More men are ‘marrying up’ than women — Forever 39 Podcast

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When it comes to marriage, men may have hit the jackpot.

According to a study from the University of Kansas, the chances that men will "marry up" has increased, but the chances that women will do the same has actually decreased.

Researchers ChangHwan Kim, associate professor of sociology at the University of Kansas, and Arthur Sakamoto, professor of sociology at Texas A&M University, used data from the U.S. Census and the American Community Survey to examine gender-specific changes in financial returns on education for those between the ages of 35 to 44 years old.

So what did they find? For starters, women are becoming more educated than men, and that's not only driving up their earning potential, but that higher earning potential is also impacting their overall contribution to the family income, the study says.

Men are certainly reaping the benefits of this, but where does that leave women? According to the researchers, women are more likely to marry men that aren't as educated as them. Kim and Sakamoto also point out in their research that thanks in part to stagnant wages, a man's contribution to his family income has been falling.

In this Forever 39 episode, we discuss how this role reversal is impacting the sexes, and what type of man it takes to be married to a woman that brings home the bacon.

Also from this week's Forever 39 podcast — Why sitting is the new smoking.  PLUS: Why we freak out when the doorbell rings! Click on the podcast player above to hear the entire episode.

Share your thoughts on all of them below, on Twitter, on Facebook or at forever39@nj1015.com.

— Annette and Megan, Forever 39

Join us for next week’s podcast when we chat about sexual fluidity, our favorite horror movies, and kid expenses that parents say are a waste of money!