The Sociology of Love Rooted in Distance/Similarity Age –Vast majority of us marry someone who is within 3 years of us Spatial –50/50 chance that you will marry someone who lives within walking distance of your home Cultural –Most of us marry within our faith Class –60% of all marriages are between people of the same social class –95% are between people no more than one class apart Race

Interracial Dating One half of all Americans have dated across races by 2005 The percentage of all U.S. married couples that are interracial nearly doubled from 2.9 percent in 1990 to 5.4 percent in 2000 In 1986, 70% of Americans approved In 2005, 83% of Americans approved –95% of Americans years of age –45% of Americans 65 or older

Who dates across racial lines? 45% of white Americans 52 percent of African Americans 69 percent of Hispanic Americans 57 percent of Asian Americans Men and those who attend racially or ethnically integrated schools are significantly more likely to interdate

Who do whites date across racial lines? 29% said they have dated an Hispanic 24% said they have dated an African American 18% said they have dated an Asian