It would seem on the surface that everyone wants pretty much the same thing in a marriage. According to research giant Pew Research Center, 80 percent of single women want a man with a steady job, and 70 percent of women want a man whose ideas about raising children are similar to their way of thinking. But, while the divorce rate overall is declining, why is it failing to decline among low-income couples?
The problem
For one thing, money problems always puts more pressure on a marriage, and the lack of money among low-income couples can certainly add more tension to a marriage. But it's more complicated than that. About two thirds of all divorces are initiated by women. Equality in a marriage is desired among women from higher income brackets as well as low-income. However, it is more realistic to expect equality can be achieved in marriages where both couples have college educations. Why?
Women in working-class marriages want equality, but blue collar jobs for men without degrees are slowly disappearing. This means more unemployment for working-class men. At the same time, more women are going to college and willing to work hard in school to try to change their economic and social status. The gap between couples in these low-income marriages often leads to divorce, leaving the man behind.
More women returning to college
Stephanie Coontz of The New York Times also points out "Women have become more secure as their real wages and legal rights have increased." With college degrees and better jobs, these women become more dissatisfied in marriages where the spouses are no longer keeping up.
To read more, visit http://national.deseretnews.com/article/4337/whats-to-blame-for-low-income-divorce-rates.html
