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ABSTRACT
Marriage
is universal, and pair bonding is found in other species too with
highly dependent young. So marriage functions as a reproductive
social arrangement that traditionally involved the extended family.
The sexes are not identical in their biological contributions
to children’s survival, so they seek somewhat different attributes
in a mate. Men seek a young, attractive, sexually faithful bride.
Women seek a man who is older, taller, and (as in many other species)
socially dominant. Both sexes prefer a kind, healthy, attractive,
similar mate who is emotionally attached to them. A spouse who
fails to maintain sufficiently high mate value is vulnerable to
divorce. Infertility and sexual dissatisfaction predict divorce,
as does death of a child, but the more children, the stabler the
marriage. Cross-cultural data suggest that cruel or subdominant
men (e.g., poor providers) and unfaithful women are prone to divorce.
Marriages in which the wife dominates the husband in economic
contributions, nonverbal behavior, and decision making tend to
be less satisfying. In societies in which wives are economically
independent of husbands, divorce rates are high. As women’s economic
power has risen with industrialization, divorce rates have climbed.
Economic and fitness considerations also help explain cultural
differences in polygyny, age at marriage, arranged marriage, concern
with the bride’s sexual chastity, and marriage ceremonies. Other
factors also affect marital dynamics, such as state subsidies
to families, the sex ratio, and influence of the couple’s parents.
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