in the new york times magazine this week, annie murphy paul examines the societal effects of the trend for marriages to be increasingly between people with similar incomes. the article looks at some recent research analyzing this trend, and is informative in that regard. however, the title and byline are ridiculous and inflammatory, a noticeable trend in the times magazine of late: "The Real Marriage Penalty: Husbands and wives are increasingly likely to have similar incomes. Is a more divided society the result?"
then again, catchy bylines are what news editors cut their teeth on.
more interesting is a quote in the article that says women today may be looking for "'cute butts and housework' -- that is, a man with an appealing physique and a willingness to wash dishes." when i read this, i thought to myself, "hmm, i'm lagging. i can do dishes, but who can't?"
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Just one question that I've had on my mind: as women become more educated - is the share of domestic/household duties becoming increasingly shared as well? Hopefully that's what is happening in North America (as witnessed by my parents), but from what I've seen in Malaysia and China/HK, it seems like as women become more educated, they are still responsible for the entire household! Including buying groceries after work, making a fresh pot of soup each day (!!), laundry, etc. It's so unfair!
is it scary that when I read the article and looked at the picture, I knew the designer of the wedding gown?
Honestly, doesn't it seem like it's actually going backwards to like before the 1800s, when people had to marry within their class, at least in Western society? The only difference here, is that there is a much larger middle class, and wealthy women, instead of inheriting it, they earn it.
Intermarriage of different income levels seems to be more of a recent phenomenon than anything else. To argue that this marrying of the same 'class' is something new seems false to me.
winky:
your comment is quite interesting. over here in the west, i think the responsibilities are balancing a bit more; however, from my own experience with indian families, you still see, like you said, women doing the bearing the brunt of the work at home in addition to holding a professional job.
bea: i agree that the class thing isn't new -- and i think the author makes that point, but it's at the very end of the article. ;)
and that you knew the wedding gown designer: yes, that's a bit scary!
Grant said...
Research apparently shows that men now do about a third of the housework when both the man and women work. In general, women are more eager to take on the "traditional" roles of men, than men are to take on the “traditional” roles of women. This is true in other realms too (besides work). For example, traditional sex roles of courting are that a man pursues a women (somewhat regardless of her interest), and if the man is not (or no longer) interested in a women she waits for the next man. While women are now more likely to pursue; men seem not to be any better a taking rejection (and thus are not adopting the women’s “traditional” role).
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