The NY Times poll found that, for the first time in American history, more women are single than married, up from 35 percent in 1950 and 49 percent in 2000.
Coupled with the fact that in 2005 married couples became a minority of all American households for the first time, the trend could ultimately shape social and workplace policies, including the ways government and employers distribute benefits.
Several factors are driving the statistical shift. At one end of the age spectrum, women are marrying later or living with unmarried partners more often and for longer periods. At the other end, women are living longer as widows and, after a divorce, are more likely than men to delay remarriage, sometimes delighting in their newfound freedom.
Since the poll shows that more than half of all American men are married and living with their spouses, I wonder who their spouses are? Many single men in my age demographic that I know are seeking mates overseas, specifically, Japan, Thailand and Russia. The reason? American women are too independent.
What do you think, dear readers?
Cited story.
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A few years back I remember reading a short list of who lived longest - married men fared better than the single contemporaries, but single women fared best of all. I'd love it if some techy type could track that one down for me again?
I think this whole issue would irrelevant if only we could shuck the irrational prejudices against the unmarried.
McEwen: you don't want a "techy type," you want a librarian.
The story I recall had married men first, followed by single women. Single men place fourth. I found a bunch of items over the past several years. One listed this ranking from research in the 1970s (studies not specified) for "personal satisfaction." And a book from that era titled The Future of Marriage" gives a comparable ranking for measures of mental health.
The article where I found this is from a story by Natalie Angier (of the NYT) that ran in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on 20 July 1998. The article indicates that it's more complicated than it is generally presented.
Or see if you can track down this lengthy article in Population and Development Review (1 June 2003) "The benefits from marriage and religion in the United States: a comparative analysis" by Linda J. Waite; Evelyn L. Lehrer. (Waite is quoted in the 1998 article.)
I think the statistics in this article are flawed. They included teens from 15-18 and women who are married whose husbands are serving overseas in the armed services.
With that said, I recall an interview with an elderly widow who was asked if she ever wanted to remarry and she replied that she wouldn't because she didn't want to have to do the extra laundry a husband would generate.
That's depressing - not that women are too independent, but that men are put off by it. I mean, isn't it better that they don't need us around to help them when buying clothes?
*ducks*
Bob
It's simple. Men are pigs. Women are figuring out that they don't need us. Also, a lot of my male friends are deciding they would rather remain pigs than go to the effort it takes to act non pig like around women. Women who are willing to accept a measure of pigginess hooked up with a man who is willing to act less pig like is "a match made in heaven". The woman who is currently putting up with me has said after me she's going lesbian.
Another recent study said that more men would remarry their wives than vice versa (sorry, I don't remember where I read that either).
I've heard from a few men about wanting Asian wives because they know how to treat men; as far as I can recall these men have universally been losers. I've heard about a few men who had imported Asian wives and discarded them after a few years--the wives watched too much American TV and got too independent.
I know that many men in fact do want wives that are less independent than many American women. It is just sad they they have to go overseas to get them!! I am a born and raised American women in my early 20's. That being said I should be one of these "independent women" that the men of this nation are faced with all the often. Yet I'm not, I will be the first to admit that I believe a woman's place is barefoot, pregnant, in the kitchen. And I love the fact that I can get away with saying that when men can't!! ;) I think it is really sad when we have come to a point that in order for the men to live by the morals they were raised with the need to find a woman from a different nation!!