A sociocultural framework for understanding partner preferences of women and men: Integration of concepts and evidence

Abstract

In the current sociocultural framework for understanding mating preferences, we propose that gender roles affect sex differences and similarities in mate preferences. Gender roles, in turn, are shaped by the unequal division of labour between women and men. As a consequence, mating preferences and choices should converge across the sexes as the weakening of this division puts the sexes in more similar social roles in their societies. To evaluate these assumptions, we review relevant findings from three domains that show variability in gender roles: (a) cross-cultural variability related to differences in societies’ division of labour, (b) historical variability related to temporal changes in the division of labour, and (c) individual variability in gender attitudes that reflects the gradual and uneven spread of shifts toward gender equality throughout each society. The bringing together of multiple lines of evidence puts the sociocultural framework on a new and more secure foundation.

Keywords:

• Mate preferences
• Sex differences
• Gender equality
• Social role theory

We thank Paul Eastwick, Eli Finkel, and Wendy Wood for comments on a draft of this article and Hannah Strauß for assistance in preparation of the figures.