When people think of supply and demand they typically think of material objects. Yet, supply and demand affects much more. In some countries this effects marriages and unfortunately this has been an ongoing affect for many years. In countries like India, parents typically pay for prospective spouses and they look for men with good jobs for their daughters. In the United States, women have been found to marry men that are several years older than themselves. Typically, because they find stability with men that are older. Knowing that teaches us that the demand for older men begins to rise. The excess amount of men cause a courtship to shift for men.
Another theory is that cultural norms promote celibacy before marriage. In many cases, there are contraception to take for women but the problem is that women want greater commitment. While the men look for a more sexual relationship. This is a prime example of why their can be an excess demand for men. In China, the demand has sharply shifted towards the women. Chinese parents have become more critical when looking for prospective mates. They look at signals that determine how wealthy these prospects are. They determine this by looking at how big their family homes are and what they have to offer. The demand for men is crucial and the supply they have to offer is the winning affect.
This article was very interesting and I truly enjoyed reading it. It is amazing to learn how different other cultures are. Especially when it is looked in terms of supply and demand. I would have never thought that a marriage could be looked at in this way. In today’s world, it is not ideal to look at a relationship in this way, but it is important to find someone who is capable of doing great in the world. I personally agree that women look for older men for long term relationships because of the security. Overall, this article as a great at showing how relationships are equal in terms of supply and demand.
References
- Global Migration and the Global Economic Order – Brookings Institution
- The Impact of Cultural Norms on Sexual Behaviour: Evidence from a Natural Experiment – National Center for Biotechnology Information
- Gender Differences in Mate Selection: Evidence From a Speed Dating Experiment – National Center for Biotechnology Information
- The Economics of Gendered Parental Leave Benefits – National Center for Biotechnology Information