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Next time you read about 'what women want,' check the research -- it's likely to be flimsy
sfgate.com ^
| January 4, 2006
| Reyhan Harmanci
Posted on 01/25/2006 7:11:49 AM PST by Chiapet
What exactly do women want out of life? Regardless of the complexity of the question, the answers are readily available by the hundreds. All you have to do is pick up a magazine, newspaper or "self-help" book and all will be revealed, neatly simplified, packaged and made readily digestible for a readership with an apparently insatiable curiosity about the desires and needs of women.
But how accurate are those answers? And more to the point, how reliable is the research upon which they are based?
In her new book "Are Men Necessary?" (Putman; $25.95; 352 pages), New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd writes that there is "an epidemic of professional women missing out on husbands and kids." But a University of Michigan study shows that the percentage of married women with advanced degrees has grown, not shrunk, over time.
...snip...
Dowd writes in her book that success disadvantages women seeking to marry and have a family. In an excerpt published in the Oct. 30 issue of the New York Times Magazine, Dowd wrote, "Women moving up still strive to marry up. Men moving up still tend to marry down. The two sexes' going in opposite directions has led to an epidemic of professional women missing out on husbands and kids."
To support this argument, she cites a small-scale study of 120 male and 208 female undergraduates by University of Michigan psychologist Stephanie Brown and UCLA psychologist Brian Lewis that found men would rather marry women in subordinate jobs. Dowd also relied on a British study that used data from a group of men and women born in 1921, which found that women's "desirability" dropped as their IQs increased.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: dowd; modo; mothers; women
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Interesting article on the bad research that reporters use to support their women's trends articles. Surprise surprise, it appears that Maureen Dowd used questionable research in her book.
1
posted on
01/25/2006 7:11:51 AM PST
by
Chiapet
To: Chiapet
2
posted on
01/25/2006 7:15:35 AM PST
by
Ouderkirk
(Funny how death and destruction seems to happen wherever Muslims gather...)
To: Chiapet
Is Dowd saying her desirability dropped, because she has a high IQ? Is this a "woe is me" type of rant from her?
3
posted on
01/25/2006 7:15:41 AM PST
by
Pan_Yans Wife
("Death is better, a milder fate than tyranny. "--Aeschylus)
To: Pan_Yans Wife
Dowd's IQ is inversely proportional to her (age*weight*girth)^2
4
posted on
01/25/2006 7:17:37 AM PST
by
Ouderkirk
(Funny how death and destruction seems to happen wherever Muslims gather...)
To: Ouderkirk
5
posted on
01/25/2006 7:18:41 AM PST
by
Buck W.
(Yesterday's Intelligentsia are today's Irrelevantsia.)
To: Pan_Yans Wife
That's what it sounded like to me. Especially since, after she was confronted with her bad research, she essentially recanted the statement saying that it wasn't intended to be taken seriously.
6
posted on
01/25/2006 7:18:58 AM PST
by
Chiapet
To: Ouderkirk
Sorry, I forgot the rule :)
7
posted on
01/25/2006 7:19:24 AM PST
by
Chiapet
To: Chiapet
What do women want?
"Tupperware."
8
posted on
01/25/2006 7:19:26 AM PST
by
atomicpossum
(Replies must follow approved guidelines or you will be kill-filed without appeal.)
To: Pan_Yans Wife
Is Dowd saying her desirability dropped, because she has a high IQ? Is this a "woe is me" type of rant from her? More like she's preparing her excuses.
9
posted on
01/25/2006 7:20:37 AM PST
by
Ichneumon
To: Maximus of Texas
I'm too good to you ping...
10
posted on
01/25/2006 7:23:12 AM PST
by
Millee
(I've got FRiends in low places...)
To: atomicpossum
This has nothing to do with the article, but wasn't it WKRP that had the episode with the Thanksgiving turkey drop?
11
posted on
01/25/2006 7:26:43 AM PST
by
Chiapet
To: Millee
Thank you very much.
Please note that this gesture of kindness does not remove your obligation to pay off your bets.
To: Chiapet
I believe you're right.
Wasn't there a line something along the lines of "but I thought Turkeys could fly..."?
To: babyface00
14
posted on
01/25/2006 7:33:57 AM PST
by
Chiapet
To: Chiapet
Dowd writes in her book that success disadvantages women seeking to marry and have a family.
15
posted on
01/25/2006 7:34:30 AM PST
by
Prime Choice
(We are RepubliCANs, not RepubliCAN'Ts.)
To: Pan_Yans Wife
Dumpy Dowd is just making excuses for her failure in the love and marriage department. Trying to make herself feel better.
16
posted on
01/25/2006 7:35:00 AM PST
by
Laserman
To: Chiapet
Women want
17
posted on
01/25/2006 7:35:18 AM PST
by
Lazamataz
(I have a Chinese family renting an apartment from me. They are lo mein tenants.)
To: babyface00
Wasn't there a line something along the lines of "but I thought Turkeys could fly..."? Mmmmm...could be!
18
posted on
01/25/2006 7:35:28 AM PST
by
Prime Choice
(We are RepubliCANs, not RepubliCAN'Ts.)
To: Chiapet
Even Freud couldn't figure it out after a lifetime of work...
(well, if you call psychiatry work)
19
posted on
01/25/2006 7:36:53 AM PST
by
VOA
To: babyface00
Turkey's CAN & DO FLY...they just can't get very high (50 feet) in their altitude.
20
posted on
01/25/2006 7:37:03 AM PST
by
ExcursionGuy84
("Jesus, Your Love takes my breath away.")
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