 years of Sexual Inequalities, 50 Years of Inequality Symposium, Policy@Manchester, 5th November 2014 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The presentation, to at least 100 participants, the key points of which were tweeted to a wide range of networks, that addressed the links between sexual and relationship status and other axes of inequality (class, gender, race, forced migration) to form the bias of how interlinked inequalities could be addressed by policy makers, service providers and support organisations. After the presentation I was asked to advise and collaborate with an organisation that promotes sexual equalities |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| URL | http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/manchester-policy-week-50-years-of-inequality-what-have-we-learnt-regi... |
| Description | Blog Heaphy, B (2014) Same-sex marriage: Celebrating recognition and equality? [Online] 1 April 2014. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | A blog, based on the research, which considered the relative merits of civil partnerships and marriage (as the latter was being legalised), and the forms of relationships that were still not legally recognised (for example, cohabitation, polyamourous and multiple parent families). Unknown to date |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| URL | http://blog.policy.manchester.ac.uk/featured/2014/04/same-sex-marriage-celebrating-recognition-and-e... |
| Description | End of award event, 2011, Same Sex Marriage: Before and After, University of Manchester, 25 March. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Type Of Presentation | keynote/invited speaker |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The event clarified that younger same sex civil partners saw civil partnership as a form of marriage, and most would enter into marriage as opposed to civil partnership if the choice became available (which it did, four years later). For officials and professionals, as well as for lay people, it made clear that younger civil partners were, in the main, supportive of the institution of marriage which they believed was becoming 'more equal' and inclusive. The event also indicated how seriously personal networks (families, friends and colleagues and so on) took civil partnership as a form of marriage, as well as decreasing but continuing hostility against same-sex couples. Many attendees, including registrars, service providers, local policy makers, wedding service providers, and health and social care workers discussed the possible implications for them of how younger same-sex couples now has the 'right' to be treated as 'ordinary' married couples. Conference attendees followed up the research on the website. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2011 |
| Description | Invited Presentation to EU funded Family Platform Conference, Lisbon, Portugal, 26th of May 2010 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Presentation to about 100 attendees, which identified the opportunities and challenges about incorporating research findings on same sex-relationships, and changing heterosexual ones, into policy in European contexts. The discussion revolved around the differences between heterosexual and same sex couples, resistances to including same-sex relationships and families and into family polices and examples where of where that is likely to be achieved. The presentation give rise to the discussion about the practical, research-based, and conceptual possibilities and limitations of developing or reframing 'family' policies |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2010 |
| URL | http://europa.eu/epic/docs/wp2_critical_review_conference_report.pdf |
| Description | Invited Presentation to International Symposium on Relationships and Social Change, Hong Kong, 24th-25th May 2012. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The presentation offered an international view of developments in same-sex relationships recognition, drawing on the UK based study, it gave rise to questions about the international recognition of same-sex relationships and the forms that such recognition might take. I was asked to advise on future work in different contexts |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| Description | Invited Presentation: 'Civil Partnerships' to Critical Sexology Up North, MMU, 23rd September 2011 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | A presentation to about 35 clinical sexologists, therapists and others in related fields that highlighted the issues about sexuality that arose in our study. The discussion focussed on questions about the extent to which formalisation same-sex relationships can ease or exacerbate tensions with respect to couple's sexual lives. Particpants sought further information from me about the significance of civil partnership to same-sex partners |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2011 |
| Description | Invited keynote: 'Same-sex Marriage and Everyday Life', Sociol and Legal Implications of Same-Sex Marriage Northumbria Law School, Newcastle , 17th June 2014. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Talk promoted discussion on the specific local/regional polices and interventions that could improve everyday lives of Civl Partners in the North East of England, up to 50 people people attended and discussion were had about regional and urban/rural differences between social acceptance of civil partnerships and same sex marriage. The need to monitor the changing nature of homophobia was a key objective that participants discussed and took away from the event I was invited to return to give another presentation |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| Description | Newspaper Interview: Registrars report slump in number of 'gay weddings', Manchester Evening News |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Offered an explanation for why the number of gay 'marriages' has slumped by nearly two-thirds since civil partnerships were first introduced. Discussion in Manchester Evening News |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2011 |
| URL | http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/news/s/1439675_registrars-report-slump-in-number-of-gay-... |
| Description | Presentation 'Social inequalities in Britain: What has changed in the last 20 years?' The University of Manchester' |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | A presentation to over 100 participants engaged in equalities and quantitative research, proposing a case for longitudinal mixed method and intersectional research on the impact of legislation and policy that aim to address sexual inequalities. The discussion focussed on how this could be realised. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| Description | Presentation, The Everyday Life of Politics - Movements@Manchester |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | A presentation on the politics of civil partnership and same sex marriage, now that both have been legalised in the UK. The discussion focussed on the way in which the intimate and the public were being reconfigured, and how political movements could respond to this. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | Presentation/participation: Symposium on participatory archives and young people, Durban, SA, 17-19 March 2010 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Talk and participation in symposium informed audience of ways of thinking about and undertaking participatory research on young people's sexualities and relationships. Participants sought further information on narrative approaches to participatory work with young people about their relationships and sexualities, and an international network sought to include my ideas in an international research application. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2010 |
| Description | Radio Discussion, Odd couples, Thinking Allowed BBC Radio 4 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | A discussion, chaired by Laurie Taylor, of gay-hetrosexual friendships with Abby Goldberg from the USA, where I drew on the research to bring the UK and generational experience into view. Requests for further information |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
| URL | http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01mk71q |
| Description | Radio Interview, History of marriage, Women's Hour, BBC 4 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Interview as part of a discussion on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour Requests for further information |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
| Description | Semi-Plenary Presentation to BSA Conference 'Marriage Projects: Young Couples' Civil Partnerships', Glasgow April 2010. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Initial overview of study to sociologists, follow-up debate and questions increased academic interest in the research Requests to be updated with the study results |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2010 |
| Description | Webpages about the research and summary results |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | People engaged with the the initial findings of the research Invitations to present about the research |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2011 |
| URL | http://www.socialsciences.manchester.ac.uk/morgancentre/our-research/lgbt-lives/just-like-marriage/ |