Abstract
Parents and offspring do not share the same preferences with respect to mate choice. For instance, parents would like their offspring to marry individuals who have a good family background without ascribing much importance on their looks. On the other hand, the offspring value good looks more than their parents and pay less attention to their prospective spouses' family background. Consequently, as the ideal in-law is not necessarily the ideal spouse and the ideal spouse is not necessarily the ideal in-law, parents and offspring are in conflict over mating decisions. This chapter aims at exploring this conflict by reviewing the current theoretical and empirical developments, discussing their implications on the institution of marriage and providing directions for future research.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Title of host publication | Marriage |
Subtitle of host publication | Roles, Stability and Conflict |
Publisher | Nova Science Publishers, Inc. |
Pages | 77-94 |
Number of pages | 18 |
ISBN (Print) | 9781616684075 |
Publication status | Published - 2010 |