The Costs of the New Sexual Economy

Collette Caprara / June 16, 2011

As more Americans delay or forego the benefits of marriage, one social scientist is suggesting that young adults’ reluctance to tie the knot may stem from faulty market mechanisms in the “sexual economy.”

At a recent presentation at The Heritage Foundation, Mark Regnerus discussed the concept of sexual economics and his recent book Premarital Sex in America: How Young Americans Meet, Mate, and Think About Marrying, also mentioned this week in The Washington Times.

The dynamics of sexual economics, Regnerus explains, include tradeoffs in the exchange of sexual relationships, in which the “currency” that males offer include commitment, fidelity, and care. In an era of easy hook-ups and cohabitation, less investment is required and the “price” of sex plummets.

But this conceals a host of hidden “costs.” (more…)