Brennan seemed to be in a good mood as she waited for the class today. She'd used part of her long weekend to solve a murder; that always got her cheerful.

"Morning," she greeted. "Today we're talking about courtship rituals -- dating, if you prefer. In traditional terms, 'courtship' refers to the time period between when two people become aware of each other as potential monogamous life partners and when they solemnify their bond, either with an engagement leading to a wedding or through some other step. Typically the word 'courtship' refers to a relationship that is known to the community, as opposed to an illicit affair."

"Courtship traditions differ in different societies. In ancient times, marriage by kidnapping was the norm. A hunter would simply walk up to a group and grab the young woman who most appealed to him, and she was his wife if he got her home and to the marriage bed safely. Later, parents and other elders selected for arranged marriages -- as they still do in certain South Asian cultures -- and the couple were consulted only for a token consent. This began to change in late medieval times, when the concept of romantic love was glorified. However, it was several hundred more years before romantic love was seen as the most important element in a marriage, rather than a happy coincidence. And even now, there's data suggesting arranged marriages to which both participants agreed are as happy or happier than love marriages."

"Modern courtship -- or, again, dating -- takes several forms. A traditional first date is coffee or dinner and a movie, and a normal modern courtship in the U.S. takes roughly a year to five years to get to the point of engagement. Most couples meet through friends, work, social activities such as religious services or community groups, but personal ads and online matchmaking services are growing in both popularity and acceptability. Also, many people, myself included, eschew traditional dating in favor of other arrangements that don't include the expectation of marriage as a goal. And, of course, gay couples also court and date."

"You've been assigned to pairs, and I would like for each pair to participate in some sort of mock courtship exercise to report back on during the next class. This can range from a token gift or conversation during this class period to a full date to any of the tactics described in your handout. I know some of you are otherwise committed, and others of you are paired outside your normal gender preference. If you cannot do the assignment for personal reasons, please see me after class to discuss alternate work, though there is nothing in this that should threaten your boyfriends or girlfriends."

"Also, please don't assume that the person in your pairing who is physically male has to play the male role for the purposes of this assignment, or the same for the physically female. This is a class exercise, not a true courtship; play the roles with which you are most comfortable."

"You have the rest of the class period to find each other and discuss how you wish to fulfill the assignment."

[OOC: OCD on its way is a go!]