Courtship

Courtship is the period in a couple's relationship which precedes their engagement and marriage, or establishment of an agreed relationship of a more enduring kind. During courtship, a couple get to know each other and decide if there will be an engagement or other such agreement. A courtship may be an informal and private matter between two people or may be a public affair, or a formal arrangement with family approval. Traditionally, in the case of a formal engagement, it has been perceived that it is the role of a male to actively "court" or "woo" a female, thus encouraging her to understand him and her receptiveness to a proposal of marriage.

Duration

The average duration of courtship varies considerably throughout the world. Furthermore, there is vast individual variation between couples. Courtship may be completely omitted, as in cases of some arranged marriages where the couple do not meet before the wedding.

In the United Kingdom, a poll of 3,000 engaged or married couples resulted in an average duration between first meeting and accepted proposal of marriage of 2 years and 11 months, with the women feeling ready to accept at an average of 2 years and 7 months. Regarding duration between proposal and wedding, the UK poll above gave an average of 2 years and 3 months.

19 Kids and Counting

19 Kids and Counting (formerly 17 Kids and Counting and 18 Kids and Counting), rendered graphically as 19 kids & Counting in its onscreen logo, is an American reality television show that aired on the cable channel TLC for seven years, until its cancellation in 2015. The show featured the Duggar family: parents Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar and their 19 children—nine girls and ten boys, all of whose names begin with the letter "J". During the life of the show, three of the children were married, and several grandchildren were born.

The reality show focused on the life of the Duggar family who are devout Independent Baptists, and frequently discusses values of purity, modesty, and faith in God. The Duggars avoid birth control saying they have decided to allow God to determine the number of children they have. All of the children are homeschooled, and access to entertainment, such as movies and television, is limited. They practice chaperoned courtship, where the couple gets to know each other in a group setting. The values presented on the show have been associated with the Quiverfull movement, which has been described as promoting strict family conformity, male hierarchies, and subservient roles for women. The Duggars do not self-identify as Quiverfull Christians.