Here is a nice item on “courtship” and “dating,” via Lori Alexander:
A Brief History of Courtship and Dating in America, Part 1, by Skip Burzumato
A Brief History of Courtship and Dating in America, Part 2, by Skip Burzumato
This is pretty good, but it is from 2007. And also, it is somewhat in the middling/laggard part of the social spectrum, even for 2007. In other words, it reflects more of a mid-1990s mood. In 2007, “conservatives” were “conserving” the habits of the mid-1990s.
Today, more people are looking not just for methods to navigate today’s “dating landscape,” but a way to check out completely. This is a nice idea, but in the end, those girls who decide, let’s say at Age 14 or Age 16, to pursue chastity and “courtship,” are going to have to be rewarded for their decisions. They are going to have to actually get married, to somewhat attractive men, and not at Age 29. More like Age 20. Also, there should be a way for somewhat attractive men, who are interested in finding a good wife who is on the courtship path (a virgin Age 16-20) for marriage within perhaps six months, to actually get a good wife. The supply of debt-free virgins without tattoos, who are not overweight, is small, but the effective demand seems to be even smaller.
Unfortunately today, parents have gotten into the habit of leaving these things mostly to children. Not only do parents do nothing, they even say nothing. Many young people are set adrift without even four or five sentences about how to do things. And how is a 16yo supposed to “court” exactly, without the help of parents? In the past, they went to dances, parties and so forth — all of it organized by parents. In “dating,” most of this was left to young people, and of course it was basically anarchy, limited only by young people’s sense of propriety. This sense was real in the 1990s, where for most people it was expected that sex and a “serious relationship” (long-term monogamous partnership likely leading to marriage) went together. But, as it is only a “sense” among 16 or 18yos, of course it deteriorated over time. The point is, parents today have little example of establishing and basically managing the framework for courtship. The recent attempts, the Purity Movement, failed to get anyone married.
Cornerstone 