RS: Theme A - Relationships and families (key words)

Human sexuality

how people express themselves as sexual beings

Heterosexual

to be sexually attracted to members of the opposite sex

Homosexual

to be sexually attracted to members of the same sex

Sex before marriage

sex between  two single unmarried people

Adultery

voluntary sexual intercourse between a married person and someone who is not their spouse (husband or wife)

Sex outside of marriage

sex between two people where one or both of them is married to someone else; adultery; having an affair

Contraception

the methods used to prevent a pregnancy from taking place

Family Planning

the practice of controlling how many children couples have and when they have them

Marriage

a legal union between a man + a woman (or in some countries including the UK, two people of the same sex) as partners in a relationship

Civil partnership

legal union of same sex couples

Same-sex marriage

marriage between partners of the same sex

Cohabitation

a couple living together + having a sexual relationship without being married to one another

Divorce

legal ending of a marriage

Remarriage

when someone marries again while their former spouse (husband or wife) is still alive

Annulment

a Catholic Church ruling that a marriage was never valid

Procreation

the restoring of harmony after relationships have broken down

Stability

safety and security; a stable society is one in which people's rights are protected and they are able to live in peaceful, productive lives without continuous and rapid change

Protection of children

keeping children safe from harm

Gender Equality

the idea that people should be given the same rights and opportunities regardless of whether they are male or female

Gender Prejudice

unfairly judging someone before the facts are known; holding biased opinions about an individual or group based on their gender

Sexual stereotyping

having a fixed general idea or image of how men and women will behave

Gender discrimination

to act against someone on the basis of their gender; discrimination is usually seen as wrong and may be against the law

Reconciliation

the restoring of harmony after relationships have broken down

Family

a group of people who are related by blood, marriage or adoption

Nuclear family

a couple and their dependent children regarded as a basic social unit

Same sex parents

people of the same sex who are raising children together

Extended family

a family that extends beyond the nuclear family to include grandparents and other relatives as well

Polygamy

the practice or custom of having more than one wife at the time

Bigamy

the offence in the UK of marrying someone while already married to another person