A Brief History of Marriage & Mate Selection What is the purpose of marriage? Why do people marry? Is marriage still relevant in today’s society?

Marriage Marriage  biological urge to reproduce but evolved to be the fundamental social and economic unit in human society Historically romantic love considered a hindrance to successful marriage. Why? Impulsive Does not consider social status & economic stability

Marriage in Hunter-Gatherer Societies: We evolved to be H-G Mate selection  relatively easy process Men  attracted to women who could bear healthy children & nurture them Women  preferred men who could be protectors & providers Natural selection  Men & Women who made successful choices would pass on their mate selection preferences to their children Two processes at work here: Individual preferences for mate Competition with others for mate Romance  No! It’s all about having babies!

Marriage in Agricultural Societies In Agricultural societies, land ownership  social status & wealth Marriage = a way to amass wealth, cement loyalties  usually arranged by parents During this time Religion becomes very important and assumes role of establishing social norms & legitimizing marriages – marriage becomes a sacred ritual

Cultural Heritage of Marriage

Ancient Hebrew Marriages were arranged The bride’s family would pay a Bride Price or Dowry in the form of money, land or chattel Bride gained dower rights → property rights to her husbands estate A Marriage Contract established mutual obligations Divorce was permitted on certain grounds

Roman Patriarchal and Patrilocal (wife would live with husbands family Early Roman society → strictly monogamous Later Roman society → Roman society became more egalitarian → marriage for social status, political / economic advantage → divorce was common

Middle Ages: At first marriage was informal 12th century → church begins to regulate marriage Feudal system regulated every aspect of medieval society Marriage becomes a witnessed public event during this period → Banns of Marriage → public announcement of marriage to determine whether the marriage was legitimate

Industrial Societies More people move to densely populated cities More places to court a “sweetie-pie” out of site of disapproving friends and families Social status and wealth no longer determined by land  children = financial liabilities  encouraged to choose own mates with limited parental approval  Free-Choice Mate Selection

Various Perspectives On Mate Selection:

Social Exchange: Attraction  reality over fantasy People assess the resources they have to offer & look for a mate who will be attracted by these resources Women tend to ‘marry up’  twice as likely to marry a man with better financial resources Men  Physical qualities that indicate child bearing qualities Social Homogamy  people attracted to individuals from a similar background

Symbolic Interactionism: Attraction based on an individuals unconscious image of our “ideal mate” formed from his/her perception of certain characteristics “Love at first sight” Explains how what we find attractive is determined by culture

Functionalism:   Mate selection based on qualities that will ensure survival  Natural Selection Men and women must fulfill specific roles