Online Dating

A Brief History of Courtship

"Courtship takes many forms, depending mainly on the point

in history and the culture in which it exists" (Cate, 1992)

Many popular love songs claim that being in love is similar to being under a magical spell. Some state that "all you need is love," and still others affirm that "love lifts us up where we belong." People dream about finding their one and only soul mate, and in this day and age, the pursuit for love and happiness is closer to home than ever before......in fact, it's only a mouse-click away.

Of course, dating hasn't always been so convenient. In the early 19th Century, marriages were arranged with little emphasis on romance or love. Marriage itself was considered to be an economic union, and without a good family name and large plot of land, it was difficult for anyone to find a suitor. Colonel Fitzwilliam says it best in the 1813 novel Pride and Prejudice, stating, "there are not many in my rank of life who can afford to marry without a great deal of attention to money" (Austen, 1995).

In the late 1800s, romantic love moved into the spotlight, and courtship became the norm; although, this custom was not without its rules and regulations. A great deal of etiquette was employed when arranging the details of a date, and oftentimes, this event was set to take place inside the female's home. "Parlor dates" were very popular, and by opening up one's home, the woman was able to display her homemaking skills -- an area of expertise that was highly valued by the male community.

During the early 20th Century, courtship began to take place outside of the home, and although the strict formalities of the dating game were generally loosened, many new conventions were impose...

... middle of paper ...

....N. (2001). Self-disclosure in computer-mediated communication: The role of self-awareness and visual anonymity. European Journal of Social Psychology, 11, 191-204.

Scharlott, B.W. and Christ, W.G. (1995). Overcoming relationship-initiation barriers: The impact of a computer-dating system on sex role, shyness, and appearance inhibitions. Computer in Human Behavior, 11, 191-204.

Sproull, L. and Kiesler, S. (1986). Reducing social context cues: Electronic mail in organizational communication. Management Science, 32, 1492-1512.

Stanley, T. (2006). Online Dating Sites get Stood up by Consumers. Advertising Age, 77, 10.

Turkle, S. (1995). Life on the Screen: Identity in the age of the Internet. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson.

Whitty, M. and Carr, A. (2006). Cyberspace Romance: The Psychology of Online Relationships. New York, New York: Palgrave MacMillan.