Teenagers and Dating

What is Dating? Dating- meeting of people as a romantic engagement Most often found in societies that allow individuals to choose their own marriage partners In some societies, marriages are arranged and some do not even see each other until the wedding day Idea of dating has only been around in the U.S. since just after WWI What is Dating?

Dating’s main purpose is entertainment and amusement Dating Continuum: Casual dating Steady dating Engagement Marriage Very flexible relationship system Courtship and Dating

Courtship and Dating Courtship-social interaction similar to dating but with the sole purpose of eventual marriage Not flexible or casual The man first had to meet the parents and ask permission The man’s intentions had to be marriage-minded Done under close supervision or at social events Courtship and Dating

Factors that Led to the Emergence of Dating Industrial Revolution- people moved from the farms to the cities where young adults could gain more economic freedom and establish their own homes. Parental control over young adults and courtship decreased Before this time, time of marriage was determined by age at which a man acquired the home and resources to support a family Factors that Led to the Emergence of Dating

Factors that Led to the Emergence of Dating Public Education- by the 1900s, most secondary school students attended co-ed public schools which increased interaction between boys and girls Factors that Led to the Emergence of Dating

Factors that Led to the Emergence of Dating Automobiles & Telephones- young adults had more freedom of movement without their parents and could more easily talk to members of the opposite sex Equality of Women- more women entered the workforce and took on active community roles, which increased the interaction between single adult men and women Factors that Led to the Emergence of Dating

Willard Waller’s study on American dating patterns Late 1920s-early 1930s Found that college students dated based on fraternity/sorority status, looks, money, clothes, cars, dancing, and popularity Later studies showed that while status attainment and entertainment are major factors of attraction, character and personality factors are also important. Many similarities between qualities of a casual date and marriage partner Homogamy- tendency of individuals to marry people who have social characteristics similar to their own

Functions that Dating Fulfills Serves as a form of entertainment Means of socialization that teaches people about the opposite sex and social situations Helps teach role behaviors and define self-concepts Fills psychological needs such as conversation, companionship, and understanding Helps attain status, as people are judged in part by whom they date Aids in spouse selection in later stages of dating Functions that Dating Fulfills

Traditional Dating Patterns Most characteristic of dating patterns of the 1940s and 1950s. Men arranged and paid for dates Had an established weekly timetable Tied to social status Stages of dating: Early stage: dates that involved attending an event (movie, game, etc.) Steady dating: Women received class ring, identification bracelet, or letterman’s jacket. This stage acted as a form of anticipatory socialization for marriage (this did not always mean they got married though). Traditional Dating Patterns

Contemporary Dating Patterns No set stages of dating—informal Men and Women more equal in roles Relationships focused more on friendship and the group than on the couple Amish dating practices: Begin dating around 16 Amish men receive their own courting buggy (horse-drawn) Teens spend time together at formal events (weddings, cornhusks, picnics, barn raisings, etc.) Best time: Sunday evening “singings” Very discreet about relationships until they decide to marry Dating with marriage in mind—do not recognize divorce Contemporary Dating Patterns