Conditions of a Love Marriage:

Interviews with unmarried women in the Tokyo metropolis

Abstract

    The purpose of this paper is to examine the conditions of a love marriage by conducting an analysis of interviews about unmarried women who worry about whether they will get married to a specific partner, but do not get married. This field considers the desire to get married, the encounters with the prospective partner, whether there is a boyfriend or girlfriend, aspects of communication, equality between married couples, the allotment of domestic duties, and male participation in parental care thus far. When getting married, the twin matters of economic considerations and feelings of love remain unchanged in importance. A third point concerning the male's attitude toward children is also found, asked by unmarried women. This third point also shows that such consciousness is recognized as an attraction connected to the feelings of love. It is not a concern for unmarried women whether men are engaged in parental care. It might be that the male's attitude toward children is asked for the “individualization of role consciousness” before marriage, which may then be one of the deciding factors for marriage among unmarried women.