Chapter 136 Question one two three

Why do people who live in rural areas get married earlier than those who live in cities? (Matt Hanliang) 2000︱In 2003, the average age of first marriage among young men living in rural areas of West Virginia was 25.Nine years old, female is two or three.nine years old.On the contrary, among youths living in urban or suburban areas of New Jersey, the average age of male first marriage is 28.Six years old, female is twenty-six.four years old.Why do people who live in rural areas get married earlier? One of the costs of marrying early is that divorce is more likely.All couples, whether rural or urban, were more likely to remain married if they were willing to wait longer before officially marrying.But as we know, choices that make sense for the whole are not always good for the individual.For example, if someone meets a particularly attractive marriage partner, he may find that waiting too long is not only beneficial, but also risky. Especially, what if someone else shows up and wins the other party's favor?

While no two people are exactly alike, if someone in a big city misses out on marrying an attractive potential mate, he or she will always meet a bunch of young singles and eventually find a similarly qualified replacement. By. But the basis of human attractiveness is a myriad of idiosyncrasies, and if a person in a rural setting misses an opportunity for a happy relationship, he has good reason to fear that the next best candidate he finds in the future may not be as good as The first one is so charming. Therefore, the phenomenon of early marriage in rural areas can be seen as another example of the conflict between individual interests and group interests.From everyone's point of view, it is better to wait longer, but the most beneficial strategy for individuals is to seize good opportunities as soon as they present themselves.

A related factor is that rural areas have lower levels of education and, correspondingly, fewer people in careers that take time to achieve.Therefore, people in rural areas have less incentive to wait longer to marry (the information needed to expect success is generally available at a later time). Economists’ market models of relationships explain not only courtship practices, but also the laws society uses to regulate marriage and the choices people make when considering whether to stay in a marriage.