What are the motifs in From Front Porch to Back Seat: Courtship in Twentieth-century America by Beth L. Bailey?

The exploitation of women is a recurring idea in the book. Bailey is regularly focused on how different forms of courtship impacted women. While sexual norms were rigid and parental controls strict under the call system, ultimately men had less power. They had to seek out women and could be rejected easily. The women waited on her home turf and in later years, had exclusive control over who she would see.