i'm back, and still playing catch-up from our trip to europe. we visited london and barcelona, during which time we ate well, drank well, walked a ton and often froze our asses off. it was a very.good.time.
in between furiously ensuring i haven't let any balls drop at work (figurative, not literal balls) i have had the pleasure of reading an article entitled, "A Half Century of Mate Preferences: The Cultural Evolution of Values." and i liked it.
if you haven't yet noticed, i have an overarching, addictive interest: the human condition.
inside of that, i am specifically drawn to romantic relationships and any factoids to help me understand why folks are (or are not) attracted to other folks.
this article clued me in a bit. let's chat.
it's a long piece, written to describe the results of a cross-generational study done in two parts, one in the 1980's and one in 1996. in includes data spanning over 50 years, in an attempt to summarize value changes throughout the 20th century.
as it's so long, i'm going to summarize it for ya. if you think you're game for tackling the article itself, i suggest reading the intro, and then dipping down into the discussion portion at the end of each study.
before we get started, let it be known: i want to hear from you! why do you think these changes have come about, in your opinion? do you think the findings of this study are true and visible in your own modern life?
alright, baby. it's time.
here's the intro, in summary:
the 20th century has witnessed changes more radical and irretrievable than any previou scentury in the history of the human species. cars became commonplace in the first half, computers in the second. internet dating, virtual sex, and the specter of AIDS altered the landscape of human mating (banging). women have entered the work force at unprecedented levels. heightened awareness of sexual harassment, date rape, wife battering, and other forms of sexism have forced people to reevaluate assumptions about men and women. in the context of these cultural changes, a core question: have human values changes and, if so, in what ways? have we witnessed the cultural evolution of values?
values in human mating offer one arena within which these questions can be posed. mate preferences most likely have been influenced by cultural changes. one clear example pertains to widespread use of birth control, specifically oral contraceptives.
birth control reduces the unwanted or untimely onset of pregnancy. on this basis alone, we might predict that the importance of chastity in a potential partnership might diminish, relative to the importance of other traits. on the other hand, the widespread fear of stds should have the opposite effect of increasing the relative value people place on a chaste potential partner.
a second change pertains to the influx of women in the workforce, resulting in greater personal access to economic resources. it has been well documented that women more than men value economic resourced in a long-term romantic partner, an apparent fact universal across cultures. according to the "structural powerlessness" hypothesis, the importance owmen place on a man's economic resources should diminish as women gain greater personal access to such resources. the value women place on a potential mate's financial prospects, on this hypothesis, occurs because marriage has traditionally been the primary means by which women can secure access to resources. as women's personal access to resources increases as a result of their own labors, according to this hypothesis, the relative importance they attach to a mate's resources should diminish commensurably. recent research conducted at a single time period with a single sample in the US failed to support the structural powerlessness hypothesis, but a cross-cultural study conducted the same way found some support.
a third change (which amy finds very interesting) pertains to the bombardment of images featuring physically attractive models and actors. in the 20th century in the US, consumers moved from a reliance on radio to a pervasive use of tv, movies, and, more recently, internet images. intense exposure to images of attractive models produces decrements in men's commitment to their regular partner. what the fuck? from an evolutionary psychological perspective, such images may "trick" our evolved mating mechanisms, deluding us into believing that we are surrounded by hundreds of attractive partners, as well as hundreds of potential intrasexual competitors. might this bombardment of visual images elevate the value we place on physical attractiveness, relative to other traits?
the cross-cultural study (spanning more than 50 years) was designed to answer the following questions:
(a) what values in a mate, if any, have changed over this 57 year period?
(b) which values have remained constant despite changes in society?
(c) have the sex differences diminished over time as women gained greater personal access to economic resources?
(d) are there regional cultural differences within the same generation that might reflect differing degrees of cultural shifts?
study 1
participents from 1980's
results: three conclusions can be drawn. first, regions within the united states appear to differ in the values they place on a marriage partner, perhaps reflecting differences in the impact of various cultural changes in this century. a texas sample, in particular, appears to differ from the other samples in placing a greater value on chastity, good financial prospects, social status, and a similar religious background. second, several consistent sex differences were found that transcended sample. men in all samples placed more importance on good looks, whereas women in all samples placed more importance on good financial prospects, ambition, and industriousness. third, there was a tremendous similarity across all regions and sex in the overall ordering of the values. both sexes in all four samples, for example, rated mutual attraction and love as the most important value in selecting a marriage partner.
study 2
participents from 1996
results: for both men and women, there appeared to be an overall increase in the valuation of mutual attraction and love (especially from 1939), education and intelligence, sociability, and good looks. in contrast, there appeared to be a general decrease in the valuation of refinement, neatness, and chastity for both men and women. in addition to the changes that occurred in both sexes, several generational shifts appeared to be unique to sex. for men, there was an overall increase in valuation of similar educational background and good financial prospects as well as an overall decrease in valuation of good cook and housekeeper. for women, there was an overall decrease in valuation of ambition and industriousness.
summary
despite the apparent generational shifts, characteristics appeared to attain high levels of continuity in valuation across the assessment periods. dependable character, emotional stability and maturity, and pleasing disposition retained high levels of valuation for both sexes. similar political background reatined low levels for both sexes.
in addition to the continuities, six major sex differences recurred in each assessment period. men placed a higher premium that did women on good health, good cook/housekeeper, and good looks. in contrast, women placed a higher premium than did men on ambition and industriousness, similar educational background, and good financial prospects.
-- the end of the article summary --
so, what are your thoughts?
i won't lie. while i recognize (and have chosen accordingly) the importance of handsome physical features in my mate, i also would be less attracted to a man who earned less money than i did, or who i felt was lazy. i find someone who is hard working more attractive than someone with perfect looks and a lazy disposition.
my brother puts more emphasis on good looks in his future mate, with little to no interest in how much money they make. relating to the "housekeeper" quality noted above, he has specifically mentioned that he is significantly less attracted to women whose apartments are messy. while i have discouraged this seeming "picky" position of his, i don't believe he's much different from many other men.
i'm not saying that it's "right" - it just is.
what are your thoughts?
travelin' (wo)man
"i'm leavin', on a jet plane. don't know when i'll be back again..."
...that's a lie. i'll be back on march 11th. but you get the point. i'm going on a trip!
the boyfriend and i, plus a favorite married couple, are headed out this evening for london. after london, it's on to barcelona. and then home.
it's something i've been looking forward to for a while, and i can't believe it's here.
..i also can't believe how stressed out it makes me!
my boyfriend and i both have professional alter-egos. there's business boyfriend. and then there's business amy. beware the alter egos.
business amy differs greatly from average aQ. business amy is direct. business amy is fast. business amy has very little patience, doesn't appreciate anyone contributing to delays in any shape or form, and is less likely to be flexible.
business amy likes to get.shit.done.
you can tell if business amy has still taken me over if you talk to me on the phone. the boyfriend calls me every evening from whichever city he happens to be in, and can quickly discern who he's talking to. is she calm and sleepy? hello, average aQ. somewhat snappy and to the point? alter ego is still in charge.
while business amy is helpful, even necessary in certain situations, she certainly gets in the way sometimes. she seems to come out in moments or days of higher-than-average stress.
preparing for travel is one of those stressors.
hello, readers. this is business amy typing. bwah-ha-ha-ha.
my poor boyfriend. my poor family. my poor friends. those who have encountered my alter ego probably leave my presence with shivers. business amy can be cold.
the only really great cure i've found? red wine.
which is exactly what i plan to dose myself with as soon as i hit the plane this evening. it'll be cheap. but it'll be red. and it'll kick the ass of any remnant of business amy left in my system. i'm really looking forward to it.
and speaking of looking forward to things...i am SO looking forward to my trip. once my feet are on the ground outside of heathrow, it's game on. beer:30. time for fish 'n chips, tapas bars, playing tourist and playing with accents. even languages!
i will be acting as the group interpreter while we are in barcelona. and man, are my comrades in for it.
it's been a while since i have really been in need of my deeply buried spanish skills. they're dusty. they're rusty. and my grammar is terrible.
i'm praying that i don't accidentally respond with profanities and a smile. that i don't order goat when i was hoping for fish. that i don't call someone a prostitute when i intended to call them a professional. i especially hope i don't lead anyone to believe i'm pregnant when i had hoped to admit that i was embarrassed - no doubt i'll do something to humiliate myself. vocabulary is key, and mine in spanish leaves a lot to be desired.
i have no doubt i will return home with many a silly story. embarrassing photos. and a hangover.
but until my feet hit the chilly ground of london, i have to get there. and i have a plan. here's my itinerary:
1. leave office.
2. get home and pack up the rest of my shit.
3. briefly freak out that i've forgotten something (underwear isn't necessary..i'm sure going commando is more than accepted in europe. deodorant and bras, for me, are non-negotiables.)
4. get dropped off at the airport and freak out that i forgot my passport (jeff will have it)
5. get my ass on the plane.
6. get a glass of wine in my hand
7. promptly pass out with the help of tylenol pm
8. feet on the ground in london (hours, and hours, and hours later)
wish me luck. i'll miss you until then. hasta luego...i'll be back!
...that's a lie. i'll be back on march 11th. but you get the point. i'm going on a trip!
the boyfriend and i, plus a favorite married couple, are headed out this evening for london. after london, it's on to barcelona. and then home.
it's something i've been looking forward to for a while, and i can't believe it's here.
..i also can't believe how stressed out it makes me!
my boyfriend and i both have professional alter-egos. there's business boyfriend. and then there's business amy. beware the alter egos.
business amy differs greatly from average aQ. business amy is direct. business amy is fast. business amy has very little patience, doesn't appreciate anyone contributing to delays in any shape or form, and is less likely to be flexible.
business amy likes to get.shit.done.
you can tell if business amy has still taken me over if you talk to me on the phone. the boyfriend calls me every evening from whichever city he happens to be in, and can quickly discern who he's talking to. is she calm and sleepy? hello, average aQ. somewhat snappy and to the point? alter ego is still in charge.
while business amy is helpful, even necessary in certain situations, she certainly gets in the way sometimes. she seems to come out in moments or days of higher-than-average stress.
preparing for travel is one of those stressors.
hello, readers. this is business amy typing. bwah-ha-ha-ha.
my poor boyfriend. my poor family. my poor friends. those who have encountered my alter ego probably leave my presence with shivers. business amy can be cold.
the only really great cure i've found? red wine.
which is exactly what i plan to dose myself with as soon as i hit the plane this evening. it'll be cheap. but it'll be red. and it'll kick the ass of any remnant of business amy left in my system. i'm really looking forward to it.
and speaking of looking forward to things...i am SO looking forward to my trip. once my feet are on the ground outside of heathrow, it's game on. beer:30. time for fish 'n chips, tapas bars, playing tourist and playing with accents. even languages!
i will be acting as the group interpreter while we are in barcelona. and man, are my comrades in for it.
it's been a while since i have really been in need of my deeply buried spanish skills. they're dusty. they're rusty. and my grammar is terrible.
i'm praying that i don't accidentally respond with profanities and a smile. that i don't order goat when i was hoping for fish. that i don't call someone a prostitute when i intended to call them a professional. i especially hope i don't lead anyone to believe i'm pregnant when i had hoped to admit that i was embarrassed - no doubt i'll do something to humiliate myself. vocabulary is key, and mine in spanish leaves a lot to be desired.
i have no doubt i will return home with many a silly story. embarrassing photos. and a hangover.
but until my feet hit the chilly ground of london, i have to get there. and i have a plan. here's my itinerary:
1. leave office.
2. get home and pack up the rest of my shit.
3. briefly freak out that i've forgotten something (underwear isn't necessary..i'm sure going commando is more than accepted in europe. deodorant and bras, for me, are non-negotiables.)
4. get dropped off at the airport and freak out that i forgot my passport (jeff will have it)
5. get my ass on the plane.
6. get a glass of wine in my hand
7. promptly pass out with the help of tylenol pm
8. feet on the ground in london (hours, and hours, and hours later)
wish me luck. i'll miss you until then. hasta luego...i'll be back!
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