Hypergamy

By Lara Stevens

‘Hypergamy: marriage into an equal or higher caste or social group’ --Merriam Webster.

Who are you dating? Have you considered hypergamy? Perhaps you should. There are real, consequential reasons behind women’s long-held preferences for mates of high breeding, wealth, and ability. My well-researched book discusses the nature, history, and current-day implications of this preference and practice, and draws some very interesting conclusions. Do you have a list of qualifications for your ideal date? A thoughtful read of this book just might change that list.

Making hypergamy a requirement in your dating search will serve not only to provide access to a better standard of living but to screen out unsuitable prospects. Only men who fit the bill will bother to apply. And you’ll see a drastic improvement in your love life. Why? Because protective care is one of the greatest gifts a man can give -- and one of the greatest rewards of being a woman.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris AU
• Release date: Mar 4, 2021
• ISBN: 9781664101586

Lara Stevens

Lara Stevens is finally, and very happily, married. A personally-experienced expert in the peculiarities and pitfalls of dating in today’s world, she now enjoys the full benefits of hypergamy. Having achieved the good life with only a single change in dating priorities, she felt obligated to bring back to the women of the modern ages, this time-tested but often forgotten bit of common sense: marry up. When Lara is not writing, she is tending to other critically important feminine pursuits, such as shopping and luxury day spas at the expense of her wonderful husband, who is only too happy to provide.

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Copyright © 2021 by Lara Stevens.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 02/18/2021

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CONTENTS

Introduction

Chapter 1 The Past and the Present

Chapter 2 Different Types of Hypergamy

Chapter 3 Hypergamy in Marriage

Chapter 4 Problems of Hypergamy

Chapter 5 Hypergamy in Work Relationships

Chapter 6 Hypergamy in an Age of Feminism

Chapter 7 Psychological and Social implications of Hypergamy

Chapter 8 The Rise of the Alpha Female

Chapter 9 Why Hypergamy Thrives on Betas (Assortative Mating)

Chapter 10 The Pursuit of Paternity Confidence Theory

Chapter 11 How Modern Day Hypergamy Affects the World

Chapter 12 Exploitative Female Behavior

Chapter 13 The End of Hypergamy?

Concluding thoughts

INTRODUCTION

Hypergamy is the act of marrying or having sex with a person of a higher caste, socioeconomic status, etc. than you are. The term comes from the Greek hypergamy, meaning marrying above. A strong cultural norm associated with hypergamy is marrying up, or seeking out someone who is higher ranking than you are in social status. Hypergamy has been prevalent in human culture for millennia and continues to be so in many non-Western societies today.

Hypergamous relationships also occur within the same caste system but differ by gender; women marry men within their own caste; men may marry women in any caste because they are generally considered superior regardless of social class. The specific instance of a woman engaging in hypergamy is referred to as reverse hypergamy. Reverse hypergamy occurs when either a man or woman marries someone outside of their own age group (in this context, marrying younger is referred to as hypogamy and marrying older as hypergamy).

Cultural views of hypergamy

There are various cultural views about the nature of hypergamy. Some cultures glorify hypergamous relationships. Others denigrate them, especially when the hypergamous behavior involves a woman marrying a man who is significantly older. In some parts of the world, marriage between an older man and a much younger woman is illegal due to laws that prohibit child marriage and protect the rights of girls.

Cultural views in history

In ancient India, it was normal for women to marry men who were many years their senior — sometimes by 20 years or more. Hypergamy was also actively practiced in China during Confucian times; there were specific social norms which dictated that women should always seek out a more powerful mate. In modern times, Chinese women are still known for seeking out men well above themselves in social rank. In many Western cultures, hypergamy was considered acceptable behavior for either gender; it was not acceptable to marry below one’s rank if one had chosen freely to enter into an arranged marriage or if one’s family had accepted less than they felt their daughter or son deserved.

In United States history, it was not until the 1920s that the concept of hypergamy started to be viewed as a negative. The change in public attitude toward marriage was primarily due to the influence of eugenics. The idea that hypergamy resulted in genetic pollution by allowing inferior genes to spread became an active part of many eugenics movements at that time.

Modern views and application

In modern times, the connotation of hypergamy is often negative. In some Western cultures, husbands and wives may consider the concept of a woman marrying a man higher ranked than herself as socially acceptable. However, they would not approve if the reverse were true (a man marrying a woman higher ranked than himself). In these cultures (including Western culture as a whole), it is commonly believed that hypergamy does not occur among women but that men are biologically predisposed to seek out women who are physically attractive and younger than themselves. These attitudes about hypergamy may have been influenced by ideas about evolutionary biology. The female’s preference for male youth is viewed as being an adaptation that increases reproductive success.

Hypergamy is not limited to arranged marriages or child marriages; it can be practiced among couples in any relationship. Among married couples in the west, divorce rates are close to 50% when one spouse has been lured into an arranged marriage.

In many non-Western countries, there is a strong correlation between age and social status. This means that the age of marriage for women tends to correlate with men’s