Introduction
Homology is the common practice for people to marry or get partnered by someone sharing the same characteristics, background and religion, which is an indispensable element of mate selection theories. This essay attempts to examine the impact of homogamy on couple and family relationships. Such a research essay’s main point recommends that homogamy may limit or change the process of choosing a partner as well as the way relationships develop. Two key points will be examined to support this thesis: the function of resemblance in attraction and the consequences of homogamy toward relationship satisfaction and longevity.
Roadmap
To begin, I will be on the issue of homogamy, which involves both the theory and concepts. Then, I will talk about the similarity in values, attitudes, and demographics of the partners, leading the way to the initial attraction between partners. Afterward, researchers will comprehend how homogamy impacts partner satisfaction and stability by constructing a common baseline and pool of resources that partners can share.
Key Idea or Theory #1
Homogamy is borne to several types of attraction, which are classified by the similarity-attraction hypothesis. According to this hypothesis, rather than choosing partners based on physical attractiveness, people tend to pursue love candidates with similar traits, perspectives, and principles. While searching for and choosing a mate, people are inclined to prefer partners with similar features to themselves. Research by Van Bavel (2021) asserts that Homogamy is a product of this trend, which significantly influences the formation of the relationship type.
Homogamy is closely related to the relationship between similarity and the scientific assumption about the effect of similarity on the mate selection process. The reason for this might be that people consider themselves the most linked with and matching those, who bear similar features. In this way, the homogamy habit influences the earlier stages of the development of couples and family’s communication rather than the other way around (Van Bavel, 2021). Homogamy offers valuable insights into why certain partners come together and how it affects the path of their relationship once they get together can be used to contribute to the relationship’s important topic. The assumption whereby marriages uniting people of the same background provide a crosscutting factor of couple and family studies that lead to the research of the origin of the relationships as well as how they are formed is striking.
Key Idea or Theory #2
Moreover, homogamy plays a part in the degree to which people are married and even the level of their relationship satisfaction and longevity. For instance, those who share the same values, who enjoy the same activities, and who have the same socio-economic backgrounds generally feel a high level of understanding and unity in a relationship. Therefore, partnering wisdom and general reflection reaffirm the shared vision which is most important for overall relationship satisfaction.
Homogamy is a huge factor that directs the thesis topic by comparing different ways the impact of similarity is felt in the relationship. Homogenous spouse couples usually get fewer kinds of conflicting matters regarding their values and lifestyles, which makes the relationship beings more stable and durable (Umberson & Thomeer, 2020). Thereby, homogamy involves twofold processes. First, homogamy is significant to mate selection and helps shape the quality and depth of the bond in couple and family relationships. Mastering the effect of homogamy in interpersonal relations might be important in making an accurate prediction of harmony in romantic relationships. Furthermore, future research could be oriented to exploring in greater detail the more complex issues of homogamy, like the difference between shared values versus mutual interests and how these impact each relationship’s satisfaction and longevity, which afterward would add to the knowledge we have about homogamy’s significance in the study of couples and families.
Conclusion
Research have emphasized that homogamy evokes attitude toward the partner’s selection system and has an effect on the couple and family relations’ dynamics. Findings on the role of similarity and its effect on the level of satisfaction in relationships discourage researchers from paying attention to homogamy. Future surveys can undertake an examination of cultural or societal factors having an impact on the desirability of homogamy and, therefore, ensure a deeper exploration of mates’ selection processes in the context of different situations.
References
Umberson, D., & Thomeer, M. B. (2020). Family matters: Research on family ties and health, 2010 to 2020. Journal of Marriage and Family, 82(1), 404–419. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jomf.12640
Van Bavel, J. (2021). Partner choice and partner markets. In Research Handbook on the Sociology of the Family (pp. 219-231). Edward Elgar Publishing. https://www.elgaronline.com/edcollchap-oa/edcoll/9781788975537/9781788975537.00023.xml