Who Pays for Dinner? Gendered Power Dynamics in Same-Sex Unions

• In Event: 2348 - LGBTQ Families and Relationships

Abstract

In this study, I evaluate how heteronormative societies affect the way gendered power dynamics play out in same-sex relationships by cross-culturally observing how same-sex couples make important relationship decisions. I look at who plans and pays for dates, if and how couples decide to formalize their relationships, as well as how they decide to cohabit and get married. I interviewed individuals in same-sex relationships in Santiago, Chile, and Chicago, Illinois, to see how societies with varying degrees of heteronormativity might be affecting these dynamics. Unsurprisingly, income mostly affects who pays for dates. However, in the absence of explicit gender roles, individuals in same-sex relationships create their own, citing personal preferences and personality to dictate how their relationships progress.

Author

• Trey Murphy, University of Notre Dame