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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. The generational battle surrounding going steady boiled down to what, according to the author in Chapter 2, "The Economy of Dating”?

2. What courtship events does the author describe in colleges in Chapter 3, "The Worth of a Date”?

3. According to the author in Chapter 1, "Calling Cards and Money,” the centrality of what in dating had important implications?

4. The average marriage age did what after World War II?

5. According to the author in Chapter 3, "The Worth of a Date,” in the 1950s and 1960s, what became highly prized?

Short Essay Questions

1. What demographic emerged in the late nineteenth century? What impact did this group have on the systems of courtship?

2. The transition to dating as a courtship ritual emerged to accommodate what, according to the author in Chapter 2, "The Economy of Dating"?

3. To what demographic does Beth Bailey align the system of dating in the Introduction?

4. Why was sexual intimacy criticized as a means of human connection, according to the author in the Introduction?

5. How was the system of dating perceived in the 1950s? What was the basis of the dating system?

6. What did Beth Bailey and her fellow discussants state about the transformation of courtship when she appeared on television in the 1970s?

7. What role did money have in American dating when it emerged? How was a date defined at this time, according to the author in Chapter 3, "The Worth of a Date"?

8. How did the system of dating evolve after World War II? Why did it evolve?

9. What values were involved in the early system of dating? What was scorned within this early system?

10. How did dating change the power distribution of courtship according to the author in Chapter 1, "Calling Cards and Money"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the emergence of the “large-breasted woman” as an American ideal of beauty and worth. When did this ideal originate? Who and what were responsible for this emerging ideal? Are large-breasted women still idealized? How related are breasts with the concept of sexuality in the media?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the etiquette of dating and going steady during the 1950s. What tokens were exchanged to symbolize commitment in couples at this time? How important were these tokens? What role did sexual behavior play in this system?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the emergence of school proms and the etiquette and culture surrounding them. When did these formal dances first originate? How were they supervised? When and why did the traditions of corsages and boutonnières appear? What costs were associated with early proms?

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