Brianne Wagner: Homogamy

I conducted and interview in which I asked the respondent if her past relationships and experiences have fit the pattern of homogamy that we see in society. She answered that her experiences have fit the pattern for the most part. The only aspect that did not tend to fit the pattern was that of race. She reported that she had dated men of various races and did not seem to stick to any one in particular. In terms of social class, her pattern of relationships fit the societal pattern. Her boyfriends have always been of similar social class and usually of the same educational background as well. Although they have not all been exactly the same as herself, they have been very similar in all aspects.

When I asked her why she thought these pattern persist in her life as well society, she replied that it is the type of people we are normally around in our lives. We are raised in certain spheres and we tend to look to our parents and family as models for our own lives. This leads us in certain directions in our lives and relationships. She believes we search for partners that fulfill the needs that we already know to be needed from what we see in our family members. We base our own relationships on the models we see. The lack of clashing backgrounds leaves less room for error or fights in a relationship. Common ground leads to a more sound relationship.