Filter theory (sociology)

Last updated

Filter theory is a sociological theory concerning dating and mate selection. It proposes that social structure limits the number of eligible candidates for a mate. [1] Most often, this takes place due to homogamy, as people seek to date and marry only those similar to them (characteristics that are often taken into account are age, race, social status and religion). [1] Homogamy is the idea of marriage between spouses who share similar characteristics, where heterogamy denotes marriage between spouses of different characteristics. The idea of "opposites attract” is heterogamous, as well as the idea that one spouse has complementing, not similar characteristics to the other. [2] :4

Contents

Helpful terms in defining filter theory are "endogamy", which indicates that both partners come from the same group (ethnicity, religion, culture, age similarity, lifestyle, etc.) and may also carry cultural sanctions against marrying outside of one's own group, [2] :4 and "exogamy", which indicates marrying out of one's own social group. Examples of exogamy include marrying outside of one's own race or religion.

Psychology perspective

  1. Married Couples → Eligible Partner
    • Starting with the base of all people, remove married couples, who are not available to be in a relationship, and Eligible Partners remain; all those who are available to be in a relationship.
  2. Compatibility Filter → Eligible Individuals Attracted to Each Other
    • The Compatibility Filter removes all people who are not attracted to each other, leaving only those who are compatible
  3. Physical Attractiveness Filter → Homogamous Potential Partners
    • Outside appearance and attraction
    • People are more likely to be physically attracted to those who look similar to themselves. Humans have inherited the innate instinct to survive and reproduce and must do both within the confines of the particular environment where they live, from their animal ancestors. [4]
    • Nevertheless, the importance of physical homogamy in marital relationships is decreasing [3]
    • This can be due to interracial marriage
  4. Similar and Complementary Views Filter
    • People are more likely to choose to be with a partner who think very similarly to themselves while straying from people with conflicting ideas and views.
  5. Potential Field of Partners
    • After all filters have been applied, this group of people remains as potential partners.
  6. People Who Live in Proximity → Total Field of Potential Partners [3]
    • Of all the people who are potential partners, for practical reason people choose partners who are close by.
    • With growing communications and technological advances, proximity is not limited to being geographically nearby.
    • The spreading availability of online dating is increasing the ability to communicate without face-to-face interactions and activities. [5]

Sociological perspective

Theory of complementary needs

Considerations

Related Research Articles

Common-law marriage, also known as non-ceremonial marriage, sui iuris marriage, informal marriage, de facto marriage, or marriage by habit and repute, is a marriage recognized in some jurisdictions which is based on the parties' agreement to consider themselves married and their cohabitation, rather than a formal ceremony.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Infidelity</span> Cheating, adultery, or having an affair

Infidelity is a violation of a couple's emotional and/or sexual exclusivity that commonly results in feelings of anger, sexual jealousy, and rivalry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Consanguinity</span> Property of being from the same kinship as another person

Consanguinity is the characteristic of having a kinship with a relative who is descended from a common ancestor.

Interpersonal attraction, as a part of social psychology, is the study of the attraction between people which leads to the development of platonic or romantic relationships. It is distinct from perceptions such as physical attractiveness, and involves views of what is and what is not considered beautiful or attractive.

Assortative mating is a mating pattern and a form of sexual selection in which individuals with similar phenotypes or genotypes mate with one another more frequently than would be expected under a random mating pattern. A majority of the phenotypes that are subject to assortative mating are body size, visual signals, and sexually selected traits such as crest size. The opposite of assortative is disassortative mating.

Miai, or omiai (お見合い) as it is properly known in Japan with the honorific prefix o-, is a Japanese traditional custom which relates closely to Western matchmaking, in which a woman and a man are introduced to each other to consider the possibility of marriage. The term omiai is sometimes mistranslated as an "arranged marriage" but it can be described as a meeting opportunity with more serious considerations for the future as a process of courtship. According to the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research, in 2005 it was estimated that around 6.2% of marriages in Japan are arranged via omiai.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sociology of the family</span> Branch of sociology

Sociology of the family is a subfield of the subject of sociology, in which researchers and academics study family structure as a social institution and unit of socialization from various sociological perspectives. It can be seen as an example of patterned social relations and group dynamics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hypergamy</span> Practice of a person marrying a spouse of higher social status than theirs

Hypergamy is a term used in social science for the act or practice of a person dating or marrying a spouse of higher social status or sexual capital than themselves.

Arranged marriage is a tradition in the societies of the Indian subcontinent, and continues to account for an overwhelming majority of marriages in the Indian subcontinent. Despite the fact that romantic love is "wholly celebrated" in both Indian mass media and folklore, and the arranged marriage tradition lacks any official legal recognition or support, the institution has proved to be "surprisingly robust" in adapting to changed social circumstances and has defied predictions of decline as India modernized.

The type, functions, and characteristics of marriage vary from culture to culture, and can change over time. In general there are two types: civil marriage and religious marriage, and typically marriages employ a combination of both. Marriages between people of differing religions are called interfaith marriages, while marital conversion, a more controversial concept than interfaith marriage, refers to the religious conversion of one partner to the other's religion for sake of satisfying a religious requirement.

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to interpersonal relationships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Courtship, marriage, and divorce in Cambodia</span>

Courtship, marriage, and divorce in Cambodia are important aspects of family life. Customs vary as between rural and urban areas, with many city dwellers being influenced by western ideas. The choice of a spouse is usually undertaken by the families of young men and women, sometimes with the help of a matchmaker. A man usually marries between the ages of nineteen and twenty-five and a woman between sixteen and twenty-two.

In sexual relationships, concepts of age disparity, including what defines an age disparity, have developed over time and vary among societies. Differences in age preferences for mates can stem from partner availability, gender roles, and evolutionary mating strategies, and age preferences in sexual partners may vary cross-culturally. There are also social theories for age differences in relationships as well as suggested reasons for 'alternative' age-hypogamous relationships. Age-disparate relationships have been documented for most of recorded history and have been regarded with a wide range of attitudes dependent on sociocultural norms and legal systems.

Interpersonal compatibility or interpersonal matching is the long-term interaction between two or more individuals in terms of the ease and comfort of communication.

Heterophily, or love of the different, is the tendency of individuals to collect in diverse groups; it is the opposite of homophily. This phenomenon can be seen in relationships between individuals. As a result, it can be analyzed in the workplace to create a more efficient and innovative workplace. It has also become an area of social network analysis.

Arranged marriage is a type of marital union where the bride and groom are primarily selected by individuals other than the couple themselves, particularly by family members such as the parents. In some cultures, a professional matchmaker may be used to find a spouse for a young person.

The Convergencehypothesis suggests that spouses and romantic partners tend to become more alike over time due to their shared environment, repeated interactions, and synchronized routines. For example, partners who often laugh and joke with each other, may experience less stress, which, over the years, may improve their health and social interactions. Yet, as detailed below, this hypothesis was not confirmed by empirical studies.

Homogamy is marriage between individuals who are, in some culturally important way, similar to each other. It is a form of assortative mating. The union may be based on socioeconomic status, class, gender, caste, ethnicity, or religion, or age in the case of the so-called age homogamy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Homogamy (biology)</span> Biological term with multiple meanings

Homogamy is used in biology in four separate senses:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human mating strategies</span> Courtship behavior of humans

In evolutionary psychology and behavioral ecology, human mating strategies are a set of behaviors used by individuals to select, attract, and retain mates. Mating strategies overlap with reproductive strategies, which encompass a broader set of behaviors involving the timing of reproduction and the trade-off between quantity and quality of offspring.

References

  1. 1 2 Pamela C. Regan (2008). The mating game: a primer on love, sex, and marriage . SAGE. pp.  40–41. ISBN   978-1-4129-5705-2 . Retrieved 12 October 2011.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Winch, Robert (1958). Mate-Selection A Study of Complementary Needs . Harper & Brothers.
  3. 1 2 3 Feldman, Robert S. "Gender and Sexuality." Life Span Development: A Topical Approach. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall/Pearson, 2011. 389. Print.
  4. Sanger, Alexander. Beyond Choice :Reproductive Freedom in the 21st Century. New York, NY, USA: Public Affairs, 2005. ProQuest ebrary. Web. 29 November 2015.
  5. Marshal, Peter (29 January 2014). "Way of Online Dating".
  6. Yalom, Marilyn, and Carstensen, Laura L., eds. Inside the American Couple : New Thinking, New Challenges. Berkeley, CA, USA: University of California Press, 2002. ProQuest ebrary. Web. 29 November 2015.
  7. 1 2 Degenne, Alain, and Forse, Michel. Introducing Social Networks. London, GBR: SAGE Publications Inc. (US), 1999. ProQuest ebrary. Web. 2 December 2015.
  8. Hollingshead, A. B. (1950). "Cultural Factors in the Selection of Marriage Mates". American Sociological Review. 15 (5): 622. doi:10.2307/2086915. JSTOR   2086915.
  9. Freud, Sigmund (1923). "Group Psychology and the Analysis of the Ego". Nature. 111 (2784): 30–59. Bibcode:1923Natur.111T.321.. doi:10.1038/111321d0.
  10. Hammond, Ron; Cheney, Paul; Pearsey, Raewyn. "Sociology of the Family". Free Sociology Books. RockyRidge Press. Retrieved 4 May 2016.