Briefly describe the main issues surrounding the marriage gradient and partner choice

What will be an ideal response?

Answer: The marriage gradient is the tendency for men to marry women who are slightly younger, smaller, and lower in status, and women to marry men who are slightly older, larger, and higher in status. It affects partner choice by limiting the number of potential mates for women, especially as they age, while allowing men a wider choice of partners as their age increases. Some men do not marry because they cannot find women of low enough status to meet the demands of the gradient. Some women are unable to marry because they are higher in status and seek someone of higher status than anyone in the available pool.