Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Sugar Mamas on the Rise

I heard this story on NPR yesterday morning and had to share: Modern Marriages: The Rise of the Sugar Mama

My interest was peaked just by the title since I get to be the sugar mama for Matt right now (though not for long, graduation is quickly approaching!). The story was all about a study that compares marriages in 2007 with those in 1970. Pretty interesting. And in case you're interested but don't want to read the full article, I pulled out a few points that caught my attention. (The High Fives if you will.) But really, it's a quick read so the whole thing is worth your time.

One: Until 1964, a woman could legally be fired when she got married.

Two: For the first time ever among those age 44 and younger —- more women than men have college degrees.

Three: "They [women] say overwhelmingly — 87 percent — that it's more important to have a man who can communicate well, who can be intimate and who will share the housework than to have someone who makes more money than you do."

Four: Woman still make 77 cents to a man's dollar, and their earnings can lag over time since women are more likely to cut back to care for children. But this, too, is shifting.

Five: Today, among U.S.-born 30- to 44-year-olds, the more educated you are, the more likely you are to be married.

I think the last bullet is the most interesting. Who knew that more education means you are more likely to be married.

1 comment:

Brenna said...

That last one is because it's good to be married, and if you were smart, you'd know that! ha ha
That info is really interesting. I can't believe that women still make only 77 cents to every dollar men make. That's ridiculous. Never knew that about the law that changed in '64. No wonder it was commonplace for married women not to work, even if they didn't have any kids. Cool post, Cara.