Women increasing their educational qualifications and changing relationship trends

As women increase their educational qualifications across the globe, they are changing their views of marriageable partners, says an article in Madison magazine. Where once women married partners who had educational qualifications, or higher qualifications, they are now marrying partners with equal, lower, or no qualifications.

The article maintains that a global study by university researchers in Barcelona, Spain, assessed census figures from the late 1960s to the present time from 56 countries. The study revealed that the increase in women attending university, gaining degrees, and moving into careers, has changed how they choose their marriage partners. In 21 of the 56 countries studied, including countries as diverse as France, Jordan, Mongolia, Slovenia, and South Africa, the majority of women were marrying partners with lower or equal qualifications.

With educational qualifications, women are increasingly earning more money, since the late 1960s, and are often becoming the family “breadwinner” – a role previously held by men. “Traditionally in heterosexual couples, the dominating pattern was a type of relationship in which the woman marries a man with higher educational attainment and in which there are important gender differences,” said researcher Albert Esteve. “In recent years however, an easier access to education for women is altering this model.”

The Barcelona researchers believe that this phenomenon will continue to increase as female students are beginning to outnumber the male student population in countries all over the world.

The article’s author describes this phenomenon as “marrying down” although many would generally equate that term with status and class, rather than educational qualifications.

Esteve said that while this trend could “potentially bruise some male egos” the new structure is being embraced by society. He said, “One could consider that the increase in education amongst women would make forming unions more difficult and raise the number of single women. However, what we see is that the composition of couples adapt quite well to these structural changes.”

http://www.madisonmag.com.au/life/why-modern-women-are-marrying-down.htm

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