PSY 3123 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Standard Basis, Symbolic Interactionism, Structural Functionalism
28 Apr 2018
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January 17, 2018
Getting Together
Key Terms
Marriage: a socially, legally, and/or religiously recognized union of people who commit to one another
-Society encourages marriage
Mate selection: the process by which partners are selected
-Usually through dating but may be arranged by others
Arranged marriage: a type of marriage in which the partners are selected by a third party rather than by each other
-Ex. By family, by reality TV (“Married at First Sight”), by matchmakers
Romantic love: a strong emotional attachment often including a mixture of sexual desire, tenderness, affection, and
playfulness
-Standard basis for mate selection in European and North American societies
Starting The Family Cycle
Mate selection: most common starting point
-Reflects society’s values
-Divided into two basic streams: decided by the couple or decided by the families of the couple
•Arranged marriages are more common in societies where families provide the principle social security system
(South Asian cultures) - the well-being of the family as a whole takes priority over individual happiness
•Choosing for yourself is more common in societies that value individual achievement (North American cultures) -
stresses the importance of individuality and self-sufficiency
-Structural functionalism: mate selection, regardless of the method used, is necessary to maintain social order and
perpetuate society
-Conflict theory: the norms of mate selection tend to reproduce the existing class structure of society
•Involves exploitation and the exercise of power
-Feminist perspective: women are often considered objects of exchange, and mate selection serves to reduce
women to objects based on appearance while disregarding other factors
-Symbolic interactionism: focuses on the communication that occurs between the couples as they develop and
maintain their relationship
-Developmental psychology: two important developmental tasks
•The most important developmental task in young adulthood is the establishment of intimacy (NB: through
relationships or friendships)
-In much of North American society, development of intimacy is considered a prerequisite for marriage
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•A second task is building the foundation for the couple’s relationship
Next steps vary:
-Some couples live together but never marry
-Some couples marry before living together
-Many begin with premarital cohabitation and eventually marry
Arranged Marriages
In most societies and historical periods, marriage has been at least partly arranged
There may be pressure on children of new Canadians to marry within their ethnic group
-A common strategy used by parents is to restrict the social interactions of their children
•Ex. Bringing children to ethnic community centres for socialization
-Second-generation immigrants indicate conflicts with their parents in the realm of dating and marriage
•Parents tend to remain associated with traditional cultural values, while the children have internalized Canadian
values
Arranged marriages occurred in Canada and still do
-In both New France and Upper Canada, young people were encouraged by wealthy landowner parents to marry
not for love but for family and property
-Ex. In a study of second-generation South Asian immigrants living in North America, 25% of participants indicated
parents would likely arrange their marriage
Forced Marriage
Forced marriage: a marriage in which people are coerced into marrying against their will
-Very different from an arranged marriage, in which the free and informed consent of both parties is present
•While people might be hesitant or have reservation in arranged marriages, they are still consenting
-Affects young people who may be taken abroad on false pretexts and presumed to marry for immigration purposes
-Every major faith condemns this practice - considered a human rights violation
-Illegal in every country across the world - declared illegal by the UN
The Shift Towards Free choice
Over time, sex and romantic love become gradually linked, along with emphasis on individuality
Young people wanted the right to choose their own mates
Love became the basis for marriage
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Shifts among the relationship continuum:
-Shift from completely arranged to completely self-chosen
•NB: most still fall in between (ex. Still want your parent to approve of your spouse)
-Shift from marriage as an exchange to marriage as a shared emotion
Homogamy vs. Complementary Needs
Homogamy needs: individuals feel most attracted to potential partners who are similar to them
-More common
-Ex. Similar in intelligence, education, SES, physical attractiveness, age, religious and ethnic background, personal
habits, etc.
Complementary needs: individuals feel most attracted to potential partners who complement them
-Assumed to be attractive because they enhance the likelihood that one’s needs will be gratified
-The complementary needs may also be practical (ex. Young poor women need older men with money)
-“Opposites attract”
-Ex. Intravert + extravert
Social Exchange Theory
Suggests that individuals evaluate the potential success of a relationship based on a number of comparisons made
both according to one’s own standards and comparisons with one’s peers
Men tend to value physical attractiveness, women value status and resources
Freedom of Choice?
Theoretically we can marry almost anyone we choose, but we are limited in many social and cultural ways
-Legal barriers to marrying certain people (one marriage at a time, incest taboo, endogamy, exogamy)
-Geographical factors are important - tend to marry within specific regional areas
Field of eligibles: people who are considered acceptable potential partners, both by the individual and by society
Approval of family and friends is important
Parents have both direct and indirect effects on mate selection
-Direct: choosing your mate, directly expressing disapproval
-Indirect: choose where you live, how much education you get - affect social standing and who you are likely to
meet
•Propinquity effect: more likely to choose someone who is closer physically and geographically
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