What Role Does Social Class Play in Marriage?

Social class determines preferences of many singles when it comes to marriage. This was brought to light in the course of a survey, held by Meetville (dating app to find the right person), between 10/27/14 and 12/12/14.

30,178 voters have given their answer to the following question: “Do you think that social class makes a difference to a marriage?” We have seen a balance in responses, 51% – No, 49% – Yes. From the USA – 52%, from Canada – 4%, from Britain – 13%, Australia – 7% and other countries – 24%.

Many people try to connect their lives with those from the same social class as they can relate to each other due to similar life values and aims. Keith Humphreys, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral medicine at the Stanford University School of Medicine, states: “The marital conflict is just a “class thing”, with each person living out the taken for granted world he or she knows. Unhappy American couples impressed me deeply with their ability to talk about how their marital strife emerged from their racial, ethnic and religious differences, as well as differences in personal experiences (e.g., if one went through a bitter divorce and has a hard time trusting since). But it was a rare couple who recognized that social class differences were a force which shaped their relationship.”

Alex Cusper, Meetville service analyst, says: “The institution of marriage has changed a lot, but what is remarkable, people still prefer to chose a partner of the same social background. I wouldn't say that money is the main issue in this case, but it definitely plays a big role. The thing is that people from the same social class may understand each other better as they have common lives.”

Meetville, a leading mobile dating service, regularly conducts research among its users. Millions of people from the U.S., Canada, Britain and Australia answer hundreds of questions every month. You can find the results of the poll here. If you are interested in research on a particular topic, please contact us. Any reprint of the material should be followed by clickable links to the survey.