Voting to ban same sex marriage: interests, values, and communities

McVeigh, R., & Diaz, M.D. (2009). Voting to ban same-Sex marriage:

Interests, values, and communities. American Sociological

Review, 74(6), 891-915. Retrieved from http://www.asanet.org/im ages/journals/docs/pdf/asr/Dec09ASRFeature.pdf

In the article "Voting to ban same-sex marriage: Interests, values, and communities," the authors McVeigh and Diaz (2009) explore voting data against same-sex marriage gathered at the county level as opposed to at the individual, state, or national level. Through an examination of the voting records of local counties across America, the authors demonstrate that concepts of traditionalism such as gender roles and family structure greatly influence whether the community will oppose same-sex marriage; and, moreover, opposition will be the greatest in locales where the community's residents do not feel a connection or a loyalty to the community itself. In a country where the opposition of same-sex marriage constitutes a significant restraint upon civil rights of individuals, it is important to understand how these statutes manage to be passed in a time when acceptance of homosexuality is actually increasing amongst the general population.

Pursuant to McVeigh and Diaz, the contentions that include a discussion of the importance of preserving traditional marriage are more apt to be followed in locales where traditional gender and family roles continue to prevail over more modern views of gender and family roles. These are the individuals whom believe that same-sex marriage lessens the sanctity and status of the institution of marriage. Accordingly, McVeigh and Diaz postulate that opposition to same-sex marriage will be strong in areas populated by citizens wherein a vast majority of them maintain a personal stake in preserving traditional gender roles and family structures. Furthermore, McVeigh and Diaz draw upon past research which reveals that personal ties and networks to homosexual individuals help to reduce prejudice toward homosexuals and based thereon, the authors theorize that in communities where traditionalism prevails, the population will therefore have less ties to the gay and lesbian identity. As a result of less network ties to the homosexual community, negative stereotypes predominate leading to homosexuality as being viewed as a threat to their own lifestyle and privileges.

When analyzing why certain communities view same-sex marriage as a more of a threat to their own particular community than others, McVeigh and Diaz examined voting records from 2000 to 2008, at the county-level wherein same-sex initiatives were on the ballot. McVeigh and Diaz note that social disorganization theory proposes that where there is less residential stability, there will be a disruption in social organization and this has led to a loosening of social constraints on social behavior. However, McVeigh and Diaz' data analysis takes the theory a step further through demonstrating that in communities wherein traditionalism is highly prevalent, the lack of community cohesion (as exhibited by residential instability, low rates of home ownership and high crime rates) actually increases the chance that the residents will see same-sex marriage as a threat to their individual values as well as to their community interests.