More men prefer marriage than women

Found an interesting article in USA today. It certainly does not seem to correspond with popular notions, but ... at least for me, it seems to raise hope there are perhaps more men like me than I thought.

Men are more likely than women to prefer marriage over lifelong singlehood and in many ways are as interested in serious family relationships as women, according to a study that provides the government's first comprehensive glimpse into the male psyche.

The survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention involved more than 12,000 men and women ages 15 to 44. It asked a variety of questions about sex, living together, marriage, divorce and parenting.

This the first time men have been included in the agency's study, which has been conducted periodically since 1973. The analysis, released Wednesday, focuses on their responses and offers some comparisons with women's attitudes.

For example, to the statement "It is better to get married than go through life single," 66% of men agreed, compared with 51% of women.

To the statement "It is more important for a man to spend a lot of time with his family than be successful at his career," 76% of men and 72% of women agreed.

"When asked about their attitudes about marriage and family and divorce, more men agree on the relationship of marriage," says Gladys Martinez, the study's lead author. "The majority agree it is better to get married, and few people agree that divorce is best."

Adds Michael Kimmel, sociologist at State University of New York-Stony Brook: "It's becoming a more sanguine picture of American masculinity." Other survey findings:

-- 55% of men and 46% of women intend to have a child.

-- Among fathers in their first marriage, 90% live with their kids, and they are involved with them, from feeding to bathing to helping with homework and taking them to activities.

Neil Chethik, author of VoiceMale: What Husbands Really Think About Their Marriages, Their Wives, Sex, Housework, and Commitment, says the new data seem to mirror research he conducted in 2003 in conjunction with the University of Kentucky. Of the 360 men studied, more than 90% of married men said they would marry the same woman if given a chance to do it over again.

"Everything I've seen that has started to look at men more carefully shows that men are committed or dedicated."

By Sharon Jayson, USA TODAY


You can find the original article here (at least until they archive it, at any rate).

Comments

Cavalock said…
that is true. i think marriage is good too.
ghee said…
Hi Richard,how`s your weekend?
Hope JJ is fine now :)

Surprising that men are more devoted than women,and prefer lifetime partnership than women.

But yeah,I got the point.
Women are getting more and more independent nowadays,the career women ought to think that men can ruin their jobs,and they would be a hindrance for their success..

Me,I believe that happiness begins in the family.:)
My Mentor Minister attributed this shift in social trends to the fact that women has better education - so they have higher expectations and are more independent - financially and emotionally. Guess they realized they don't really need to be housewives all their lives anymore. :P
Kay said…
True..true..true..totally agree with Lao Niang's comments..

But what every career woman have to remember is dat once a woman get married it is their No.1 Responsibility to manage their husband, children, house the same way to how they manage their career..

I believe a wife's personal touch to the things I mentioned makes a lot of difference in a married live, towards the husband, the children and the home-sweet-home..

Any career woman wouldnt have time to do all that cos most of her time is spent in the office, meeting clients, going overseas, projects..deadlines..blah blah blah blah..

Most husbands strays and children being neglected as a result of those above..I rest my case..its never going to end..hee
Richard said…
cavalock: nice to hear

ghee: JJ has finished his antibiotics and will be going for a follow up this Friday. I was a little suprised at the results as well - I expected men to be less eager on the commital end of things. Of course, this may simply reflect American attitudes and views.

elvina: nice to see you back again. While modern society may not require a woman to marry for the same reasons as in the past (security), it was still surprising to hear that more men than women were interested in marriage.

sassy: I think there are jobs and there are vocations. I certainly do not feel any sense of vocation to my work. I think at least one parent should be at home to raise the children. Sofia was home for the first few years. I was home for 6 months last year ... but certain factors forced me back to work.

Sofia says that men (or at least me) were not born to stay at home (she feels I do not maintain the house to her demanding level of cleanliness).

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