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Glass Ceilings at Altar as Well as Boardroom
NYT ^ | 15 December 2004 | JOHN SCHWARTZ

Posted on 12/15/2004 4:03:40 AM PST by shrinkermd

Men would rather marry their secretaries than their bosses, and evolution may be to blame, psychology researchers at the University of Michigan reported last week.

The study, in which college undergraduates were asked to make hypothetical choices, suggests that men in search of long-term relationships prefer to marry women in subordinate jobs rather than women who are supervisors, said Dr. Stephanie Brown, a social psychologist at the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research and the report's lead author.

Dr. Brown said the findings, reported in the current issue of the journal Evolution and Human Behavior, could have far-reaching implications. "These findings provide empirical support for the widespread belief that powerful women are at a disadvantage in the marriage market because men may prefer to marry less accomplished women," she said.

The researchers asked 120 men and 208 women, all undergraduates, to rate their hypothetical attraction to people they might know from work. The men, for example, were shown pictures and asked, "Imagine that you have just taken a job and that Jennifer is your immediate supervisor," or peer, or assistant. The participants were then asked to rate, on one-to-nine scale, how much they would like to go to a party, date or marry the person.

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News
KEYWORDS: dominant; males; marriage; psychology; subordinate; women
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FYI
1 posted on 12/15/2004 4:03:41 AM PST by shrinkermd
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To: shrinkermd
The researchers asked 120 men and 208 women, all undergraduates ...

VERY scientific study!

2 posted on 12/15/2004 4:10:37 AM PST by Ken522
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To: shrinkermd
as long as she can cook and keep the house clean, along with my laundry, and provide a new bass boat every year

I don't care how many CEO titles she carries ;)

3 posted on 12/15/2004 4:14:04 AM PST by sure_fine (*not one to over kill the thought process*)
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Comment #4 Removed by Moderator

To: Ken522
all undergraduates

Undergrads are such a representative slice of America, aren't they? (Sounds like the format for last election's "exit polling.")

In any case, this study doesn't seem to deal with the female response.

The male brain tends to be an equal opportunity seed spreader ... many women say they "think with their ____ instead of their brain." It suspect it's deeper than all that.

For example, if he's not willing to go after the boss, perhaps it's 'cause she's sending out "stay away from me" signals. These are subtle behaviors, gestures, and expressions such as the line "Ugghhhh....Stay the hell away from me!"

Repeated applications of the above line tend to moderate even the most passionate flame burning in the breast of the male of the species.

The secretary, on the other hand, who is looking for a companion and not an "intellectual equal to take care of her at the status to which she is accustomed" will send unfathomable messages such as "Good morning, how's it going?" The next thing you know they're drinking coffee, having fun, crossing altars, and making babies.

5 posted on 12/15/2004 5:04:02 AM PST by xzins (Retired Army and Proud of It!)
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To: shrinkermd
A Freeper directed me to a website, NoMarriage.com, and what these researchers got paid to do is all there in black and white.
6 posted on 12/15/2004 5:04:14 AM PST by vetvetdoug (In memory of T/Sgt. Secundino "Dean" Baldonado, Jarales, NM-KIA Bien Hoa AFB, RVN 1965)
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To: shrinkermd
Glass Ceilings at Altar as Well as Boardroom

Well DUH.

What do they think these are, anyways???


7 posted on 12/15/2004 5:05:35 AM PST by Lazamataz ("Stay well - Stay safe - Stay armed - Yorktown" -- harpseal)
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To: shrinkermd
There are two kinds of women out there - sweet or smart. I'll take sweet over smart any day. From the voice of experience.
8 posted on 12/15/2004 5:09:33 AM PST by glockmeister40
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To: Great Prophet Zarquon
"Yeah, my wife makes twice what I do. She also makes three times what YOU do."

what is that about?

9 posted on 12/15/2004 5:17:34 AM PST by sure_fine (*not one to over kill the thought process*)
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To: glockmeister40
Come on now; there are a lot of sweet women who are brilliant. My wife and my daughters are prime examples.

I am amused that two of liberalism's sacred cows, evolution and feminism, are goring each other.

10 posted on 12/15/2004 5:20:40 AM PST by Tom D. (Beer is Proof that God Loves Us and Wants Us to be Happy - B. Franklin)
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To: shrinkermd
The British edition of this story, with a lengthy discussion, is here.
11 posted on 12/15/2004 5:22:32 AM PST by Mr. Jeeves
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To: glockmeister40
My daughters are much brighter than my sons. Academically, they were always at the tops of their classes. There were some trying years with them, but they have grown into very caring, nurturing, adult women. They have given up their careers to be full time wives and mothers. By anyone's assessment, they are "sweet".

I'm sorry all the nice women you know are stupid. Maybe the smart ones don't talk to you...

12 posted on 12/15/2004 5:35:28 AM PST by old and tired
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To: sure_fine
what is that about?

Somebody didn't take their meds this morning did they?

My wife makes three times what his wife makes and I say that with the same authority that he did.

Which is none at all.

13 posted on 12/15/2004 5:39:16 AM PST by Graybeard58 (Remember and pray for Spec.4 Matt Maupin - MIA/POW- Iraq since 04/09/04)
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To: shrinkermd

This ain't rocket science folks.
Men are really "simple creatures."
I think it really has little to do with how accomplished a woman is and more to do with her physical attraction, youthfulness, etc.

I know their ARE exceptions, but most likely, a female CEO of a company is going to be someone who has put far more effort into improving her mind than her looks and is likely to be less attractive than the female secretaries or interns working in the company. The men will give their attention to the young and pretty ladies.


14 posted on 12/15/2004 5:44:32 AM PST by Muzzle_em
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Comment #15 Removed by Moderator

To: Muzzle_em
The men will give their attention to the young and pretty ladies.

Absolutely true. This is why Career women have a greater chance of being struck by lightning than of getting married to someone decent. Men want their wives to be wives, good looking, good mothers, good homemakers. If we wanted to hang around corporate executives we'd go to the club and shoot hoops or play racquetball.

By the time a woman chooses to pursue her career and achieves anything she is old and worn out and made ugly due to all the poison she's had to endure in the corporate world. The youth and freshness and softness is drained right out of her. (in the vast majority of cases)

A woman who chooses to be a wife and mother however tends to be young and fresh much longer. (my wife as an example).

Sorry ladies but the truth is you can't have it all. You can either be corporately successful or domestically successful. Both of these are full time positions (12-15 hours per day) and seldom can anyone do both jobs at once.

16 posted on 12/15/2004 7:45:11 AM PST by John O (God Save America (Please))
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To: shrinkermd

Maybe most men think their secretaries are smarter than their bosses.


17 posted on 12/15/2004 7:52:44 AM PST by Doctor Stochastic (Vegetabilisch = chaotisch is der Charakter der Modernen. - Friedrich Schlegel)
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To: old and tired
Perhaps your daughters are very rare exceptions. I'll never know, or want to know. I'll stick with basic observation and lots of experience in the matter, which has proven me right without exception. /P>
18 posted on 12/15/2004 4:35:27 PM PST by glockmeister40
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To: John O
Very true, very true. I've worked with a lot of corporate women and without exception, their kids are disasters. Sons in jail and binge-purging daughters. Especially the divorced ones. No man remotely in his right mind would buy into their messes in a million years.

And they whine about there not being any good men out there.

We're out there, but we're not stupid.

19 posted on 12/15/2004 4:44:34 PM PST by glockmeister40
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To: shrinkermd
"The study....suggests that men in search of long-term relationships prefer to marry women in subordinate jobs rather than women who are supervisors.."

In short, most men prefer to be the man rather than the supervised in a relationship.

Womens' Libbers never quite grasp that concept.

Just my $0.02 worth.

20 posted on 12/15/2004 4:45:06 PM PST by nightdriver
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