Couples Matching Preferences Changing

OMAHA WORLD-HERALD -- Dec 27 -- Sociologists at UCLA found that even a $3-an-hour increase in a woman's "premarital wages" boosted her candidacy in the "marriage market." "Men's preferences have changed over time," said Megan Sweeney (co-author of study published Journal of Marriage and Family). "They want someone to contribute to the economic support of the family." Studies have documented that men are contributing far more hours each week to housework. Sweeney's study is part of a growing body of research showing that married men and women are more alike than they were several decades ago, sharing similar educational backgrounds and job experiences. OMAHA WORLD-HERALD

Mark Brooks: Sociologists must be having a field day. One of my favorite books on the subject of the changing preferences of pre-marrieds is Urban Tribes by Ethan Watters.