I don't have a source, but I have read that women are attracted to men "above" them, but avoid men "below" them. I guess a practical example would be the male executive who would marry a secretary, and a female executive who would not marry a window cleaner.
I would like to think I am more common than an exception to the rule.
When my husband and I met, I had a high profile demanding "executive" type job and he hung rain gutters.
>>I don't have a source, but I have read that women are attracted to men "above" them, but avoid men "below" them.
Hypergamy is an anthropological term for it. "Marrying Up" is another way of saying it. It is seen across pretty much every culture I have studied, so I think it is really part of human nature.
Did a quick Google search on the term and this paper came up. Seems like an interesting study:
http://www.aeaweb.org/annual_mtg_papers/2005/0109_1300_0701.pdf