Manifest and latent functions in online dating

Major Theories on Dating

 The study of sociology is a process by which scientists attempt to understand and explain social phenomena.  By applying different theories to different situations, they hope to be able to see how certain situations and institutions affect society as a whole. Dating, one of the more common practices in the country, may seem simple at first but is in reality possibly one of the most complex things humans have had to face yet.  Studying dating from the three different perspectives of sociology offers great insights into the intricacies of the society in which we live.

 Functionalism is a theory in which society is viewed as a “system” in which all parts function together to keep it working.  The manifest functions of dating intended and positive.  The biggest manifest function of dating, at the very base level, is to find a future mate.  It is that search of a future mate for procreation purposes that drives much of humanity in one form or another.  Dating is a simple way to meet people and to discern whether or not they would be an ideal mate for someone.  Another manifest function is to build new relationships.  Most social interaction outside the workplace is done with the simple idea in mind of making friends.  Thus, even if a dating relationship doesn’t work out, there is always the platonic friendship to keep in mind.  A major function of dating for teenagers is simply that dating provides a safe fun form of social interaction.  Many teens and young adults go on dates in groups of couples, creating the possibility of not only strengthening a romantic bond but also the bonds of friendship with the other members of the group.  These functions are all intended and produce positive results within the system.

 Latent functions, on the other hand, are not intended.  They can be positive or negative.  A latent positive function may be that when a person is dating someone they are more inclined to try new activities and may as a result develop new interests that they wouldn’t have had if they were not dating that person.  Another one would be the making of new friends.  In the process of dating someone, one would at some point or other be introduced to the friends of the person they are dating.  It is not an intended outcome of dating itself, but making new friends is definitely an unforeseen positive result of dating.  The friends of a person’s significant other, however, are unpredictable at best.  If they don’t like who their friend is dating, that person may be forced to between their friends or their significant other.  That would be a distinct latent negative function.  Another latent negative function would be an unequal partnership in the relationship.  Whether it is constantly having to pay for everything, or always having to be the one to call and make plans, or a myriad of other possibilities, an unequal partnership is rarely ever desired and almost never intended.  If a date simply doesn’t work out, if the two people involved just plain didn’t connect, that is also a latent negative function.  On the other hand, one may realize after said bad date that the romantic connection is not there, but that there is a possibility for a strong friendship.  The friendship is not an intended result, but is nevertheless a good thing, thus making a latent positive function.

 It is not commonly thought about, but there are in fact dysfunctions, harmful to the system, associated with dating as well.  One major one is codependence.  It is intensely unhealthy for one to be so entirely dependent on a single other person.  If the codependence is entirely one-sided, it can also lead to other tensions within the relationship that may culminate in domestic violence, another dysfunction associated with dating.  Finally, if a couple were sexually active, a dysfunction that would seriously upset the system would be an unplanned pregnancy.

 Conflict theory bases its studies on the assumption that there are inequalities in society, and sooner or later there will be an uprising to attempt to fix them.  Dating too has many inequalities associated with it.  Dating is not always easy to afford.  One has to purchase food, movie tickets, tickets for a concert or a show, and possibly many other things through the course of a relationship.  Someone from a lower class simply would not be able to afford so many things and thus dating for them would be severely limited, if possible at all.  There is still also a certain amount of gender inequality in dating.  Men are often still expected to be the one to make that first move.  Also in the category of gender inequality is the ratio of men to women in a given area.  If one gender is the clear majority of the population, then not everyone has an equal chance of finding a date.  If, for example, in one area the ratio of men to women is 4 to 1, then those men are in intense competition with each other to be able to date one of the few women there are.  Also sexual orientation may breed inequality in the world of dating.  There are not as many gay/lesbian bars or nightclubs as heterosexual ones, and those few that do exist may be very hard to find.  There is also a fair amount of racial inequality.  The media has rarely, if ever, given fair representation to interracial couples in the past.  Thus, dating outside one’s own race is not encouraged to the public.

 To symbolic interactionists, dating may be defined as a social process with the intended purpose of finding a future mate.  Symbols associated with dating could include flowers, a heart-shaped box of chocolates, popular local hangouts, a shared box of popcorn at a movie theatre, a small teddy bear holding a heart-shaped pillow, little love-notes, and any number of other things.  Dating is viewed as a social rite of passage.  People often see it as necessary in the process of growing up.  Teens and young adults are expected to date through high school and college until they find that person that they are going to marry.  People who don’t date for one reason or another are viewed as emotionally immature, socially maladjusted, or antisocial, when the case may be that they simply have not found someone they are interested in dating.  And yet dating promiscuously or profusely is not all that encouraged either.  Men who date profusely may be viewed as “players” who go through women and use them simply for their own benefit, and women who do so may be perceived as “man-hunters” who, again, use men simply for their own sexual gratification.

 Through this study one can see that dating is not nearly as simple as “boy meets girl” and is indeed a complex topic worthy of further study.  No matter which perspective or major theory one follows, the subject of dating offers plenty of areas within that perspective to study and ponder.  Just as people view the world in different ways, one can see that through the study of sociology one can also view the simplest institutions, like dating, in just as many ways.

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Hey, I warned you that it was a scholastic paper.
 

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