Is it cute or weird when someone in elementary school has a girlfriend or boyfriend? I think it's a little bit of both. It's cute that they know that they want to be together but at the same time it's weird because they're so young.
They don't understand the implications of a relationship, obviously. It is simply an application of monkey-see-monkey-do, an imitation of the cultural norm. Imagine, though, if same-sex couples were culturally accepted. Would that image be spread as OK? Would similar pseudo-relationships arise? That would be a fascinating thing to think about.
I have to comment on this from an observer's viewpoint. My little sister had one of said relationships when she was a small child. And I found it more strange than endearing, I was only in 6th grade or so at the time however. Cody, mind if I take your what if-style statement a bit further: imagine a world in which there isn't the cultural norm of a traditional relationship, how do you think young children would act towards those of opposite gender?
They don't understand the implications of a relationship, obviously. It is simply an application of monkey-see-monkey-do, an imitation of the cultural norm. Imagine, though, if same-sex couples were culturally accepted. Would that image be spread as OK? Would similar pseudo-relationships arise? That would be a fascinating thing to think about.
ReplyDeleteI have to comment on this from an observer's viewpoint. My little sister had one of said relationships when she was a small child. And I found it more strange than endearing, I was only in 6th grade or so at the time however. Cody, mind if I take your what if-style statement a bit further: imagine a world in which there isn't the cultural norm of a traditional relationship, how do you think young children would act towards those of opposite gender?
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