INQUISITR.COM / News & Politics

Why The Number Of Single Women And Men Are Increasing

By Val Powell
Published on: 22:49 PST, Mar 1, 2016

According to a recent study, most American single women are unattached by choice.

More people are opting for the single life, a research study revealed. The Pew Research Center found out that the number of men and women age 25 and older who stay single is increasing. The findings also suggest that men are more likely than women to not marry – 23 percent vs. 17 percent.

Today 20 percent of Americans age 18-29 are married, compared to 60 percent in 1960. As a result, single adult women now outnumber married adult women in the U.S for the first time in history. Interestingly enough, the median age of first marriage for women has changed a lot over the course of time. From 1890-1980, the median age for first marriage among women was between 20 and 22, but by 1990, the median had shifted to 23. Now, the trend has gone up to over 27.

Rebecca Traister, the author of All the Single Ladies, believes that the decreasing number of married adult women can be attributed to the fact that women now have more choices than ever before, and more women are becoming career-oriented as opposed to family-oriented. It could also mean that a woman has not yet met the right person who will help her improve the life that she is building, Traister added. Stalling marriage has also helped women establish their own “economic and professional bases.”

Likewise, there is also an increasing number of men choosing not to get married. According to Pew, the number of young adult men believing that having a successful marriage is one of the most important things declined from 35 percent to 29 percent since 1997.

There are a number of reasons as to why men would refuse to enter into a legally binding marriage contract with a woman. Suzanne Venker, the writer of War on Men points out the persisting double standards between the two sexes in our society. According to Venker, many single women see men as their enemies.

In her article, she maintains that there is nothing in it for men, a view that was widely criticized by many readers influenced by the wrong notion of feminism. Venker believes that feminism, while it has done a lot of good things for women, may be one of many factors that threaten the institution of marriage. She said feminism has robbed men of their traditional role as the protector and breadwinner.

Moreover, she thinks men are at a disadvantage when it comes to divorce laws. Helen Smith, Ph. D, author of Men on Strike echoes the same sentiment. She wrote that some men do not want to be attached by a legal contract with someone who will eventually rip them off for their financial assets when the love is gone. Moreover, women have more to gain after the divorce: child custody (most of the time) and assets.

‘Men on Strike’ Author Explains Why Men Should Stay Single

When Venker interviewed men who choose to stay single, she was told that “women aren’t women anymore.” An article published on returnofkings.com showed a number of social factors which push men to not commit, but it all boils down to one problem: modern women’s attitude.

Venker also noted how men always take the blame when relationships fail to work out. “Men are tired,” she wrote. “Tired of being told there’s something fundamentally wrong with them. Tired of being told that if women aren’t happy, it’s men’s fault.”

Some may assume that men are opting out of marriage due to women’s newfound power and freedom. But the reasons behind this trend are about more than just single women gaining power. The reasons have more to do with how society continuously victimizes both sexes. For a relationship to work, both parties should have mutual respect for each other.

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