Exam 2 Study Guide Chapter 8 Contemporary Marriage Over the generations the purpose of marriage has moved from an economic necessity to companionship to personal growth and individual fulfillment through deeper intimacy The modern social order has caused intimate relationships to be more intense Intimate relationships have become more fragile o Individuals burden their relationships with too many expectations and demand too much of intimacy How has the role of kin and community changed regarding support for couples as they try to build intimate relationships o Social changes have moved us away from a society in which community kin and family groupings were a key means of connecting to others o With the loosening of ties to place and kin individuals in the modern world make life choices and pursue individual goals of their own o Our social identities are no longer ties to the family collective What is the difference between calling and dating Which gender was more in control in each What rules govern dating o Couples in 1900 got to know each other on the front porches of parents home through a courtship ritual called calling o A young woman would invite a young man to come calling at her home while her parents watched o By the 1920s courting couples began to go out on dates without adult supervision o The change from private sphere courting to public sphere dating was significant because its consequence was shifting the role of initiating relationships from women to men o Rules governing dating were defined by peers rather than by adults o Courting once a way to select a mate gave way to dating which was done for enjoyment o Both have taken on new meanings Researchers now refer to courtship in terms of forming close sexual relationships but not marriage Dating has gone out of style However during its initial decades it had several goals pleasure romance and learning to relate to the opposite sex 1 1 Although traditional dating has declines our culture still believes that dating provides up with experiences that helps us select mates What are the positive and negative outcomes of dating Of online dating o Some teens who date frequently have higher levels of self esteem perceive themselves as more popular and have higher levels of autonomy than their peers o Others have more conflict with their parents more depression and lower academic motivation and achievement than other teens o Online dating Some sites offer both heterosexual and homosexual matching You have access to a larger pool of potential dates However most cost money Also presents opportunity for deceptive self presentation Women can put themselves in danger by putting up their personal information Principle of least interest o According to Waller s principle of least interest the person with the least interest in continuing the relationship has the power to control it o Since the high status person has less to lose by discontinuing the relationship he or she can make excessive demands on the lower status partner o The class hierarchy influences courtship as people from higher social class are likely to be viewed as more attractive dating partners than those from lower social classes Assortive mating homogamy hypergamy hypogamy o The concept of assortative mating addresses the question of who individuals choose as mates Clear patterns in mate choice in the US can be observed in demographic and individual factors among paired individuals Mate selection research finds positive assortative mating meaning people choose a mate with traits similar to their own Homogamy individuals tend to date and mate within their class race ethnicity religion and educational level Hypergamy marriage in which the female marries upward into a higher social stratum The patriarchal structure of society has historically proven women with a powerful incentive to marry a man of higher status 2 2 It is women s principle avenue for upward mobility n societies that prescribe domesticity for women and limit their access to workplace opportunities Hypogamy marriage in which the female marries downward into a lower social stratum A professional women who finds a lack of possible mates with similar professional standing may be willing to marry a lower status man Despite an ideology that rests on personal choice the social structural influences in mate selection remain strong o I cannot marry someone I ve never met and what neighborhood I live in or what college I attend profoundly affects my pool or potential partners Difference between sexual identity sexual orientation and sexual behavior o The terms sexual identity and sexual orientation refer to how people classify themselves as gay lesbian bisexual or straight o Sexual identity refers to self classification while sexual orientation refers to the sex of those whom one is attracted o Sexual identity and sexual behavior people s sexual acts and activities may differ is people identify themselves as heterosexual and desire people of the same sex What are four major findings of the NHSLS National Health and Social Life Survey 1 Adultery is the exception rather than the rule Both men and women are remarkable faithful to their partners Nearly 75 of married men and 85 of married women say they have never been unfaithful 2 People in this country are divided into three categories according to how often they have sex One third have sex twice a week or more one third a few times a month and one third a few times a year or not at all 3 The incidence of homosexuality is lower than 10 reported by Kinsey and widely reported since then Just 2 8 of men and 1 4 of women identify as homosexual or bisexual Still 9 of men and 4 of women resport they have had a sexual experience with a person of the same sex since puberty With these numbers being so low the research team admits that the stigmatization probably makes people reluctant to discuss homosexual behavior 4 Married couples have the most sex they enjoy it the most and they are the most likely to have orgasms when they do Nearly 40 of married people have sex twice a week compared to 25 for singles 3 3 What is the most significant dimension of sexuality relating biological and social contexts of behavior and desire o The most significant dimension of sexuality is gender o It relates to the biological and social contexts of sexual behavior and desire o Women and men often want and expect different things from heterosexual love and sex According to Rubin and most other