Research Paper on:
U.S. and Turkey Dating and Selection of Mates

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
Dating and mate selection is one of the most fascinating aspects of human culture. These processes vary, however, according to both  time and culture. There are considerable differences, for example, between the people of the U.S. and those of Turkey. While these differences are expected to some degree it  may not be realized that there are also differences within the countries themselves in this regard. While those who maintain their traditional roots might go about finding a mate  and marriage partner in a traditional manner, those who are more immersed in the modern culture of today would be less likely to put emphasis on traditional ways of dating  and finding a marriage partner. The traditional purpose of dating, of course, is to find a suitable mate with which the traditional family  unit can be created. Sullivan and Thompson (1984, 240) describe the family as the "oldest and most fundamental of all social institutions". The term "family" typically brings to  mind the traditional structure of a mother, a father and one or more children. In this traditional definition of family, it is the mother who stays at home and  cares for the children and the father who works outside the home in order to provide financial support for the family (Turnbull and Turnbull, 1990).  Typically this traditional concept of family involves an extended family of grandparents and aunts and uncles as well (Turnbull and Turnbull, 1990). These definitions would  apply to both traditional Turkish and traditional American cultures equally. A particularly interesting reflection of these traditional cultures is the practice of arranged marriages. It is a custom