From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Courtship is the process of selecting and wooing a mate for marriage or (in more liberal societies) a short-term sexual relationship.
In many "traditional" societies, courtship is a highly structured activity, with well-known rules. In many societies, courtship is reduced to a minimum, or eliminated altogether, by the practice of arranged marriages, where a partner is chosen for you, typically by your parents. In some societies, the parents or community choose potential partners, and then allow limited dating to determine whether the parties are suited.
In liberal Western societies, a date is an occasion when one socializes with a potential lover or future spouse. In this sense, the purpose of a date is for the people dating to get to know each other and decide whether they want to have a relationship. However, the term is also used to mean a social evening between people who have an established relationship, particularly if the goal is to relax away from day-to-day responsibilities, such as caring for children.
Around the 1990s, a movement against dating and casual romantic relationships arose in the conservative Christian community. This movement favored a more family-oriented model of Christian "courtship," as reflected in the writings of Elisabeth Elliott (Passion and Purity) and Joshua Harris (I Kissed Dating Goodbye).
Courtship activities are widely observed in the animal kingdom, where they play their part in the process of sexual selection.
See also:
Animal kingdom
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