For many people, choosing a marital partner is a deliberate decision. Individuals often consider several factors before deciding who to marry. Sociologists study these choices and use specific terms to describe the different patterns people follow when selecting a spouse.
Marrying Up and Marrying Down
Some people seek to “marry up,” meaning they look for a marital partner who is wealthier or has a higher social or economic status than themselves. Sociologists refer to this pattern as hypergamy.
Others do not place much importance on wealth or status and may end up marrying someone with a lower economic position. This is known as hypogamy, or “marrying down.”
For example, when Kofi Mensah, a medical doctor, marries Yaa Benewaa, a market woman with limited income, Yaa Benewaa experiences hypergamy, while Kofi Mensah experiences hypogamy.
Marrying Someone Similar: Homogamy
Many people prefer to marry someone who is similar to them. They may choose a partner with similar characteristics such as age, level of education, ethnicity, religion, political beliefs, occupation, or hobbies.
When marital partners share many social characteristics, sociologists describe the marriage as homogamous. Such marriages are often seen as stable because the partners share common experiences, values, and expectations.
Marrying Someone Different: Heterogamy
In contrast, some people choose marital partners who are very different from themselves. These differences may involve age, education, height, occupation, ethnicity, or political beliefs.
For example, Akosua, a 23-year-old college graduate, 6 feet 2 inches tall, a political conservative, a medical doctor of Akan ethnicity, marries Kojo, a 55-year-old high school graduate, 5 feet 2 inches tall, a political liberal, an unskilled carpenter of Dagomba ethnicity. This type of marriage, where partners differ significantly in social characteristics, is called heterogamy.
Large Age Differences: Gerontogamy
Sociologists use the term gerontogamy to describe marriages in which one partner is significantly older than the other. An example is when a 69-year-old man marries a 29-year-old woman. Such marriages often raise questions about power, expectations, and social acceptance.
Marrying Those Close to Us: Propinquity
Another important concept in partner selection is propinquity. This refers to the tendency for people to marry those who live, work, or spend a lot of time near them physically.
For example, Kwasi Bing married Akosua Damba. Before their marriage, they attended the same elementary and high schools and later worked at the same pharmacy. Both were born and raised in the same medium-sized town, Dansua. Their marriage reflects the principle of propinquity.
Conclusion
The choice of a marital partner is influenced by many factors, including wealth, similarity, difference, age, and physical closeness. Sociologists use terms such as hypergamy, hypogamy, homogamy, heterogamy, gerontogamy, and propinquity to help explain these patterns.
Understanding these concepts helps us see that marriage choices are not random. They are shaped by social forces, personal preferences, and the environments in which people live and interact.
