Dating: This, That, and the Other*

When first given the task of picking a topic to research I found myself in a pickle because I couldn't think of anything. I wanted to pick a topic that everyone could relate to as well as one that had substance. After racking my brain I decided to choose dating as my topic because it's a universal topic that everyone can relate to, but it's practiced differently all around the world, which I find interesting.

*term used on Seinfield

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Definition of Dating

I know what your thinking dah thats easy, but this one particular website The Definition of Dating in 2004 that I came across couldn't have put it better. "The definition of dating may seem like a simple one. Yet if you look to those around you for a description, I’m sure you’ll find a lot of variety in their answers. The truth of the matter is, everyone has a different opinion of how dating should be. What should a first date consist of? What constitutes a relationship? The answers to these questions will differ greatly when you factor in age, gender or religion."


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The History of Dating

To many of us it seems as though dating has always been around since the beginning of time since the concept of dating is so frequently used. According to this website About Dating "dating is an invention of the 20th century. Before dating, the society knew only about courtship. After 1920 dating meant, as it means today, an informal male-female interaction with no specific commitment. No rules imposed by the community, but by the peer- group. Along with the emancipation of women, dating started to become an aspect of the culture, but also a fact connected to the need for money, because going out meant spending money. The most popular dating activities were dancing and movies. In the early 1950s, dating started to begin earlier, in the junior high school and going steady became popular, bringing new rituals, the exchange of telephone calls and dates each week, together with a greater sexual intimacy. Today dating is frequently followed by cohabitation and almost half of the young people live together at some point before the age of 30."


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Courting

Before dating there was courting. The purpose of courting was to find the ideal mate according to Dating, Mating and Relating: Dating and Courtship in Modern Society. Wikipedia defines courting as "the wooing of a female by a male, includes activities such as dating along with other forms of activity, such as meeting online, chatting on-line, sending text messages or picture messages, conversing over the phone, writing each other letters, and sending each other flowers, songs, and gifts."






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Dating vs Courting

Some might argue that dating and courting are the same, but others might argue that there not. About Dating stated that "slowly, dating and courtship for marriage split in the public conscience. Dating became focused on success and increasing one's popularity and courtship meant finding a mate. But men started to spend more money and they begin to claim something in return: premarital intercourse." Dating today seems to be a more modernized form of courting.














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Perspective Assignment

For this assignment I decided to select an image that was related to first date ideas. Golfing/Miniature Golfing can be a fun first date activity.

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AnyThingGoes Assignment

Flowers are considered to be a symbol of ones affection. They are sometimes given to women on a first date, which can later be appreciated for days to come after the date, just as a work of art would be.

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