Dating, relationships and family Flashcards
1
Q
How did courtship change in 20th century North America?
A
- Shifted from private spaces (homes with family present) to public spaces
- courtship became more centered on public spaces and commercialism
2
Q
What dating shift occured in the 1920s and what caused it?
A
Courtship shifted from calling to dating due to
(1) Increased understandings of young adulthood as a distinct phase of life
(2) Transformation of a youth subculture held together by media such a magazines, radio, television, movies and advice manuals and helped made possible by public education, mass communication and urbanisation
3
Q
How was dating increasingly characterized during this 1920s transformation?
A
Dating became described as a competition and an economic marketplace.
4
Q
How did courtship norms reflect changes in gender roles?
A
- Women increasingly worked outside of the home and separate social spheres for men and women were merging
- Amidst social changes people felt anxiety about what it meant to be properly masculine and feminine.
- Tight gender norms in courtship helped reaffirm gender differences between men and women
5
Q
How did the commercialization of dating affect gender dynamics?
A
Dating became more commercialised and required money, shifting power from women to men.
6
Q
What were traditional calling norms in dating?
A
In calling, men typically visited women at their home or another place in which family members/close community ties were present.
7
Q
How did dating norms differ from calling norms?
A
- In dating, men took women to public places outside of the eyes of family and close community members.
- Men were not as closely scrutinised as women
- men often men paid for dates which gave them power.
8
Q
How did automobiles faciliate (but not cause) the rise in dating?
A
- dating had already started to replace calling by the time cars became widespread
- before access to cars people were geographically constrained to their suburbs
- Less tightly tethered to geographic locations and easier for people to get in and out which is essential for dating
9
Q
What role did the sexual revolution play in dating?
A
- Sexual norms also changed: popular understandings of Freud normalised sexual desire for women as well as men and there was increasing acceptance of sex for pleasure.
- premarital sex became normative mid 1960s but “pecking” common before that
10
Q
Who is less likely to find physical and sexual contact acceptable on the first date?
A
Women more than men
11
Q
What are the contemporary trends in singlehood regarding relationship goals?
A
- Over 50% are open to either a committed relationship or casual dates.
- Women are much more likely than men to say they are looking for a romantic relationship.
- Men are more likely to be open to either casual or romantic relationship.
12
Q
What are some reasons 50% of people currently singlearen’t looking for any relationship?
A
- Liking being single (only relevant in countries where singlehood is accepted)
- Have more important priorities (new pattern among young people focusing on education and financial security; prior people were building lives together as couples)
13
Q
How has interest in romantic relationships changed over time?
A
Both men and women are less likely to be looking for romantic relationships or casual dates than just a few years ago (2019 vs. 2022).
14
Q
What historical shifts contributed to the rise of singlehood in high-income countries?
A
- More economic opportunities for women
- Greater acceptance of singlehood
- Less interest in having children
- Changes to gender norms
- Decline in religiosity
- Higher expectations for relationships
15
Q
Why does ghosting occur more frequently in the digital age?
A
- Being ghosted is way more common among young people.
- Apps make it easy to completely disconnect from someone
- In the dating world where people are meeting a lot of people outside of their social circles, it creates a feeling that you don’t have a lot of accountability if you ghost someone.
16
Q
What are common dating stressors today?
A
- Mixed signals
- Mismatch in expectations
- Ambiguous rejection (ghosting, unclear communication)
- Harassment after expressing disinterest
17
Q
What explains the gendered patterns of not being able to find someone who meets expectations?
A
- Women are often looking to date people of similar or superior education levels
- Men date people of the same or lower level of education and SES
18
Q
What is the trend in educational attainment by gender in most countries?
A
- women are more likely to graduate with a degree than men in most OECD countries
- Canada has the highest percentage of people with an education beyond high school.
19
Q
How has modern technology, especially dating apps, affected the perception of dating? Fetters and Tiffany
A
- application of market logic to dating
- Modern technology has intensified the idea of a dating market, leading people to view potential partners as commodities to be shopped for and evaluated based on quantifiable metrics
20
Q
What are the consequences of viewing dating through a market-oriented lens, according to Fetters and Tiffany?
A
- fosters impersonal interactions
- unrealistic expectations
- leads to disillusionment and frustration because human connection is more unpredictable and nuanced than a simple transaction.
21
Q
How do LGBTQ individuals’ dating practices differ from heterosexual scripts, according to Lamont?
A
- often reject traditional scripts
- emphasize mutual initiation, direct communication, negotiation, and egalitarian practices—allowing partners to co-create a relationship without conforming to gendered expectations.
22
Q
What are sexual scripts? Lamont
A
- Sexual scripts are culturally learned guidelines that instruct individuals on how to behave in romantic and sexual contexts.
- function like stage directions—telling people how to act, what to expect, and what outcomes might follow based on the behaviors they display.
23
Q
How do traditional heterosexual dating scripts characterize the roles of men and women? Lamont
A
- men are expected to be the initiators (e.g., asking for dates, setting the tone, paying) while women are expected to be passive or reactive.
- Women are often advised to wait for the man’s pursuit to avoid coming across as desperate
24
Q
What is gender essentialism, and how does it relate to dating practices? Lamont
A
- belief that inherent, biological differences dictate behaviors for men and women.
- In dating, it underpins the view that men are naturally aggressive and the initiators, while women should be reserved, reinforcing asymmetrical expectations.
25
What does the term sexual double standard refer to? Lamont
societal practice where similar sexual behaviors are judged differently for men and women—where men’s sexual exploits are celebrated, whereas women’s are often negatively stigmatized.
26
What is meant by the relational imperative in heterosexual dating contexts? Lamont
- expectation that women should prioritize relationship building and commitment over casual or recreational sex.
- leads to pressure for heterosexual women to delay sexual intimacy to secure or signal commitment
27
How do LGBTQ individuals typically negotiate sexual initiation and payment? Lamont
Many LGBTQ individuals aim for a more balanced approach. For example, some follow the “always Dutch” rule for splitting costs and emphasize mutual initiation in communication and planning, thus subtracting the idea that one gender must always lead.
28
What challenges do normative dating scripts pose for women? Lamont
- Normative dating scripts constrain women by limiting their options—if they deviate (such as by initiating contact), they may be judged harshly.
- forces many to adhere to a passive role, even when it may not align with their genuine desire for reciprocal communication
29
What is educational hypogamy?
Educational hypogamy is when women with more education partner with men who have less education than them.
30
How does education relate to dating or relationships?
1) People with more education are more likely to be in relationships.
2) Education influences political ideology—left-leaning people are more likely to attend university, and university can make people more left-leaning.
31
What recent gendered political trends have emerged?
- Women are becoming more conservative while men are more moderate and stable, causing ideological divergence between the genders.
- In 1950s, women were more right-leaning than men in the Western world
32
What is driving political divides among young people today?
- Differences in the probability of attending college/university
- sharp decline in in-person socialization during youth
- increase in time spent online
33
What is the 4B movement in Korea?
- feminist movement where women reject dating, sex, and childbirth.
- Over 1/3 of men and 1/4 of women in their mid-to-late 30s in Korea are expected never to marry or have children.
34
How has the internet made it more difficult to meet people?
- fragmented attention/ shorter attention spans
- artificial sense of abundance
- customizable filters
- reduced participation in in-person activities like civic groups, religion, or friendships.
35
What do studies show about communication in friends-with-benefits (FWB) relationships?
- Honest in communication eg. Feelings, intentions
- Restrictions on communication and expressions of emotion (eg. pet names)
- Sexual rules: exclusivity or non-exclusivity
- Rules about when sexual activity occurred and in what contexts
- Level of involvement and commitment vary
36
What are situationships and who is most likely to be in them?
- Situationships are undefined romantic/sexual relationships.
- 36% of Gen Z and similar numbers of Millennials and Gen X are in situationships, compared to 23% of Baby Boomers.
37
What is consensual non-monogamy (CNM)?
includes open relationships, swinging, and polyamory, where people have multiple sexual and/or romantic partners with mutual consent.
38
What is swinging and when did it become popular?
- couples have sex with other couples or trade partners for sexual encounters
- most common among straights, became common post WW2 with military spouses
39
What is polyamory?
- romantic and sexual relationships with multiple people.
- includes diverse arrangements, such as individuals dating couples or multi-person relationships.
40
How do people in CNM relationships compare in terms of STI testing and condom use?
STI testing and condom use are higher among people in CNM relationships than those in monogamous ones.
41
What major shift in family structure occurred in American history? Brooks
- shift away from large families with additional support, often due to agricultural and small business needs.
- to nuclear families, making life freer for individuals but more unstable for families.
- Industrialization/ cultural changes led to decline in extended families and rise in nuclear families btw 1750- 1900.
42
What were the strengths of extended families? Brooks
- provided resilience through a support network
- socializing force by exposing children to multiple adult influences.
- In 1800, 90% of American families were “corporate families,”
43
What were some drawbacks of extended families? Brooks
could be exhausting, stifling, and limit individual choice.
44
What roles did women have in the 1950s? Brooks
Women were largely confined to the domestic sphere, facing employment barriers and societal expectations that limited their opportunities.
45
What was the nature of nuclear family community ties in the 1950s and how has it changed? Brooks
- Nuclear families in the 1950s were more interconnected than today, forming a “modified extended family” with mutual support and shared responsibilities.
- Society became more individualistic and self-oriented, valuing privacy and autonomy.
46
What class-based divide exists in modern family life? Brooks
America now has two entirely different family regimes:
- stable families among the highly educated
- chaotic family life among the less fortunate.
47
What are the key modern trends in marriage, family size, and household composition? Brooks
- Americans are marrying later, divorcing more, and choosing to remain single at higher rates
- families are smaller with fewer households holding multiple children
- there are now more homes with pets than with children.
48
How has changing family structure influenced inequality, child poverty, and well‑being? Brooks
- decline in family support disproportionately harms children from low‑income families and leaves 35 percent of Americans over 45 chronically lonely
- Differences in family structure have increased income inequality by 25 percent;
- returning to 1970 marriage rates would cut child poverty by 20 percent
49
What are the gendered impacts of declining family support? brooks
- Children from single‑parent households face worse health, mental health, academic, and behavioral outcomes
- unmarried men experience poorer health, lower earnings, and shorter lifespans
- single mothers struggle to balance work and parenting amid unequal housework and childcare burdens.
50
What ideological hypocrisies are seen among affluent conservatives, highly educated progressives, and college students?
Affluent conservatives: advocate “stable families” without acknowledging their own external support they are able to pay for
- highly educated progressives publicly endorse diverse family forms yet maintain strict standards privately
- many college students accept out‑of‑wedlock birth in society but fear parental disapproval if it happened to them.
51
What factors have driven the recent resurgence of extended and multigenerational households? Brooks
- Economic pressures since the 1970s have pushed young adults home and brought seniors in with children
- immigrants and people of color are more likely to live in extended families
- as a result, multigenerational households hit a 20 percent all‑time high.
52
What defines “chosen families,”? Brooks
- Originating in 1980s San Francisco among LGBTQ+ communities affected by AIDS
- chosen families are groups who provide emotional and material support—“forged families” or “fictive kin”—offering marginalized individuals belonging and care.
53
What are non-biological kin arrangements? Brooks
- forming family-like relationships through co-housing projects and shared living arrangements.
- Builders are constructing homes with separate “in-law” and “Millennial” suites, offering privacy while facilitating shared spaces.
54
According to traditional theories of the first demographic transition, what differentiated rural from urban family behaviors? Clark
- Urban areas—via industrialization—reduced the family’s roles in production, consumption, and education, which contributed to lower fertility and more flexible family forms.
- rural agricultural econs encouraged early marriage, larger families, and nearly universal marriage.
- Diffusion theories suggested that while rural areas would eventually change, they would lag behind urban centers.
55
What theoretical framework is used to explain more recent changes in family behaviors, and what does it generally emphasize? Clark
Second Demographic Transition (SDT) framework: emphasizes declines in fertility below replacement levels and increasing diversity in family forms (e.g., rising cohabitation and nonmarital births) driven by changes in secularization, individualism, and economic/ institutional contexts.
56
How have marriage trends changed in rural versus urban areas according to the study? Clark
Marriage rates have declined in both rural and urban areas in Canada and the U.S.
57
What are the key findings regarding cohabitation trends across rural and urban areas? Clark
Cohabitation rates have increased in Canada and the US, with rural areas eventually exhibiting significantly higher cohabitation rates than urban areas.
58
How are education and religiosity associated with fertility in the study? Clark
- Higher educational attainment is strongly negatively associated with fertility (fewer kids)
- religious attendance is positively associated with fertility (more kids)
59
How does immigrant status impact family behavior differences between rural and urban women in Canada versus the United States? Clark
- Canada: immigrant women are less likely than native-born women to cohabit or have children outside of marriage, and they are more concentrated in urban areas.
- United States: immigrant status did not emerge as a significant factor in explaining differences in family behaviors between rural and urban areas.
60
Which two dominant theoretical frameworks are used to explain postindustrial fertility decline in this study? Han, Sinn
- Second Demographic Transition (SDT) Theory: Emphasizes widespread ideational shifts toward individualism and postmaterialism.
- Gender Equity Theory: Focuses on structural changes—namely, the incompatibility between women’s increased public sphere participation and lagging changes in men's domestic roles and institutional support.
61
How does gender equity theory explain fertility decline? Han, Sinn
while women’s education and labor force participation have increased, men’s contributions to domestic tasks and childcare have not risen at similar rates. This mismatch—along with insufficient institutional support for dual-earner families—creates a “time squeeze” that delays childbearing and depresses overall fertility
62
What does the study conclude regarding the relative explanatory power of gender equity versus SDT theory? Han, Sinn
- in 27 European countries from 1990 to 2017, changes in gender egalitarian attitudes are a key driver of fertility decline.
- regions where traditional gender roles prevailed, increases in egalitarianism lead to delayed childbearing and lower TFRs initially, followed by a rebound as work–family reconciliation improves.
- While SDT-related values contribute to fertility trends in some regions (esp. Northern and Western Europe) gender equity theory explains postindustrial fertility change.
63
How has capitalism transformed family formation and parenting? Sussman
shifted families from self-sufficient, agrarian models to wage-driven systems, making children costlier to raise and encouraging market-like, incentive-driven parenting eg. paying children for good behaviour
64
What economic pressures affecting families does the article highlight? Sussman
- Rising costs for childcare, education, and overall living expenses have forced parents to delay having children and reconsider family size.
- reshape how families form and function, turning parenting practices into a balancing act between nurturing and meeting economic demands.
65
How does capitalism influence the cultural view of childhood? Sussman
as market values permeate daily life promotes individualism and commodifies childhood by treating children as investments for the future and consumers in a competitive market.
66
What is polyandry?
- Polyandry is the marital practice in which a woman is married to multiple men.
- much less common than polygyny, though it has existed in various societies around the world.
67
How does relationship satisfaction in CNM relationships compare to that in monogamous relationships?
Relationship satisfaction is reported to be identical in both CNM and monogamous relationships.
68
What are examples of family formation outside of the traditional nuclear family in the Western world?
- platonic co-parenting
- families connected through a known sperm donor
- three-parent families
69
What issues have been observed with sperm bank practices around the world?
- producing more conceiving children than promised
- insufficient screening for genetic diseases
- misrepresenting donor qualities
- inadequate background checks
- mixing up donor sperm
- cases of fertility fraud (eg.doctors using their own sperm)
70
What are some reasons women might choose to freeze their eggs?
- Women may freeze eggs in their 20s to focus on their careers
- for medical reasons (e.g., prior to cancer treatment)
- in their 30s or later if they have difficulty finding a partner with shared desires about parenthood and long-term stability.
71
What factors have contributed to decreased fertility over historical eras?
- declines in religiosity
- economic changes (children no longer significantly contributing to household production)
- decreased child mortality
- increased women’s education
- delayed marriage.
