Although women are still largely making less money than men nationally, married women had a higher level of education than their partners as of 2007, according to a report released last Tuesday by the Pew Research Center. Women are now contributing much more to a marriage’s joint income than they did in 1970, according to the study, and generally the marriage rate is decreasing the most among uneducated men. Thus, educated women are more likely to marry. Yoshinori Kamo, a University sociology professor and family sociologist, said although these gains are somewhat economically driven, they are mostly attributed to a more positive societal perception of women since 1970. ‘The constraint on women was lifted,’ Kamo said. ‘Given the gender-equality ideology, it was a matter of time before women outperformed men in education.’ According to the study, the percentage of marriages in which husband and wife have the same level of education did not change much from 1970 to 2007, only increasing by one percentage point. As of 2007, however, there are more wives with a higher level of education than their husbands. Women who had more education than their husbands increased from 20 percent to 28 percent during this time with men decreasing from 28 percent to 19 percent, according to the study. Although this study isn’t directly comparable to college enrollment because it only includes data from native-born 30- to 44-year-olds, the University reflects a higher number of female students over the 37-year of age. The University’s enrollment for fall 1970 totalled 17,887 students, and 39 percent were women, according to data from the Office of Budget and Planning. In the fall of 2007, women outnumbered male students, accounting for 52 percent of the total 28,019 students. This increase in education and earnings growth is largely accompanied by changes in the spousal characteristics of marriage, according to the study. Kamo said characteristics change with the institution of marriage over time. ‘Marriage used to be that relationships were what we call complementary, but that isn’t true anymore,’ Kamo said. ‘Now men are not only looking at personality and attractiveness but for someone who can help get them going. They are looking for a woman who can contribute to the income.’ But when a woman becomes the primary breadwinner in a marriage, her husband may be forced to stay home and do more housework, Kamo said. This change is one he said some men may be reluctant to accept. ‘There’s something men don’t want to relinquish,’ Kamo said. ‘They can’t say that they don’t have to anymore, but they want to hang on to that privilege. That’s what we call a gender inequality – many men are behind the change.’ Kamo said men are behind in the move toward gender equality because they have a tougher time adjusting to a change in the traditional perception of marriage than women do. ‘Men get threatened when they don’t get as much money as their wives,’ Kamo said. ‘Men tend to be more critical of their masculinity being threatened than women.’ Some students said they wouldn’t mind the change. ‘It’s 2010, so I honestly wouldn’t expect my wife to cook and clean while I’m at work,’ said Tommy Weber, kinesiology senior. According to the study, the share of women with a higher income than their husbands increased from 4 percent in 1970 to 22 percent in 2007. And though the 18 percentage point increase is a step in the right direction, the disparity between men and women is still large. ‘I think the term role reversal is overstatement,’ said Dana Berkowitz, an assistant professor in sociology and women’s and gender studies. ‘This does not mean women are making more than men now – they still make around 72 cents on the dollar compared to men.’ While the study reflects a big stride, women still do not receive equal pay in the work place. ‘I know that I’ll end up making less than a man who has the same education as I do,’ said Kimmy Schexnayder, mathematics senior. ‘I just hope it equals out while I’m still working.’ ____ Contact Ben Bourgeois at [email protected]