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Choices in Relationships

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Endogamy is the cultural expectation to select a marriage partner within one's ... Propinquity. Sociological Factors Operative in Mate Selection. Homogamy ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: Choices in Relationships


1
Choices in Relationships
  • Chapter Seven Mate Selection

2
Cultural Aspects of Mate Selection
  • Endogamy
  • Endogamy is the cultural expectation to select a
    marriage partner within ones own social group,
    such as race, religion, and social class.
  • Exogamy
  • There is also the cultural expectation that one
    will marry outside his or her own family group.
    This expectation is known as exogamy.

3
Sociological Factors Operative in Mate Selection
  • Homogamy
  • Homogamy refers to individual initiative toward
    sameness.
  • Common homogenous characteristics
  • Age
  • Race
  • Religion
  • Education
  • Social class
  • Physical appearance
  • Marriage status
  • Personality
  • Propinquity

4
Sociological Factors Operative in Mate Selection
  • Homogamy

5
Sociological Factors Operative in Mate Selection
  • Spirituality and Religion and a Couples
    Relationship
  • Couples with a homogeneous religious marriage may
    have greater marital stability and a lower chance
    of divorce due to the value of religion for
    resolving conflicts.
  • Religious literature often provides practical,
    down-to-earth suggestions for relationship
    enhancement.

6
Psychological Factors Operative in Mate Selection
  • Complementary-Needs Theory
  • Complementary-needs theory states that we tend to
    select mates whose needs are opposite and
    complementary to our own.
  • Parental Characteristics
  • Role theory and modeling theory emphasize that a
    son or daughter models after the parent of the
    same sex by selecting a partner similar to the
    one the parent selected.

7
Psychological Factors Operative in Mate Selection
  • Exchange Theory
  • Exchange theory emphasizes that mate selection is
    based on assessing who offers the greatest
    rewards at the lowest cost.
  • Five concepts help to explain the exchange
    process in mate selection.
  • Rewards
  • Cost
  • Profit
  • Loss
  • Alternative

8
Psychological Factors Operative in Mate Selection
  • Desired Personality Characteristics for a
    Potential Mate
  • Men and women report that the personality
    characteristics of being warm, kind, open, and
    having a sense of humor were very important to
    them in selecting a romantic/sexual partner.

9
Psychological Factors Operative in Mate Selection
  • Personality Characteristics Predictive of Divorce
  • Poor impulse control
  • Hypersensitivity
  • Inflated ego
  • Being neurotic
  • Anxiety
  • Insecurity
  • Control

10
Cultural, Sociological, and Psychological Filters
in Mate Selection
11
Sociobiological Factors Operative in Mate
Selection
  • In contrast to cultural, sociological, and
    psychological aspects of mate selection, which
    reflect a social learning assumption, the
    sociobiological perspective suggests that
    biological/genetic factors may be operative in
    mate selection.
  • Definition of Sociobiology
  • Sociobiology suggests a biological basis for all
    social behaviorincluding mate selection.

12
Sociobiological Factors Operative in Mate
Selection
  • Criticisms of the Sociobiological Perspective
  • Critics argue that women may show concern for the
    earning capacity of men because women have been
    systematically denied access to similar economic
    resources, and selecting a mate with these
    resources is one of their remaining options.
  • In addition, it is argued that both women and
    men, when selecting a mate, think about their
    partners more as companions than as future
    parents of their offspring.

13
Engagement
  • Asking Specific Questions
  • Since partners may neither ask nor reveal
    information that they feel will be met with
    disapproval during casual dating, the engagement
    is a time to get specific about the other
    partners thoughts, feelings, values, goals, and
    expectations.
  • Refer to the Involved Couples Inventory.

14
Engagement
  • Visiting Partners Parents
  • If you want to know what your partner may be like
    in the future, look at his or her parent of the
    same sex.
  • And, if you want to know how your partner is
    likely to treat you in the future, observe the
    way your partners parent of the same sex treats
    and interacts with his or her spouse.

15
Engagement
  • Premarital Programs and Counseling
  • Some premarital couples attend the Prevention and
    Relationship Enhancement Program (PREP).
  • Not only have couples who learned how to
    communicate and negotiate conflict been less
    likely than a control group to divorce or
    separate (8 percent versus 16 percent), but they
    reported greater marital satisfaction, fewer
    conflicts, and less physical violence.

16
Engagement
  • Premarital Programs and Counseling
  • Individuals who want to marry in the Roman
    Catholic Church are required to take premarital
    education.
  • Other faiths may also offer premarital sessions
    (usually three) before the wedding.

17
Engagement
  • Prenuptial Agreement
  • Designed to specify ahead of time how property
    will be divided if the marriage ends in divorce
    or when it ends by the death of one partner.
  • Reasons for a prenuptial agreement include the
    following
  • Protecting assets for children from a prior
    relationship
  • Protecting business associates

18
Consider Calling Off the Wedding If . . .
  • If your engagement is characterized by the
    factors identified below, consider prolonging
    your engagement and delaying the marriage at
    least until the most distressing issues have been
    resolved.
  • Age 18 or Younger
  • Known Partner Less Than Two Years
  • Abusive Relationship
  • Critical Remarks

19
Consider Calling Off the Wedding If . . .
  • Numerous Significant Differences
  • On-and-Off Relationship
  • Dramatic Parental Disapproval
  • Low Sexual Satisfaction
  • 9. Marrying for the Wrong Reason

20
Consider Calling Off the Wedding If . . .
  • Marrying for the Wrong Reason
  • Examples include
  • Rebound
  • Escape
  • Unanticipated pregnancy
  • Psychological blackmail
  • Pity
  • Filling a void
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