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The article is a PR piece for "Keiyaku Kekkon", a japanese marriage partner startup. I quickly read through the text - and wondered what I had learned. It does

The article is a PR piece for "Keiyaku Kekkon", a japanese marriage partner startup. I quickly read through the text - and wondered what I had learned. It does not present any interesting conclusions, or back its statements with data. Here is the exec summary of the startup's business model: "Keiyaku Kekkon is a marriage-focused dating website with a twist. The name is Japanese and literally means "Contract Marriage." Users create their ideal marriage agreement and match up with a suitable partner. Unlike typical dating sites that match people based on personality, Keiyaku Kekkon matches people based on their marriage contracts. Users can spell out exactly what they want out of marriage and exactly what they have to offer." [1] http://keiyakukekkon.com http://keiyakukekkon.com

Brendinooo 9y ago
>The most important fact motivating this essay is simply that the vast majority of adults want to get married and have children. This suggests that the reduction in marriage rates reflects not a conscious choice but rather people running into various obstacles preventing them from finding a partner. Thanks to the parent comment we know that this is self-serving to a certain extent since they they're selling a solution to the problem. Nevertheless, this is an interesting point to make. It's one thing if people don't want marriage and reject it as such, something else if they do want to get married and don't/can't make it happen. Do they truly want marriage in the sense of what it's traditionally meant - exclusive and permanent, but externalities mentioned in the article hinder it from happening? Or do people just want a big party when they're young and a friend when they're old, and attach "marriage" to the sentiment?
- watwut 9y ago
  There does not seem to be any mention of big party nor being friends in later age in article. There is mention of career for women (that is not a party) and expectation of completely different lifestyle for married man and married women in the article. Men is supposed to work (in japan context means maybe Sunday afternoon off), so I don't think couple gets to know each other to be friends. The only real externalities mentioned are that 1.) You cant keep up with Jones if Jones have two incomes and you have one (It kinda assumed that if we both have to work it counts as external obstacle to marriage. E.g. the assumption seems to be that people want 1960 middle or higher class marriage and don't bother when they cant get exactly that). 2.) No one arrange "suitable" marriage for you and there is no societal pressure to marry for you. I would say, that if you need pressure to marry, then maybe you do not want to marry. I would also say, that both points are you making marriage decisions based on social status it brings to you, in which case I am quite happy you are not my partner.
  - Brendinooo 9y ago
    > There does not seem to be any mention of big party nor being friends That was my point - sometimes people have stances on issues without really knowing why they believe what they do. I was just postulating another option that the article didn't explore. In other words, could the more conservative folks here wave this article around and say "see, people have an innate desire for lifelong monogamy!", or is it possible that some of the cultural aspects of marriage could manifest in other ways that would then cause a person to say "nah, I don't need marriage now"? > I would say, that if you need pressure to marry, then maybe you do not want to marry. Nah. I benefit from pressure to do lots of things that are good for me. Working out, accomplishing things at work, contributing to a retirement fund, getting to the doctor, etc. Yeah, peer pressure can take you to dumb places, but it's not inherently evil.
    - watwut 9y ago
      I am not saying that marriage is bad for you. But, if the lack of peer pressure is the reason why you don't marry, then I dont want to be unlucky lady who might end up thinking you actually wants to be with her. Or unlucky dude if genders are reversed. There is nothing about monogamy in the article.
antisthenes 9y ago
AKA the non-starter business model. In the unmarried pool, male and female strategies are incentive-incompatible. Both parties in that pool have unrealistic expectations for what they are able to offer (not making normative judgments here), hence the difficulty in finding partners in the first place. Believe it or not, the culprit here, again, is wealth inequality.

Brendinooo 9y ago

>The most important fact motivating this essay is simply that the vast majority of adults want to get married and have children. This suggests that the reduction in marriage rates reflects not a conscious choice but rather people running into various obstacles preventing them from finding a partner. Thanks to the parent comment we know that this is self-serving to a certain extent since they they're selling a solution to the problem. Nevertheless, this is an interesting point to make. It's one thing if people don't want marriage and reject it as such, something else if they do want to get married and don't/can't make it happen. Do they truly want marriage in the sense of what it's traditionally meant - exclusive and permanent, but externalities mentioned in the article hinder it from happening? Or do people just want a big party when they're young and a friend when they're old, and attach "marriage" to the sentiment?

watwut 9y ago
There does not seem to be any mention of big party nor being friends in later age in article. There is mention of career for women (that is not a party) and expectation of completely different lifestyle for married man and married women in the article. Men is supposed to work (in japan context means maybe Sunday afternoon off), so I don't think couple gets to know each other to be friends. The only real externalities mentioned are that 1.) You cant keep up with Jones if Jones have two incomes and you have one (It kinda assumed that if we both have to work it counts as external obstacle to marriage. E.g. the assumption seems to be that people want 1960 middle or higher class marriage and don't bother when they cant get exactly that). 2.) No one arrange "suitable" marriage for you and there is no societal pressure to marry for you. I would say, that if you need pressure to marry, then maybe you do not want to marry. I would also say, that both points are you making marriage decisions based on social status it brings to you, in which case I am quite happy you are not my partner.
- Brendinooo 9y ago
  > There does not seem to be any mention of big party nor being friends That was my point - sometimes people have stances on issues without really knowing why they believe what they do. I was just postulating another option that the article didn't explore. In other words, could the more conservative folks here wave this article around and say "see, people have an innate desire for lifelong monogamy!", or is it possible that some of the cultural aspects of marriage could manifest in other ways that would then cause a person to say "nah, I don't need marriage now"? > I would say, that if you need pressure to marry, then maybe you do not want to marry. Nah. I benefit from pressure to do lots of things that are good for me. Working out, accomplishing things at work, contributing to a retirement fund, getting to the doctor, etc. Yeah, peer pressure can take you to dumb places, but it's not inherently evil.
  - watwut 9y ago
    I am not saying that marriage is bad for you. But, if the lack of peer pressure is the reason why you don't marry, then I dont want to be unlucky lady who might end up thinking you actually wants to be with her. Or unlucky dude if genders are reversed. There is nothing about monogamy in the article.

antisthenes 9y ago

AKA the non-starter business model. In the unmarried pool, male and female strategies are incentive-incompatible. Both parties in that pool have unrealistic expectations for what they are able to offer (not making normative judgments here), hence the difficulty in finding partners in the first place. Believe it or not, the culprit here, again, is wealth inequality.