Hypogamy Hypogamous Meaning Definition Customs Laws

What Is The Meaning Or Definition Of Hypogamy Or Hypogamous Marriages And Relationships:

Hypogamy means or is defined as a marriage between a man who is generally of lower social status than the woman, creating a social imbalance that may lead to issues later on in the relationship. Such a situation is also known as marrying down, where the woman marries the man despite the lower social status of the man, probably due to other reasons such as real love and affection.

Hypogamy refers to the phenomenon of women giving a lower priority to financial status and social status while selecting a man as a mate, and it may play a big role in the female mate selection process. Hypogamy is most commonly referred to as "trading down" or "marrying down."

Hypogamy Is Breaking Of Traditional Norms:

Traditionally, women were less educated, and qualified, and had less money and lower social status than their male counterparts, but that trend is changing all across the world. Today’s modern women are breaking societal norms by "marrying down" and picking men who are less educated and qualified than themselves. Since the women of today are more financially independent, they are choosing to marry more for the sake of love and less for financial security. One of the main reasons for this changing trend in the norms is that women now have access to the same level of education and professional opportunities, which puts them in a better place when it comes to earning money.

Reasons For Hypogamy:

One reason for hypogamy is that some women wish to be the dominant partner who is more in control of the relationship, and they feel more dominant when they are in a relationship with a man who is less qualified. Women believe that being in a relationship with men who are less qualified or belong to a lower status would give them leverage over their partner, which makes them feel more secure and less threatened. Some women face being rejected or perhaps losing their partner, and to overcome that fear, they tend to marry someone inferior to themselves in order to feel more secure about being dumped or abandoned. Women also think that more qualified men may not be so emotionally available and dedicated to the relationship, so they prefer to marry someone who is less qualified so that the men are more likely to give the relationship more time.

Driving Force Behind Hypogamy:

There are some women who are aging and are more desperate to settle down even with less qualified men so that they can start having kids and have a family life. Then there are women who are delaying getting married, and by the time they are ready, most eligible men are already taken, and hence, they have no choice but to go for men who are less qualified.

Advantages Of Hypogamy:

A hypogamic relationship is one in which the woman has chosen her mate regardless of the man's educational or professional status, which means there are genuine feelings for one another. Such relationships are more successful because both partners need each other for the same and different reasons.

Disadvantages Of Hypogamy:

A hypogamic relationship can also have a downside, especially when the man's qualifications and financial status are dramatically low. When the woman is highly qualified with a doctorate holding a very high position and the man is an unemployed high school dropout, there can be differences in their likes and dislikes, making it fertile ground for some serious relationship problems.

Hypogamy Or Hypogamous Means Or Defined As The Practice Or Norm Of Marrying Down In Social Class In Which The Man Belongs To A Lower Social Status Than The Woman