Internet Mail Order Brides

Course: Anthropology

03900 Sexuality and Culture

Justin Elias

Definitionof Internet Mail Order Brides

• Internet mail order brides is the newest and fastest growing trends replacing common practices of meeting and dating women for potential wife’s

• This idea has been expanding now offering internet mail order husbands

• People who have had success with this service claim it is one of the easiest place to meet someone

• The term usually refers to women from other countries who want to meet and marry someone from the western world

• The idea is that these women are trying to escape the poverty or turmoil back home and hoping for a better life

The History behind internet brides

• This practice is not a brand new one but can be traced as far back to 1920’s.• During World War II soldiers wrote love letter to women in European countries whom

they never met hoping to secure a bride. • In the early 1980s, there was an increased of Western men to looking beyond their

own country to find their soul mate. This was done, as the western men believed that extending their search would speed up the whole process of meeting that special someone, ensuring a perfect match.

• The first countries to advertise mail order brides was Thailand and the Philippines. • The fall of the Iron Curtain allowed for more women to seek western husbands. The

number of Russian brides that participate in the mail order system has greatly increased in last few years.

• At first, the mail order bride system was paper catalogue-based, which were often printed only once. This was a more limited way for people to interact.The introduction of the Internet in the 1990s revolutionized the mail order bride system, making introductions faster, easier and reliable. The future of the mail order bride system seems geared to move online entirely. This system is becoming an increasingly popular mode of meeting people, ideally suited to the time, lifestyles and resultant expectations of both parties. It usually consist of elite men and women in the western world looking for young educated young men and women in the non western world looking for an escape

Negatives of Internet Mail Order Brides

• One of the biggest concerns men have about mail order brides is the possibility of a scam. There are many organizations who have been caught in scamming their customers.

• One of the more common scams is requesting money for travel visas and tickets through made up travel agencies. The scammer will report that they need money in order to obtain a visa from someone such as an associate at the embassy. This is illegal. This is one of the most common ways of scamming money out of men looking for women.

• There is also the large number of cases of brides who report abuse from their new husbands. These men who are ordering these women might be convicted sex offenders and child predators.

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

The Scams!!!!! Beware you may be disappointed!

• They will spend anywhere between $10,000- $20,000 in meeting women and ordering their bride

• They will spend hours on the same websites looking for the potential lady• In more recent times men who are seeking women are now going on tours to

these countries• One tour company Euroladies and Scanna. Euroladies guarantees that men

will meet more than 800 women in 10 days for $3,000 to $5,000, including hotel and airfare.

• Sometimes, women actually marry foreigners, especially Americans, move to the United States, gain citizenship based on their marriage, and promptly divorce their hapless victims as soon as possible - with a nice divorce settlement.

Characteristics of the men

• Most of the men who are seeking internet brides are in their mid thirties to forties• They are elite men who are educated and looking for what they call “a good wife” the

belief is that a mail order bride is a women whose family is a priority. She is good at house keeping. Helping the husband in everything, creating coziness and psychological comfort she sacrifices herself. She is lovely, educated, and a good wife and mother.

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

Why men want a foreign bride?

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor

are needed to see this picture. QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

Rules of a Good Wife

• These rules were published in the Good Housekeeping issue in 1955• For men seeking a fantasy wife these are some of the things an internet bride can provide• ･ Have dinner ready. • Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal ready on time for his return. • Prepare yourself. Take 15 minutes to rest so you'll be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up

your make-up, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh-looking. He has just been with a lot of work-weary people.

• Be a little gay and a little more interesting for him. His boring day may need a lift and one of your duties is to provide it.

• During the cooler months of the year you should prepare and light a fire for him to unwind by. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift too. After all, catering to his comfort will provide you with immense personal satisfaction.

• ･Minimize all noise. At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of the washer, dryer or vacuum.

• Encourage the children to be quiet. Greet him with a warm smile and show sincerity in your desire to please him.

• ･ Listen to him. You may have a dozen important things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first - remember, his topics of conversation are more important than yours.

• ･Don't greet him with complaints and problems.

Who are the women?

• The women who participate in the mail order brides are between 18-40 years old. They are very attractive, educated, and have never been married before.

• They are want to have a family and a good husband• They are seeking men who will allow them to work, continue with their education, and

treat them with respect• These women are seeking for a modern man with modern views• They do not want the typical man from their country who mistreats women, hits, and

abuses women and views women as an inferiors• They want a man who will be active with their family and be able to provide economic

support

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressorare needed to see this picture.QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressorare needed to see this picture. QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressorare needed to see this picture.

Social, Political, and Economic Justifications

• In Russian society women outnumber men. There are not enough men for all women to marry

• Russians marry early, and at the age of 25 most people are already married. If a man is not married, it can only mean he is not willing to commit - even bad men can find themselves a wife!

• Women must act fast if they want to get married and to ensure that they have a husband, one can only hope he will be a good man.

• There were even talks about changing the family legislation so that it would allow men to have multiply wives so that there would be competition among men too. (This is not a joke; this question was discussed in Russian parliament.)

• In a country which most women are college educated and salaries are very low women are lacking for finical support

• Most women in Russia are teachers, dentist, and lawyers but make less money then non educated women

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

Current Status

The number of internet mail order brides and husbands is increasingWhat once use to be a Russian market is now expanding to Asia, Latin America,

and AfricaThe new trend is to the growing number of companies that are focusing on male

order husbandsThis excerpt is taken from internethusbands .com and describes the price for a

woman seeking a partner“We have an excellent variety of quality bachelors, and the highest

demand is for men around 30 years old with lots of hair. For example if you want to order a 52 year old bald man who has bad psioriasis, well then maybe $600.. but say we had a candidate that looked like a young Erik Estrada, well that kind of product doesn't last long, we typically charge around $9,000.Q: $9,000 seems like a lot of money for arranging a marriage, are many women willing to pay that?Art: Some women have a lot of money and they are willing to spend it. And that's if we had a young Erik Estrada.”

Popularity of this service continues to grow

• Internet dating and wedding partners is a multi- million dollar idea

• Everyday more and more people are exploring this idea• It continues to expand to more countries• There are over 160 countries that participate in this

transaction• Some of the new countries that have been exposed to this

idea in the last five years include• Netherlands, the UK, France, Italy, Japan, China, Korea

Russia and Germany.• More women are seeking this service as a way to find a

potential husband• More girls add their names to profiles

New Trends

• There are new companies that are being created everyday such as Christian seekers internet mail order brides and husbands

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressorare needed to see this picture.

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

Sexuality/ Cultures

• Sexual Fantasies is a major factor among men seeking foreign wives

• Myth of all sexual pleasures being met is a big push for men to seek foreign wives

• The idea that foreign wives will please at any cost and are more experimental

Work Cited

• www.mailorderhusbands.net• www.american.edu/ted/bride.htm -

• www.mailorderbrides.com

• www.womenrussia.com