Chapter 7.  Singlehood, Pairing, Cohabitation, Part 1.

I. Perspective: Black Male Shortage: single men per 100 single women: whites 25-29,

136; Latinos 141; vs. blacks 98; whites 30-34, 133; Latinos 125; vs. blacks 134;

age 40-44, blacks 65! By law supply & demand, nonblack women can be more selective;

 shortage eligible black males; result: % married blacks decline from 64(’71) to 43(’95)

1.      worse for educated blacks: ratio men/women is 1/2; divorced over 35: 1/38 ! 

2.      not only gender ratio: hi unemploy, early death, homicide rate, drugs, prison

II Choosing Partners

1.      halo effect:assume good-looking have>desirable social charact than unattrac

2.      attractive companion increase status:for unattract man, not for unattrac fem

3.      attractiveness:  men care about more than women

4.      bargaining pts for econ indep fem:want>affective,companionable resources

a.       still weaker than men today:  in 1998 make 74% of what men made

5    double stand w/ age:phys attrac key in mar mark;elig part<asmen pick young

6    mar/monogamy: value go up w/ shortage fem; scarcer sex > bargain power

a.       sex ratio:  overall, 89 single men for every 100 women

b.      15-39 yrs (mar age):>men than women, reversing marriage squeeze

c.       blacks:  men less likely to marry because squeeze favors men

d.      mar gradient worsens:tendency fem marry men>statu (hypergamy)

                                                                           i.      problem for women at the top: no one to look up to

7   Endogamy:field of eligibles narrow to same ethnic, religion, SES;fear outsider

8. Exogamy: must marry outside family and sex: some soc mar b/ cousins incest

9. Homogamy:positive assertive mating;age,race,height,eth,relig,SES,personality

a.       1st v. 2nd marriage: strongest in first and weaker in second marriage

b.      race: in 1997, 97% of husbands and wives same race

c.       religion: until 1960s, significant; only 6% of Jews, now 40%

d.      Cause SES homogamy: share values, tastes,etc. + propinquity (oppor)

10.  Heterogamy:Loving v. Virginia (1966) finds antimisceg law unconstitutional

a.       Lingering belief: 20% whites, 8% blacks still think should be illegal

b.      Exogamy:black 12% (1993); @50% Jap, Am. Indians,Cath,40% Jew

                                                                           i.      Risk div orce: bit>if dif relig back;inconclusive heterogamy

10.  Parental image theory:  seek partners who are similar to opposite. sex parent

11.  Murstein’s stimulus-value-role theory: 3 stages in development of long-t rel

a.       Stimulus stage: attraction physical,mental, social; most prom 1st meet

b.      Value stage:weigh other’s values to see if compatible:2nd-7th meet

c.       Rule stage: eval if other’s behav compatible w/ marital role; 8th+ meet

III. Romantic Relationships

            1. Closed v. Open fields: small# see other whether attracted (party) v lg# (mall)

            2. initiate: on surface,man;fem may send nonverb signs of interest;smile, flip hair

                a. sex dif: men >likely initiate meet directly;fem wait for intro (1/3-1/2 rely on)

1.      ads: men  twice as likely to place

2.      dating: women may initiate, but less than men (Berger 1987)

3.      meet settings:parties most, follow by classes, work, bars, clubs, hobby events

a.       black churches: espec. for MC blacks, follow by concerts, plays, etc.

4 gays:rely on identifying cues to see if gay; then use nonverb to express interest