An Anthropologist's Views On Dating

Having lived in 14 states, and several countries for extended periods, I have had a great deal of exposure to different cultures, beliefs, attitudes, customs, values, and different dating methods. My academic major was cultural anthropology, so my perceptions, methodology was highly attuned to acute observation of the practices of different cultures.

Just one example to start. According to E.E.Evans-Pritchard, a world renowned British Socialogist/Anthropologist, the Nuer tribe in Africa have some really different and interesting dating practices. A young girl obtains an older woman who guides, coaches, and otherwise help her learn a great deal about dating, sex, and other matters. She even teaches the girl really incredible sexual practices, including masturbation and successful climax practices.

While E.E. Evans-Pritchard was a highly regarded Anthropologist, his books are not without humor. He was extremely observant, and wanted to observe non obtrusively. He wanted to personally impact the culture he was studying as little as possible. In part of his book he even admits hiding in the bushes while he quietly observed and took notes on couples copulating. He also privately listened and observed the older woman teaching the young girl on sexual practices. The writer claims that, after training, the young gir would climax so heavily and strongly that her fluids hit the opposite wall from her bed. Yeah, anthropology can be interesting.

Some North American Native Americans have a dating/marriage custom similar to some Latin American "paseo" customs. The Native American groups form a circle of males around a circle of females. One sex walks around in the opposite direction of the other. If the male or female stops walking and stares at the other individual, that means they are interested in dating and perhaps marrying the other.

Similarly, some Latin Americans (with much, much larger numbers) form similar circles, and stop with indications of interest. And so it goes. There are over 2000 major known cultures in the world, and there are major similarities and differences as well.