Marriage
Why do people get married? Couples get married for a variety of reasons. Some do so because they are "in love," desire companionship and sex. want to have children. feel social pressure. are attempting to escape from a bad situation in their parents' home. or believe that they will have more money or other resources if they get married. These factors notwithstanding. the selection of a marital partner is actually fairly predictable. As previously discussed. most people in the United States tend to choose marriage partners who are similar to themselves. As previously discussed. homo gamy refers to the pattern of individuals marrying those who have similar characteristics. such as race ethnicity. religious background. age. education. or social class. However. homogamy provides only the general framework within which people select their partners; people are also influenced by other factors. For example. some researchers claim that people want partners whose personalities match their own in Significant ways. Thus. people who are outgoing and friendly may be attracted to other people with those same traits. However. other researchers claim that people look for partners whose personality traits differ (rom but complement their own. Regardless of the individual traits of marriage partners. research indicates that communication and emotional support are crucial to the success of marriages. Common marital problems include a lack of emotional intimacy, poor councilwomen. and lack of companionship. One study concluded that for many middle- and upper-income couples. women's paid work is critical to the success of their marriages. People. who have a strong commitment to their work
have two distinct sources of pleasure-work and family. For members of the working class. however. work may not be a source or pleasure. For all women and men. balancing work and family life is a challenge.
