I don't think it's strictly generational, but I think generational changes are an important precondition; that is, I think there are a lot more heterosocial people in the current generations than in the few before that. (I won't try to project further back than that; assuming that earlier generations were just like your parents, and only yours is different, is a failing of far too many amateur and professional social commentators.)
I was raised in a strictly homosocial household; I can't think of any instance where either of my parents had an opposite-sex friend. I could have ended up the same way; my high school friends, who I'm still in touch with but not close to, seem to be that way. However, I'm very heterosocial, I think a lot of other heterosocial people came out of homosocial households, so I don't see that as being determining. I think I came to it mostly through gaming, fandom, and college, but I have no way of knowing how I would have gone without those influences.
I agree that some "geek" and intellectual pursuits encourage heterosociality now, but that's also a generational thing. It wasn't that long ago that many of those things were pretty "gender-charged." Heck, I can easily remember a time when female computer, physics, or gaming geeks were vanishingly rare, and it was a stereotype that those interests were populated mainly by males who were uncomfortable with the opposite sex.
My impression is that in my parents' generation (married in the 50s, just to establish which generation I'm talking about), you had to be pretty fringe, like theatre and literary professionals, to be heterosocial, but that's just a guess, really. I think change in gender balance of occupations and such has made more people heterosocial, but I don't know how much more.
As for couples, I tend to agree that (at least among us heterosocials) children are the big dividing line, not marriage. I've been married longer than any of my friends, and the people I socialize with are other childless couples (some married and some in long-term relationships) an singles. I think the disconnect is that the childless are much more spur-of-the-moment. I usually don't know in advance what I'm doing on a Friday or Saturday night. I call up a childless friend and ask them if they want to get together or go to a movie, and there's a good chance they'll say yes. If I call up a friend with children, they can't possibly arrange things quickly enough. I can adapt to that, but only so much, and so we rarely see each other.
(no subject)
I was raised in a strictly homosocial household; I can't think of any instance where either of my parents had an opposite-sex friend. I could have ended up the same way; my high school friends, who I'm still in touch with but not close to, seem to be that way. However, I'm very heterosocial, I think a lot of other heterosocial people came out of homosocial households, so I don't see that as being determining. I think I came to it mostly through gaming, fandom, and college, but I have no way of knowing how I would have gone without those influences.
I agree that some "geek" and intellectual pursuits encourage heterosociality now, but that's also a generational thing. It wasn't that long ago that many of those things were pretty "gender-charged." Heck, I can easily remember a time when female computer, physics, or gaming geeks were vanishingly rare, and it was a stereotype that those interests were populated mainly by males who were uncomfortable with the opposite sex.
My impression is that in my parents' generation (married in the 50s, just to establish which generation I'm talking about), you had to be pretty fringe, like theatre and literary professionals, to be heterosocial, but that's just a guess, really. I think change in gender balance of occupations and such has made more people heterosocial, but I don't know how much more.
As for couples, I tend to agree that (at least among us heterosocials) children are the big dividing line, not marriage. I've been married longer than any of my friends, and the people I socialize with are other childless couples (some married and some in long-term relationships) an singles. I think the disconnect is that the childless are much more spur-of-the-moment. I usually don't know in advance what I'm doing on a Friday or Saturday night. I call up a childless friend and ask them if they want to get together or go to a movie, and there's a good chance they'll say yes. If I call up a friend with children, they can't possibly arrange things quickly enough. I can adapt to that, but only so much, and so we rarely see each other.