Exploring Gender Differences in Choice of Marriage

Partner Among Individuals with Visual Impairment

Author: Vaidehi Chilwarwar

Journal: Sexuality and Disability

Shazia
Research Scholar
 INTIMATE RELATIONSHIPS ARE A UBIQUITOUS FEATURE OF HUMAN EXISTENCE

Marriage is a socially recognized union, which confers social, economic, cultural, emotional and
sexual benefits

MARRIAGE IS ALSO SYNONYMOUS WITH MATING

It is the cultural vehicle through which reproduction and survival of human species is ensured.

AS HUMAN BEINGS WE DO NOT MATE AT RANDOM

We tend to select some persons over others.

MATE SELECTION RESEARCH TRIES TO UNDERSTAND

How do we evaluate, compare, deliberate and select from a pool of potential mates? WHY DO WE
MAKE THE CHOICES WE DO?
 Mate Selection Literature: Research and Perspective

• Identifying Desirable
Traits
• Gender differences
• Cross -Cultural
Patterns • Assortative
• Factors influencing Mating
mate choice RESEARCH • Propinquity
AREAS THEORETICAL
• Short term vs. long • Homogamy
CONSTRUCTS
term preferences • Complementary

•Different
• Intersexual Selection SOCIOCULTURAL positions of men
EVOLUTIONARY PERSPECTIVES and women in
• Parental Investment PERSPECTIVE society
• Maximizing
Reproductive Potential •Gender role
construction and
socialization
Mate Selection Among IVI
• Low vision and total blindness
• IVI prefrences are likely to resonate with the preferences of individual
with sight.
• Emotional stability
• Attributes like love, trust and understanding are more important
• Desirability for good looking partner need to be explored further.
• Selecting a partner in the absence of visual cues:
a) presence of other family member for investigating partner’s
physical features
b) access to partner’s health and fertility document
Objective

• Investigating the importance of marriage among IVI

• Identify the preferred characteristics and traits by IVI
Approach • Quantitative Study ;survey was selected as the strategy of inquiry
for data collection

• Questionnaire:(Adapted Buss “Factors in choosing a Mate”,

Method 2006 with modifications and additions)Exploring the meaning

and importance of marriage, process of selecting a partner,
marriage practices and preferences, and role of others.
• Data Collection: pre-coded questionnaire into an online form

• Sample Size: 42 respondents

Sample
• Inclusion Criteria: 18-35 years, English speaking, self –
identified as IVI, middle and upper socio-economic status,
residing in Mumbai.
• Sampling Strategy: Purposive and snowball sampling was
used., “JAWS”

• Microsoft Office Excel 2007 and SPSS version 20 (statistical

Analysis Package Social Sciences)

• Descriptive and Inferential Statistics were used.
• Frequency, mean, sd and percentage were used.
• Independent group t test
Valuation of Characteristics
• Strongly valued characteristics: Mutual love –attraction, emotional
stability, and maturity
• Desired partner who did not smoke, behaved well with their parents,
and was intelligent and educated.
• Irrelevant Characteristics: matched horoscope, similar linguistic
background, similar political background, same caste and the only
child.
Gender valuation of characteristics
•Good financial Prospect
•Chastity
•Good to Parent
•Desire for home and Children
•Not Indulging in Drinking
Valuation Of trait
• Male Strongly valued traits such as physical attractiveness, being
physically able, having a sense of humor, being a college graduate and
possessing a creative and artistic personality.
• Female strongly valued traits such as kindness, being understanding,
intelligent, an easy going personality and good health.
Gender valuation of Traits
• Easy going
• Good Housekeeper
• Good Earning Capacity
• Physically Able
Results and Discussion

55% of the sample 31% of respondent

40.5% of sample
considered marriage reported they
preferred choice cum
an important aspect of wouldn’t mind living
arranged marriage
their lives together

57.1% respondent 57% of the respondent

would try and reported that visual
negotiate with their impairment was not a
parents determinant
Conclusion
• Marriage was considered as an important aspect
• Marriage was seen as a mean of fulfilling emotional needs of an individual
• Family opinion and decision were considered vital in partner selection.
• Visual impairment was considered irrelevant.
• Men’s most valued characteristics were mutual attraction and love,
emotional stability and maturity, no smoking, partner’s good behavior
towards their parents and intelligence and education.
• Women’s preferences were similar to men with ambition and
industriousness replacing intelligence and education.
• Significance gender difference was seen with women valuing, good
financial prospect, chastity, desire for home and children, being good to
parents and being teetotal.
Continued….
• 5 most valued traits by men: physically attractiveness, being physically
able, having a sense of humor, being a college graduate, and being
creative and artistic.
• Women most valued traits are kind, understanding, easy going,
intelligent and healthy partner.
• Significant gender difference was seen on the desirability of 4 traits
Female valuing : easy going, good housekeeper, goog earning capacity
while male valued physically able the most.
Limitations
• The sample size is too small to be generalized in the population.
• There was no hypothesis.
Thank You!!!