Civil union or marriage, the recognition of same-sex marriage and homo-parental families has become one of the world’s greatest contemporary polemics.

Here it is looked at through the lens of sociology, anthropology and ethnology across Europe, North America and South Africa. The first part is dedicated to the actual debates that are raging around the globe: non religious and religious marriage in the USA; equality concept in the Scandinavian countries; marriage and parenthood in Belgium; civil partnership in the UK; and same-sex marriage and polygamy in South Africa.

Mariages et homosexualités dans le monde shows that gay and lesbian marriage is a concept close to other marital forms legally acknowledged. Especially in parts of the world the debate on homosexual marriage as it relates to links up with mixed raced and interfaith marriage.

The second part is ethnological, taking examples from Canada, Spain, Italy… it concentrates on gay and lesbian relationship patterns; mother and father figure; fidelity and adultery; domestic life and more.