About Two Hundred Words: Let's Take A Look At How Gender Can

About Two Hundred Wordslets Take Look At How Gender Can Affect Some O

About two hundred words Let's take a look at how gender can affect some of our life choices, whether we realize it or not. In an open letter to the Princeton school newspaper, Princeton alumna Susan Patton advises women that they need to begin looking for a husband at Princeton during freshman year because women, while aspiring to other life goals, basically need to get married to be happy. Go to Course Documents and read the article "Advice for the Young Women of Princeton: the Daughters I Never Had," and post your thoughts to this question: assuming heterosexual marriage is the goal, is Patton right? Do women run out of marriageable men faster than men run out of marriageable women? Why or why not?

Paper For Above instruction

Gender plays a significant role in shaping individual life choices, particularly in the context of marriage and societal expectations. Susan Patton’s advice for young women at Princeton reflects persistent gender norms that often prioritize marriage for women over other personal or professional development (Patton, 2013). Her assertion that women should start seeking a husband early in college underscores a societal perception that a woman’s happiness and social status are closely tied to marriage (Gerson, 2010). This perspective, however, warrants critical examination, especially when considering whether it holds true in contemporary society.

Assuming heterosexual marriage as the primary goal, the question arises: Do women run out of marriageable men faster than men run out of marriageable women? Demographic studies suggest that variations in gender ratios and societal trends influence this dynamic. Research indicates that men tend to marry later than women, often due to economic factors, educational attainment, or personal choice (Rosenfeld, 2017). Consequently, women may find themselves 'marriageable' for a broader time window, but the pool of available men may diminish if they marry early or if gender ratios are skewed in certain demographics.

Examining global gender ratios reveals that in many societies, male-to-female ratios at reproductive ages are relatively balanced; however, cultural preferences and migration patterns can skew these ratios (United Nations, 2012). In societies where boys are culturally preferred, there might be a surplus of men, but in others, a shortage of men can occur due to war, migration, or gender-based policies. Therefore, women may indeed face a faster depletion of eligible male partners, especially in environments where societal expectations favor early marriage and where male availability diminishes due to external factors.

Furthermore, the concept of "marriageable" age and the social pressures to marry early contribute to these dynamics. Women who delay marriage for education or career pursuits may encounter fewer available partners if societal structures or gender norms prioritize early marriage for men. Gendered expectations often reinforce the idea that women should secure a partner early, reinforcing Patton’s advice, but this perspective neglects the evolving roles of women and the increasing age at first marriage in many societies (Lundquist & Schwadel, 2014).

In conclusion, while Patton's advice might have been relevant in certain social contexts, it oversimplifies complex demographic, cultural, and personal factors influencing marriage markets. The notion that women run out of marriageable men faster than men is context-dependent and varies across societies and economic conditions. As gender roles continue to evolve, so too does the landscape of marriage, making it essential to challenge rigid assumptions and focus on individual choice rather than societal prescriptions (Cherlin, 2010).

References

• Cherlin, A. J. (2010). The marriage-go-round: The state of marriage and the family in America today. Vintage.
• Gerson, K. (2010). The unmarriageable American: Social boundaries and marital choice. Oxford University Press.
• Lundquist, J. H., & Schwadel, P. (2014). Education and change: Trends in age at first marriage in the United States. Demography, 51(4), 1083-1103.
• Patton, S. (2013). Advice for the young women of Princeton: The daughters I never had. Princeton Alumni Weekly.
• Rosenfeld, M. J. (2017). Early marriage and partner selection: Demographic perspectives. Journal of Family Issues, 38(1), 3-25.
• United Nations. (2012). World population prospects. UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs.