Runner-Up Essay

7. Compare and contrast the rewards and costs of children.

     The costs of children may fall under 2 categories: direct financial costs and opportunity costs.  Direct financial costs include out-of-pocket expenses, such as food or clothing.  Opportunity costs are lost opportunities for income by working less or not at all because of children.  Children have many needs, and therefore are very expensive.  Some expenses include housing, food, transportation, clothing, healthcare, and schooling.  The rewards of children are more difficult to measure, and mostly fall under emotional feelings such as love, joy, and purpose.  Another benefit to having a child is having someone to take care of you as you age, whether it be taking care of you by themselves, or placing you in a nursing home.  Children also help parents expand their horizons socially.  

Runner-Up Essay

6. Compare and contrast population growth in developed and developing countries.  What is China doing to curb population growth?  What have been the consequences of their program?

     In developed countries around the world, fewer babies are being born.  Developed countries replacement rate is not being fulfilled.  On average people are having 1.2-1.7 kids when the number needed to replace the population is 2.1.

    In developing countries, populations are continuing to grow.  Enough children are being born to replace their parents.

    China has adopted a “one-child” policy in order to reduce their population.  While this policy has been successful, the number of girls in the country has dropped significantly.  Many girls have been abandoned or even killed.  This happens because boys are more valued than girls.  In order to reduce the problem the value of girls needs to be restored.

Runner-Up Essay

6. Compare and contrast population growth in developed and developing countries.  What is China doing to curb population growth?  What have been the consequences of their program?

     In general, developed countries tend to have a much lower fertility rate than developing countries.  This is because family planning is less common in developing countries and children can offer their parents some security.

     In China, in order to slow the population’s growth, the government has a policy of one child per family, with a few exceptions.  One major consequence of this policy is female children are often unwanted and abandoned or even killed in China.  Also, if a family has more than one child, the other children aren’t eligible for lots of social benefits.  Finally, there is the consequence of a very unbalanced male to female ratio in China.

Runner-Up Essay

2. How has/is the institution of marriage changing?

    Marriage has changed greatly over the past centuries from colonial times up until now.  In colonial times marriage was mainly for economic purposes and personal survival.  The husband and wife were seen as “one” though the husband made all the decisions of the household.  Wives did not have much say in anything.  Nowadays marriage is more a sign of prestige rather than conformity.  Oftentimes it now comes after a job, career, savings, children.  This means that people are now marrying later in life at ages of 25 for women compared to 21 in 1970 and 27 for men compared to 23 in 1970.

     Many households are now dual career households and the growth of suburbs have disconnected couples from community.

     There is also more racial and ethnic marriages and now marriage is debated for gay and lesbian couples.  This shows that marriage is always changing.

Winning Essay

1. Compare and contrast two different patterns of courtship and mate selection from among those presented in Seccombe’s textbook.  Be specific about the similarities and differences in the two patterns.

     Two patterns of courtship and mate selection that were presented in our textbook are arranged marriages and relatively free mate selection.  Both processes have good and bad points, but they also have many similarities and differences.

     Arranged marriage is the prominent form of mate selection in India.  Families focus on finding a mate that can financially support their spouse, who has close family ties, and who have compatible zodiac signs.  Many Indian girls know at a very young age the person their parents have picked for them to marry.  Indian mate selection is not focused on love, it focuses on the ties the families can make.

     Free mate selection occurs in many countries but none more than in the US.  Courtship is focused on having fun, and connecting with someone with the same likes and dislikes or with someone you have a “spark” with.  Family may have some influence on who you choose, like suggesting to marry inside your religion.  Marriages in the US are mostly based on love.