I get what you're saying and I can jump aboard with the basic questions raised, but I was wondering about your perspective on the concept of men paying for early dates simply because women inherently take more risks during courtship (safety-wise, risking pregnancy if things get frisky), and a man paying is a sign of respect for that? And it's a way to demonstrate that he is serious and not trying to take advantage of her or just use her sexually on a false premise, because that's unfortunately a very common experience for women.

I've also seen the point made that the pay gap still exists and women still make less on average than male counterparts, so men paying for first dates and such can also be an acknowledgement of that factor, as well.

I'm still forming my own opinions on courtship practices and what they represent, but I'd love to hear your thoughts! Thanks for sharing your work :)