Why People Marry Up or Marry Down and What Are the Consequences?

"The females romantic conation is more adaptive and directive than that of the male," Kephart concludes. "Apparently, she is able to exercise a greater measure of control over her romantic inclinations, adapting them to the exigencies of marital selection." (1967:472.) Such an orientation seems to be in line with the tendency to marry up." In its own right it is both an interesting, controversial and perhaps even incendiary paper given that there are negative connotations associated with the concept of marrying up (as well as marrying down), such as references to gold-digging and status climbing. What is interesting, and as demonstrated in real life scenarios such as with the Sandra Bullock and Jesse James scandal, or in the movies in which Matt Dillon's character in the 1991 film "A Kiss Before Dying" provides an extreme demonstration of wealth oriented aspirations, is that the practice perhaps knows no gender. Regardless of the conflicting data which has become even more convoluted in social realms where traditional gender roles have been and are being redefined, such relationships take on an entirely different dimension when children are introduced into the equation. Take the case of Dr. James Wardner. When his legal wranglings with the Florida Courts regarding both access to and custody of his 5 children were first brought to my attention, the picture that was painted was one of a noble dentist falling prey to a conniving, status seeking drug addict who had the reputation for using both men and the legal system to forward her insatiable appetite for cocaine and fraternizing with society's dark underbelly. But here's the thing, if she was so bad why did the doctor have 5 children with her? I can't seem to wrap my head around this one point as well as others. Our guest panel in this evening's program seeks to understand this as well as similar cases.