THE MARRYING KIND: Bronwen McShea
[Bronwen is an intern at the
Institute on Marriage and Public Policy, a.k.a. Our Sponsors.]
Here's an interesting
study from Barbara Dafoe Whitehead and David Popenoe at the National Marriage Project, saying that most young American men are "the marrying kind." 56.3 percent of young heterosexual men in the 25-34 age group report they are not only married but happy to be so. A whopping 94 percent of them "say that they are happier being married than being single. ...Seventy-three percent say that their sex life is better since getting married, and 68 percent say that marriage has helped them become more financially stable."
Troubling, though, are some of the numbers regarding men's ideas about the meaning of marriage. A majority of married men don't "regard marriage as closely connected to 'building a family'," and they don't even view children "as an important reason for marriage." Also, most marry "according to a set of personal calculations rather than to a set of social expectations." Does this point to a culturally encouraged self-centeredness or lack of social-mindedness about marriage? Such attitudes are of little help to, say, the marriage crisis among young African Americans and the low numbers of high school kids who consider marriage as a road to happiness, things which are also indicated by the study.
See what you think.
posted by Eve at
12:21 AM | Link |
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