1. Theories, Issues and Trends in the
21st Century

2.  Monday – Dating History and Socialization
 Tuesday – Diversity and Theories of Attraction
 Wednesday – Theories Cont’d and Marriage
 Thursday – Technology and 21st Century Dating
 Friday – In-Class Assignment:“21st Century Guide
to Dating”

3.  How has dating evolved?
 Social and Historical Changes
 The Role of Dating in Socialization
 Dating Process and Definitions

5.  What social rules exist in the dating world of
the 1950s?
 Unwritten rules or social pressures?
 How are these rules similar from 60 years
ago? How are they different?
 Do you think these rules
and pressures exist today?

6.  Datingseems natural and normal to us, but
many social and historical factors had to
occur before dating could go “mainstream”.
 1920s– College students and young adults
began dating
 1940s-50s – Became acceptable for
teenagers to date.

7. o 1800s
o Rural to Urban transition
o Proximity in urban areas
o Technological
advancement
o Increased Transportation
o Increase in social life

8. o The invention of the
telephone
o Easy, frequent
communication
o Distance isn’t as great a
factor
o 1930s-40s most households
would have a phone!
(Possibly a shared line)

9.  WWI and II, Women’s Rights
 Withmen away at war, women’s roles, jobs
and image of themselves completely
changed!
 Women’s education, the
right to vote, and new found
independence.

10.  1960s and 70s
 Protest and discussion
changed our understanding
of intimate relationships.
 Power and gender
roles – dynamics of
dating and the family.

11.  1990s-2000s

12.  Socialization – process of gaining knowledge,
skills and attitudes required to participate
actively in a society.
 School– 1st social contacts outside the
family. Includes, friends, acquaintances, and
later on intimate relationships.
 Schooland these social contacts act as an
introduction to formal procedures of mate
selection.

13.  Free-Choice Mate Selection – two people
are attracted to each other, fall in love, and
get married!
 Other influences: Economic reasons,
stability/support, companionship, status ...
 Canadian Beliefs: Long-lasting relationships
based on mutual attraction and love, rather
than hard-wired biology.

14.  Knowledge about dating and intimacy begins in school
but takes time to develop. Kids may have comical,
unusual, or even realistic view of dating!

15.  De-emphasizing mate selection.
“Hanging out” or “getting together”.
 Intimate friendships
and sharing.
 Common basis of friendships
and relationships (respect,
Common interests ect)
 Dating for social purposes, or because of social
pressures

16.  Entertainment, Recreation and Socializing
 “Hanging out”, hooking up, getting together
 Casual Dating or “Dating Around”
 “Going
steady”, more
commitment, boyfriend or girlfriend status.
 Long-term, engagement, or even marriage.

17.  Monogamy – two committed partners get
married – a life-long relationship.
 Serial Monogamy – marriage to several
spouses one after another. Comes as a result
of divorce and separation.
 Polygamy – one man or woman married to
two or more partners. (a punishable offense
in Canada, but common in other countries)

18.  Who – you and two other group members
 What – creating a “How-To Guide” for dating in
the 21st Century
 Where/When – Friday In-Class (Due Monday 26th)
 Why – to demonstrate your knowledge of
Theories of Attraction and dating issues
 How – Using “scrapbook”/written, video, or
power point form.

19. DAT
E

20. Why and how do we choose
intimate partners?

21. Marc Johns’ “United Dates of America” – National Geographic.

22. “They combed profiles
from dating websites all
across the US, and
pulled the most
commonly used terms
from each zip code and
mapped them. What
ends up surfacing are
some regional
stereotypes ('oil' in
Texas, 'retired' in
Florida), as well as
some amusing terms
(Cleopatra? Yodeling?
Marshmellow,
anyone?).” - Marc Johns

23. • What information
can we gather from
a study like this?
• How is this data
important to the
study of attraction
and dating?
•What can we learn
from it?

24.  Free-Choice Mate Selection – two people
are attracted to each other, fall in love, and
get married!
 Monogamy – two committed partners get
married – a life-long relationship.
 SerialMonogamy – marriage to several
spouses one after another. Comes as a result
of divorce and separation.

25.  Evolutionary psychology (Darwinian)
 What we find attractive is prehistorically
determined.
 The “best” or most advantageous physical
traits (fit, strong, fastest, child-bearing) are
found to be attractive.
 Most attractive = most likely to survive,
and therefore reproduce for generations.

26.  Exchange of valuable reproductive resources.
 Individualpreferences regarding an
attractive mate (what is needed to survive?)
 Competition to attain the most attractive
(most likely to survive) mate.

29.  Passion – physical attraction, sexual desire
 Intimacy – intense friendship which develops
slowly through sharing, and a willingness to
meet other’s needs.
 Commitment – As the rewards of relationship
grow, partner is more likely to maintain the
relationship.

30.  Individualsare attracted to those with a
similar social background.
 Attractiveness rating is influenced by similar
social positions (age, race, status, religion
and political views).
 Physicalsameness is also a variable in
attraction.

31.  Explainshow attraction between different
races/ethnicities occurs because of similar
social environment.

32.  We marry/select people that we know.
 Highschool sweethearts, work
acquaintances, church community, college,
university group.
 The more often you see someone, the more
likely you are to form a relationship –
friendship or intimate.

33.  We meet many potential partners over the
course of our life – people that we find
attractive.
 Wemarry the person we are dating when
“the time is right”.
 When should we get married according to
society? What needs to be in place?

34.  Finished high school, college, university?
 Financially stable?
 Established career?
 Finished travelling or moving around?
 Place: Are you living in the same geographic
area?

35. Are Time and Place still important?

36.  Youare attracted to qualities, skills or
resources in others that you do not possess.
 Basis:complementary characteristics.
(Introverted-Extroverted, Dominant-
Submissive)
 Notnecessarily motivated by the idea that
“opposites attract”, but working well
together.

38.  Theorists: Kerkhoff and Davis
 As time passes, and exclusiveness increases
we go through a screening process.
 Potential partners narrowed.
 Age, appearance, status, personality, beliefs.

39. People Who Meet (potential couple)
Are they attractive?
Couples Attracted to One Another
Common Social Background?
Similar Backgrounds!
Agreeable Values?
Similar Attitudes and Values!
Compatible?
We are Highly Compatible! (In Love)
Readiness for Marriage?
“The One” :D

40. Big Bang Theory’s Sheldon. Extreme example of Filter Theory!!

41.  Theorist:Murstein
 Influenced by Filter Theory and Homogamy
 Stage 1 – Stimulus
 Partnership because of physical attraction, social
compatibility and personality.
 If the rewards are greater than costs...
 Stage 2 –Values
 Consider sex, religion, marriage, children,
lifestyles, and attitudes
 Greater compatibility or sameness = Rewarding

42.  Stage 3 – Role
 What role will these agreed values play in your
life together?
 How do we both expect to express them?
 Is there stability and optimism in this expression?
YES! ... Couple may decide to get married.