For all the publicity it receives as being one of the party-capitals of Europe, Spain is still a country that cherishes its culture and customs. Marriage and children are still elements that are treasured. And only a small percent of Spanish girls agree to live with their boyfriends before marriage. The Spanish culture is still very much family-oriented. A Spanish girl may be influenced by Western culture and its fickle way of treating relationships, but ultimately the Spanish family structure -- one that more often than not finds grandparents living under the same roof with their children and grandchildren create a different set of rules for dates and relationships.
To understand the Spanish dating scene is to understand Spain itself. Even in modern times, Spain is still regarded as a male-dominated, macho culture. The women exist to marry and have children, which seems a contradiction considering the high rate of highly educated Spanish women who work as doctors, teachers and scientists.
Marriage is still not considered a pre-arranged agreement between two families, but courtship plays an important role, as does a father granting "permission" for a young man to date and subsequently marry his daughter. This practice may conflict with the exposure Spanish girls have with the Western concept of women's independence. In fact, it is considered that the "sexual culture" in Spain is a paradox of sorts. Dating habits and sex are widely discussed on television and in the tabloids but it is an area of discussion that is not in the foreground in families.
Spain is however a Latin country and Romance is very much in the air. It ranks with Italy as a culture where public affection is very much the norm regardless of whether a couple is married or not. Dating Spanish girls and having sex is a thoroughly male-dominated concept. Children as a by-product of a marriage are a high premium, and a sign of a successful marriage.
In fact, research has shown that to some extent sex for sex sake in Spain has less to do with "love" from a man's point of view. Men on the other hand may seek out extramarital affairs less out of a sense of betrayal and more out of an innate obligation to demonstrate their machismo.
Dating Spanish girls goes much deeper however. As a society, Spanish girls are sexually active at an early age. Studies show that most Spanish girls have intercourse as early as 15 years old, but the median age seems to be about 17. And although Spain has been exposed to Western culture for the last century -- MTV and other music video channels are a good example - this does not translate into a promiscuous society. Surveys have shown that the majority of Spanish girls are uncomfortable with the though of performing oral sex, although research shows it is very popular with males who enjoy performing it on their partners. And anal sex is not against the law as it is in some countries. Having said that, studies show that the "missionary" position is the most widely used position among couples.
Similarly, personal Spanish ads are very popular. Personal Spanish ads seem to be a Western culture tool used by foreigners to meets Spanish girls, than something a Spanish girl would use within her own culture. Personal Spanish ads are used within the culture by other races than the Spanish. Muslim, French and Americans use personal Spanish ads to meet a potential mate. And more than one personal Spanish web site is devoted to finding potential mates for marriage.