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A Brief History of Marriage &
Mate Selection
• What is the purpose of marriage?
• Why do people marry?
• Is marriage still relevant in today’s
society?
Marriage
• Marriage  biological urge to reproduce but
evolved to be the fundamental social and
economic unit in human society
• Historically romantic love considered a
hindrance to successful marriage. Why?
– Impulsive
– Does not consider social status & economic
stability
Marriage in Hunter-Gatherer Societies:
• We evolved to be H-G
• Mate selection  relatively easy process
– Men  attracted to women who could bear healthy
children & nurture them
– Women  preferred men who could be protectors &
providers
• Natural selection  Men & Women who made
successful choices would pass on their mate
selection preferences to their children
• Two processes at work here:
– Individual preferences for mate
– Competition with others for mate
• Romance  No! It’s all about having babies!
Marriage in Agricultural Societies
• In Agricultural societies, land ownership 
social status & wealth
• Marriage = a way to amass wealth, cement
loyalties  usually arranged by parents
• During this time Religion becomes very
important and assumes role of establishing
social norms & legitimizing marriages –
marriage becomes a sacred ritual
Cultural Heritage of Marriage
Ancient Hebrew
• Marriages were arranged
• The bride’s family would pay a Bride Price or Dowry
in the form of money, land or chattel
• Bride gained dower rights → property rights to her
husbands estate
• A Marriage Contract established mutual obligations
– Divorce was permitted on certain grounds
Roman
• Patriarchal and Patrilocal (wife would live with
husbands family
• Early Roman society → strictly monogamous
• Later Roman society → Roman society
became more egalitarian → marriage for
social status, political / economic advantage
→ divorce was common
Middle Ages:
• At first marriage was informal
• 12th century → church begins to regulate
marriage
• Feudal system regulated every aspect of medieval
society
• Marriage becomes a witnessed public event
during this period → Banns of Marriage → public
announcement of marriage to determine
whether the marriage was legitimate
Industrial Societies
• More people move to densely populated cities
• More places to court a “sweetie-pie” out of
site of disapproving friends and families
• Social status and wealth no longer determined
by land  children = financial liabilities 
encouraged to choose own mates with limited
parental approval  Free-Choice Mate
Selection
Various Perspectives On Mate
Selection:
Social Exchange:
• Attraction  reality over fantasy
• People assess the resources they have to offer
& look for a mate who will be attracted by
these resources
• Women tend to ‘marry up’  twice as likely to marry a
man with better financial resources
• Men  Physical qualities that indicate child bearing
qualities
• Social Homogamy  people attracted to individuals
from a similar background
Symbolic Interactionism:
• Attraction based on an individuals
unconscious image of our “ideal mate”
formed from his/her perception of certain
characteristics
• “Love at first sight”
• Explains how what we find attractive is
determined by culture
Functionalism:
• Mate selection based on qualities that will
ensure survival  Natural Selection
• Men and women must fulfill specific roles