hypergamy
Wedding above station
Hypergamy is the practice of marrying or partnering with someone of higher social status, wealth, or caste than oneself.
The term appears most often in sociology and anthropology, where it describes patterns of women marrying "up" into families of greater means or prestige: Hypergamy was common in societies with rigid class structures.
In contemporary online discourse, the word has been adopted by men's rights communities to describe what they see as women's tendency to seek partners of higher status, often with negative connotations.
Division into distinct levels
- assortative matingPairing by shared traits
- class consciousnessAwareness of economic group identity
- patriarchyMale-dominated social order
- gender rolesExpected behaviors by sex
kinship · lineage · caste · social hierarchy · inequality
Legal union of spouses
- dowryMarital property transfer
- bride priceGroom's payment to in-laws
- arranged marriageFamily-selected spousal pairing
- matchmakingArranging romantic connections
alliance · betrothal · engagement · wedlock · nuptials · spouse · conjugal · polygyny
Abundance of valuable resources
- prestigeReputation commanding admiration
- classGrouping by shared traits
- powerEnergy transfer rate
- eliteSuperior select group
hierarchy · rank · affluence · high-status · resources · provider · success · achievement
Seeking higher status
- gold-diggingPursuing partners for money
- status-seekingPursuing higher position
- mate selectionChoosing a romantic partner
- upward mobilityRising social or economic status
strategic marriage · trophy wife · trophy husband · leagues · catch · good catch · settling · mating strategy
Trait-driven reproductive advantage
- provisioningSupplying resources in advance
- resourcesAvailable assets or supplies
- attractivenessPleasing quality that draws
- fertilityCapacity for reproduction
choosiness · reproductive strategy · biological imperative · pair bonding · dimorphism
stratification
Division into distinct levels
- assortative matingPairing by shared traits
- class consciousnessAwareness of economic group identity
- patriarchyMale-dominated social order
gender roles · kinship · lineage · caste · social hierarchy · inequality
matrimony
Legal union of spouses
- dowryMarital property transfer
- bride priceGroom's payment to in-laws
- arranged marriageFamily-selected spousal pairing
matchmaking · alliance · betrothal · engagement · wedlock · nuptials · spouse · conjugal · polygyny · levirate
wealth
Abundance of valuable resources
elite · hierarchy · rank · affluence · high-status · resources · provider · success · achievement · dominance
social climbing
Seeking higher status
- gold-diggingPursuing partners for money
- status-seekingPursuing higher position
- mate selectionChoosing a romantic partner
upward mobility · strategic marriage · trophy wife · trophy husband · leagues · catch · good catch · settling · mating strategy
sexual selection
Trait-driven reproductive advantage
- provisioningSupplying resources in advance
- resourcesAvailable assets or supplies
- attractivenessPleasing quality that draws
fertility · choosiness · reproductive strategy · biological imperative · pair bonding · dimorphism