Arranged Marriage. Sociology 352 Sociology of the Family. Spousal Selection

Transcription

1 Sociology 352 Sociology of the Family Spousal Selection Arranged Marriage and Assortative Mating If a partner had the qualities you desired, would you marry if you weren t in love? Arranged Marriage A young woman in India described her views of marriage: We girls don t worry at all We don t have to go into competition with each other Besides, how would we be able to judge the character of a boy? We are young and inexperienced. Our parents are older and wiser, and they aren t deceived as easily as we would be. I d far rather have my parents choose for me (David and Vera Mace, We Can Have Better Marriages, 1974). 1

2 Documentary Do You Take this Man? Pakistani Arranged Marriages (1989), Directed by Elise Fried Small Group Discussion How would you feel about your parents or grandparents arranging a marriage for you? Would you consider allowing them to do this? Why or Why not? How is online dating different from telling your family what you would like in a mate? What is the best way to select a life partner? Large Group Discussion Do marriages arranged by ones parents begin to seem like a reasonable alternative to our own system of finding a partner? What is the best way to select a life partner? Are the results the same? Would you end up with a spouse similar to the one you would choose? 2

3 Large Group Discussion The documentary says 3% divorce rate for arranged marriages. Did that convince you to consider arranged marriage? Why or why not? How Do You Choose to Marry?? Why Do the Royals Marry Other Royals? Why not you? 3

4 How Does Society Control Love? Structural Cultural or Political Institutions Religious institutions and doctrines on who should marry who How Does Society Control Love? Structural The law Federal immigration laws and military policies After World War II, military officials forbade soldiers to States could prohibit interracial marriage until 1967 Why are Angelina and Brad together and not with you? 4

5 Because they are there And you are here. Propinquity Propinquity = contact and exposure physical proximity closeness in relationship (e.g., kinship, friend of friend) 5

6 How Does Society Control Love? Structural Social control structured by race ethnicity and SES Segregation in schools, neighborhoods and work limits contact and exposure to other classes and races Contact and exposure limits with whom we develop friendships, romantic relationships and marriages Implications of Changes in Propinquity Marital sorting on education has been rising in the US and in several European countries. Possibly Due to Increased Propinquity How Does Society Control Love? Preferences Why would socialites prefer other socialites, actors prefer other actors, college grads prefer other college grads, whites prefer whites, etc.? 6

7 Importance of Preferences Preferences induce sorting on education in marriage, not just propinquity. Evidence Who do the top 400 actors marry? Preferences Likely Induce Sorting on Education Segregation in school and at work cannot induce marital sorting on education among movie actors. Actors do not meet their spouses in school Places Where Top 400 the Actors Met Their Spouses Meeting Place Percent (%) School 7 Work 47 Other 45 The profession is not segregated by education Preferences Likely Induce Sorting on Education Incentive for greater wealth cannot induce sorting on education Actors do not earn wages that are correlated with their education Wealth is through retained earnings, not bequests 7

8 Preferences Likely Induce Sorting on Education Educational homogamy will likely remain How Does Society Control Love? Social pressure (family, peers and colleagues) Taboos Ostracism Excommunication Passive or aggressive pressure Sometimes Society Tries to Control Love but Fails 8

9 Assortative Mating Assortative Mating What source of assortative mating is very different from arranged marriage? Online dating The internet overcomes propinquity and exposure Therefore, educational and racial assortative mating online reveals actual preferences, not just direct consequence of propinquity and segregation 9

10 Intermarriage Border Crossing (Erica Child) Crossing categories Interracial marriage Inter religion Intermarriage Border Patrolling Behaviors and expressed attitudes that communicate what is normal Pressure to remain within boundary may be passive or aggressive Passive Pressure Ostracism and excommunication white women treated as soiled if they had a relationship with black man. Black Women Is interracial marriage the solution to sex ratio imbalance (Banks)? Will it give black women power and make black men more family oriented if they have competition from non black men? Why are black women less supportive of intermarriage? 10

11 Intermarriage Loyalty to disadvantaged/discriminated against community or ethnicity or religion Perceived obligation to strengthen the Black family and unification May be seen as disloyal or may feel disloyal by intermarrying. May be seen as not authentically white or black on the inside Trends in Interracial Marriage (Racial Endogamy) Percent of all marriages that are interracial Few intermarriages because of propinquity and exposure, or preferences? Year Why Predict More Racial Exogamy? Increasing Immigration of Hispanics and Asians Less residentially segregated than blacks so more propinquity 11

12 Greater Acceptance Education Differences in Racial Endogamy The odds of interracial marriage increase with couples' educational attainment. This may reflect differences in propinquity (Zhou and Logan 1991) Higher educated have more racial contacts on college campuses and in the workplace. Higher educated racial minorities tend not to live in racially segregated communities to same degree as lower educated (Zhou and Logan 1991). 12

13 Education Differences in Racial Endogamy This may reflect education differences in norms and possibly in prejudice 13