1. Teenagers and Dating

2. Dating Dating, like adolescence, is not a cultural universal o Only found in societies that allow one to choose their own partners versus having them pre-selected for them Dating is not as old as time in the United States either o Really only emerged following World War I and has only emerged as a study of sociologist in the last 60 years Prior to the rise of dating in the United States, relationships and interaction between men/women was restricted to Courtship o Courtship differs from dating because the expressed purpose to courtship was to marry

3. Courtship vs. Dating Dating in the United States works to EVENTUALLY help you select a mate, but is mostly the first part of a continuum 1.Casual Dating/Talking 2.Steady Dating 3.Engagement 4.Marriage Courtship however was not this flexible a concept o It generally would start somewhere between steady dating and engagement o To court a lady, the man was to 1.Meet the parents 2.Ask permission 3.Be honorable 4.Be marriage minded 19 & Counting - Courtship

4. Emergence of Dating Industrialization led to dating o Prior to this, marriage was tied to the time a man was able to acquire land because of agriculture being the dominant means of the economy o The Industrial Revolution moved kids from farms to cities and out from the protective arms of the family Free Public Education led to dating o By the 1900s, the majority of young people were attending secondary school for the first time in history o These schools were also coeducational (unlike private schools) Cars/Phones led to dating o After World War I, more and more people gained access to cars and telephones o This led to increased freedom of movement

5. Waller’s Study of Dating Willard Waller conducted a study of the dating patterns of students at Pennsylvania State University in the late 1920s, early 1930s Findings: 1.Dating was entertainment, not mate selection 2.Status attainment and excitement were the center of the dating process 3.Partners were selected by status: looks, clothes, popularity 4.Mostly limited to sororities/fraternities Tied to social status, equal statuses dated (best frats with best sororities) Membership, looks, money, clothes, cars, and dancing 5.Be seen with the “right” people, the “wrong” people might lower your social standing South Park - Mad Friends Homogamy – tendency of individuals to marry people who have social characteristics similar to their own

6. Why Date? 1.Form of entertainment o Allows young people to get together and have fun 2.It is a mechanism for socialization o Teaches people about the members of the opposite sex and how to behave in social situations 3.Fulfills Basic Psychological Needs o Conversation, companionship, understanding 4.Helps individuals attain status o Dating someone valued by society improves your status 5.Spouse Selection

7. Traditional Dating Patterns Responsibility of arranging the date falls to the man o Thus picking date, time, location….as well as paying Timetable for dating o If Saturday was date night, arrangements made after Wednesday were rejected o Accepting a late date meant you weren’t the first choice Those who did not have dates on traditional nights did not go out o They would hide because they were not achieving an accepted status of being on dates Early dates focused on activities like sporting event or movie o If date was awkward, attention could be turned elsewhere Giving a class ring or letterman jacket o Meant things were serious

8. Contemporary Dating Patterns Men and women initiate dates o Acceptable for either partner to pay or just pay for own Relationships are born out of groups/friendships o Due to increased socialization of males and females in society Online dating The idea of “talking” No marriage pressure

9. Key Vocabulary Dating Courtship Homogamy Waller’s Study Traditional Dating Patterns Contemporary Dating Patterns