Difference in Sexes
DUring the meeting
Questions
to guide group discussion:
1. Why is there such a strong effort to downplay the need children have for a mother and a father?
2. In what ways have you seen mothers or fathers minimized or mocked in the media or through public policy? How do we shift a culture that tends to devalue fatherhood, in particular, and men in general?
3. What would be your response to someone who insists that “all children need is love” and that “any four hands [or two people, regardless of sex] will do”? As a mother/father, do you really believe someone else can replace your two hands?
4. What do you make of the research that shows that mothers and fathers consistently parent differently? Have you seen those differences in your own life?
5. What are some of the biological changes that men and women undergo when they become parents? How do those changes prime them to be committed caregivers?
6. Generally speaking, why is parenthood based on biology preferable to parenthood based on the “intent to parent?”
7. What are some of the legal or moral implications of the redefinition of marriage/parenthood for children and their parents?
8. Why do you think that fathers are so disfavored compared with mothers when it comes to their rights as a parent?
9. The acceptance of single women giving birth to a child, or adopting, has grown substantially. However, there are many single parents who did not choose to do this job alone. Regardless of the situation, what are some of the challenges of being a single parent? According to research, how is the wellbeing of children put at risk by not having a mother and a father in the home?