Marriage Choices in Contemporary Italy. Couples’ Places of Meeting Between Individualization and Structural Determinants

This article focuses on the study of the places where spouses first met in contemporary Italy. Using data provided by the nationally representative survey “Family, Social Subjects and the Life Cycle”, carried out in 2016 by Italian National Institute of Statistics (Istat) and made available in 2020, the article investigates trends in couples’ places of meeting and the relation between contexts of meeting and structural determinants such as social class and territorial affiliation. The results support the idea that even in contemporary societies partner’s choice is shaped by a set of social and cultural constraints and is not solely the result of personal preferences inspired by the ideal of romantic love.

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