Dating, Mating, Relating

To fit a changing society, the conventional ways we date and mate have given way to brand new methods. People nowadays marry later in life, choose not to marry at all, seek partners after divorce, outlive spouses, relocate to new areas and even endure pandemics. This signifies that we are moving toward larger dating pools, something made possible through public personal advertising. This text details personal advertising in print and digital media, as well as online dating services, speed dating, the use of mobile dating apps and other topics. Interviews reveal the appeal and limitations of personal advertising for meeting people. This book offers a window into the development of trust and relationships, as well as the increasing role technology plays in shaping how people meet and mate in the modern world.

Pamela Anne Quiroz is currently, the executive director of the national consortium, the Inter University Program on Latino Research, director of the University of Houston’s Center for Mexican American Studies and CLASS Distinguished Professor of sociology. Her research focuses on identity, family and youth.

Pamela Anne Quiroz

Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 211
Bibliographic Info: appendix, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2022
pISBN: 978-0-7864-7041-9
eISBN: 978-1-4766-4629-9
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments vii
Tables ix
Introduction: Personal Advertising: Dating, Mating, and Relating in Modern Society 1
1. From ­­­Mail-Order and Picture Brides to Dating Apps and Couples Massage: The Evolution of Personal Advertising 11
2. “Can’t Buy Me Love?”: The Intersection of Romance with Science and Commerce 32
3. “Doing Identity” in Personal Advertising 52
4. The Color of Love: Black and Latina Ad Placers 73
5. Building Trust in a Distrusting Society 88
6. Speed Dating: The Adult Version of Musical Chairs 100
7. Serendipity in Personal Advertising: Couples Yoga, Couples Massage and Adult Dating “Classes” 116
8. Dating Apps: Finding Love Just Around the Corner 134
9. Personal Advertising in the Age of ­­­Covid-19 152
Appendix: Methods 161
Sociological Studies of Personal Ads 175
Chapter Notes 177
Bibliography 189
Index 199

Delayed marriage, advances in life span, increased geographic mobility, and the likelihood of divorce have all contributed to an ever-increasing pool of Americans seeking to date at various stages in their lives. A popular mechanism to identify and attract a date (and perhaps a potential mate) has been the use of public personal advertising. Quiroz examines the evolution of this tool—from print ads in the late 1800s to digital media today—focusing especially on the role technology has played since 1996. Through content analysis of personal advertisements and user profiles on online dating services, in-depth interviews with women who advertise, and participant observation at different dating events, the author demonstrates how continuously evolving technology increasingly shapes dating and mating opportunities and outcomes. …offers readers some useful insights about the quest for modern romance…recommended”—Choice