Download Chapter 6 Section 2: Teenagers and Dating

Chapter 6 Section 2: Teenagers and Dating
Obj: Summarize how ______________ developed as a form of ____________
interaction; Describe the ___________________ that dating fulfills.
Dating is a social _________________ that is familiar to the vast majority of Americans
– particularly teenagers. However, like adolescence, dating is not a universal
phenomenon. _______________, or the meeting of people as a romantic
engagement, is most commonly found in societies that allow individuals to choose
their own marriage partners. In some societies ______________ are arranged by
parents or a go-between who negotiates a formal marriage contract between
families. In some cases, the future spouses do not even see each other until their
wedding day.
Because dating is so widespread in ______________ today, it might seem as though it
has been around forever. Actually, dating is a relatively ___________ phenomenon.
It did not emerge as a form of social interaction between the sexes until just after
World War I. Moreover, only in the past 60 years have sociologists taken an interest
in dating as a _____________ of study.
Courtship and Dating
Prior to the rise of dating in the US, _________________ between young unmarried
men and women was restricted to courtship. ______________ differs from dating in
that courtship’s express purpose is eventual marriage. Dating, on the other hand,
may eventually lead to marriage. It’s main purpose is _________________ and
amusement, at least in the casual stages.
Dating is the means through which most individuals eventually do select their marriage
___________ in modern American society. Therefore, it might be helpful to view the
process as a continuum. The _________________ begins with casual dating,
progresses to steady dating, and then moves on to engagement and, eventually, to
marriage. As individuals move along the continuum, the degree of commitment given
to the relationship increases. In the modern relationship system the interaction may
stop at any point along the continuum. Some stages may be ________________.
Therefore, this relationship system is a very flexible one.
The courtship system that existed prior to dating was not this ___________. To
understand courtship in modern terms, you might think of it as a point somewhere
between ______________ dating and engagement on the continuum. Courtship was
not casual, and roles were very strictly defined. To court a woman, a young man was
expected first to meet her parents and ask their permission. It was also expected that
the man’s _______________ would be honorable and, above all, marriage-minded.
Courtship was usually conducted in the __________ of the woman’s home under close
supervision or in a social situation among a group of people. Rarely was a couple left
alone. If the relationship continued for any length of time, marriage was the
______________ outcome. Young people did have fun together during courtship,
but its main purpose was to find a ______________. It was from this strictly
structured base that the modern-day system of dating emerged.
The Emergence of Dating
The rise of ________________________ contributed greatly to the development of
dating in the US. Prior to the Industrial Revolution, the economy of the US was
based primarily on __________________________. The timing of marriage was
determined by the age at which a man acquired the _________________ necessary
to support a family.
This requirement generally meant that marriage was delayed until a young man’s
_______________ was willing to transfer a portion of the family land to the son.
Because family property was involved, _______________ exercised considerable
_______________ over the marriage choices of their children.
During the Industrial Revolution many people moved away from _________ and into
the _____________. As a result, young adults became less dependent on their
parents for economic security. They could seek employment away from the family
farm and establish their own households independent of their parents’ assistance.
This economic _____________ reduced parental control over courtship and set the
stage for the development of dating.
Free public _____________________ education also helped to pave the way for
dating. By the beginning of the 1900s, the majority of secondary-school students
were enrolled in public schools. Unlike many private schools, ______________
schools were _____________________, which meant that young men and women
spent a good portion of their day with one another.
The trend toward dating accelerated in the years after World War I. During this time
more and more Americans acquired _______________________ and
____________________________. These two technological developments gave
young people added freedom of movement. The 1920s also was a period of
increased social and political _________________ for women. More women entered
the workforce and took active roles in the community. As a result, the interaction
between single adult men and single women increased. Under these changed social
conditions, dating was a much more practical form of interaction than was the formal
courtship system of earlier times.
Willard ________________ conducted one of the earliest sociological analyses of
American dating patterns. During the late 1920s and early 1930s, Waller studied the
dating habits of students at Pennsylvania State University. Based on his findings, he
concluded that casual dating was a form of entertainment that had little to do with
_____________ selection. Status attainment and excitement were at the center of
the dating process. Partners were selected on the basis of status
________________________, such as good looks, nice clothes, and popularity.
Thus, dating contrasted sharply with the courtship process, in which the traits of
dependability and honesty were most valuable.
Waller also found that dating on the Pennsylvania State campus was almost entirely
limited to members of _________________ and __________________. Women
ranked potential dates according to status characteristics such as fraternity
membership, looks, money, clothes, cars, and dancing ability. The object was to be
seen with the “_________” people. To be seen with a person of lower status could
damage an individual’s social standing on campus.
Later research challenged Waller’s picture of the “rating and dating” game.
_____________ attainment and __________________ are certainly major factors
that attract people to casual dating. However, character and personality factors are
also important. Many similarities exist between the qualities that an individual looks
for in a casual date and what he or she looks for in a marriage partner. For example,
status attainment is important both in casual dating and in spouse selection. In fact,
status attainment is a function of __________________ – the tendency of individuals
to marry people who have social characteristics similar to their own.
Why Date?
Dating serves several important _____________________ in adolescence.
• First, dating is a form of entertainment. It allows young people to get together to
simply have fun.
• Second, dating is a mechanism for ____________________. It teaches individuals
about members of the opposite sex and how to behave in social situations.
• Third, dating fulfills certain basic psychological needs such as conversation,
companionship, and understanding.
• Fourth, dating helps individuals attain status. In societies where individuals choose
their own marriage partners, people are ____________ in part by whom they date.
• Finally, in the later stages of dating, spouse selection becomes an important issue.
Dating Patterns
Dating ________________, like dating relationships, can be viewed as a continuum.
On one end are traditional dating patterns. These are the ones most closely
associated with dating behavior prior to the 1960s. On the other end of the
continuum are the ________________ patterns that are characteristic of dating
__________________.
• Traditional Dating Patterns – Traditional dating patterns can still be found in
________________ towns and _______________ areas of the US. However, they
are most characteristic of dating during the 40’s and 50’s. Under the traditional
dating system, ___________________ for arranging a date fell to the man. He was
expected to contact his intended dating partner, suggest a time and place for the
date, select the activity, and pay for any expenses that arose.
• Contemporary Dating Patterns – Since the 1960s, dating has not followed such
_______________ patterns. Today there is greater opportunity for young men and
women to interact with each other informally. There are no set _____________ of
dating. In addition, there is now greater _________________ in dating. Both men
and women now actively initiate dates. Similarly, it is acceptable for either partner to
pay for the date or for each person to pay his or her own way.