The Commodification of Marriage: “Mail-Order Brides” in the Electronic Age
This paper explores one of the most controversial developments in today’s world: electronic marketing of “mail-order brides.” We seek to provide a systematic explanation of this global consumer behavior phenomenon by conducting a content analysis of currently active websites offering mail-order bride services. We also develop a model explaining the transaction process of finding foreign brides in light of the discussion in sociology and marketing literature on morality of market exchange. We propose a theoretical framework for explaining why individuals participate in this process of “commodification of marriage.”
Citation:
Patriya Tansuhaj and Kivilcim Dogerlioglu-Demir (2009) ,"The Commodification of Marriage: “Mail-Order Brides” in the Electronic Age", in NA - Advances in Consumer Research Volume 36, eds. Ann L. McGill and Sharon Shavitt, Duluth, MN : Association for Consumer Research, Pages: 858-858.
Authors
Patriya Tansuhaj, Washington State University, USA
Kivilcim Dogerlioglu-Demir, Washington State University, USA
Volume
NA - Advances in Consumer Research Volume 36 | 2009
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