A Courtship After Marriage Hirsch

1
A Courtship After MarriageHirsch
2
Some Thought Questions

• 1. Do you plan to marry? Why or why not?
• 2. At what age do you want to marry?
• 3. Is it important that you love the man/woman
  you marry?
• 3. Do you plan to have children? Why or why not?
• 5. Are your choices made freely?

3

• 4. How might culture, gender norms, and
  economics influence your decisions?

4
Decision Making Processes

• Marital and reproductive decisions follow clear
  and detectable patterns.
• Demographics Birth rate Marriage rates
• Age at marriage
• Age at birth of 1st child
• Number of children
• Dimensions of decision making processes
• Cultural norms
• Structure (economics, political policy, law)
• Agency (choices made w/in a range of options)
• Historical time frame social change

5
Jennifer Hirsch

• What is her key research question?
• Who is she speaking with (research participants)?
• Where is her research conducted and why?

6
Research Questions

• How does migration change gender relations?
• How does migration change the experience of
  marriage and family planning (fertility) choices?
• Note Importance of understanding gender
  change in sending community before
  understanding gender changes in U.S.
• In other words Migration is a 2-way
  streetmigrants are changed by U.S. culture
  returning migrants change sending community.

7
Concepts

• Transnational community
• Pg 58
• Gender (social constructionist view)
• Gender norms are fluid
• Gender identity constructed through marriage
• Structure/Agency (both influence gender
  norms/identity)
• Sexuality (social constructionist view)
• Attitudes toward sexual intimacy change
• Experiences of the sexual body influenced by
  history/culture
• Sexuality constructed through marriage

8
Concepts Continued

• Modern
• Distinct from the past
• A break with tradition
• Connotes something better but,
• Does not equate to progressive/gender equity
• Companionate Marriage
• Shift from blood/obligation to love/passion/sexual
  ity
• Affect (emotion) emphasized
• Companionate marriage and barganing strategies
  gender/marital goals forged w/in material
  constrains (resources)

9
Causes of the Shift to Companionate Marriage

• Structural Changes
• Economics (industrial to service economy)
• Feminization of workplace (more women work)
• Leads to
• Delayed childbearing
• Later age at marriage
• Demographic Changes
• Decline in infant mortality
• Increased adult life expectancy
• Thus, couples will spend time together w/o
  children
• Psychological Gratification
• Increased education changes lifestyle/expectations
  

10
Other Changes

• Neo-local households
• Newly married couples home separate from extended
  family.
• Companionate marriage social mobility