Marriage and Family

Many Americans claim to believe that “love is blind” and that romance can spring up anywhere, as long as two people have chemistry. however, argues that Cupid’s arrow is largely aimed by society. What social factors play into the mate selection process? Explain. Then, do some research on how other societies view and practice love and marriage, particularly within bi-cultural families, such as those who immigrated to the US in recent generations and are attempting to juggle a fine balance between customs in the US, and those of their native countries. Be sure to relate how some of these phenomena relate to the concepts presented in the text for this chapter, and remember to include citations to your sources within your paper, and at the end via a Works Cited or Bibliography.

Lastly, examine your own relationships (past, present, anticipated future, etc.) and discuss how these social factors influenced your own mate selection. Do you see any patterns in the people you tend to date and/or the circumstances? Describe these phenomena from your life in sociological terms from the text.