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Source: Top Counseling Schools

Are women caught in a war between evolution and careers?

Today the average age for marriage is:

Males=29

Females=27

In 1990 it was:

Males=26

Women=23

And in 1960:

Males=22

Females=20

But our biological clocks have stayed the same…

44% of women have a child by age 25

Because of changes in marriage timing

This leaves 48% of first births to occur outside of wedlock

Which compounds with 50% of first marriages that end in divorce

That means that out of four children

2 are born out of wedlock

This is because

(1) Women’s earning potential is increased by getting married later.

(2)absentee fathers

1 is born into a marriage that ends in divorce

And 1 is born into a marriage that stays intact

That means that only one out of four children has their biological parents in the same house until they are eighteen.

The trajectory of mating

Females have the most sex at age 25

Males have the most sex at age 29

[age group–gender—percent engaging in vaginal intercourse]

14-15 y.o.

Male:9%

Female:11%

16-17 y.o.

Male:30%

Female:30%

18-19 y.o

Male: 53%

Female:62%

20-24 y.o.

Male: 63%

Female:80%

25-29 y.o.

Male:86%

Female:87%

30-39 y.o.

Male: 85%

Female: 74%

40-49 y.o.

Male: 74%

Female: 70%

50-59 y.o.

Male: 58%

Female: 51%

60-69 y.o.

Male: 54%

Female: 42%

70+ y.o.

Male: 43%

Female: 22%

Same old folks

Evolutionary theories of human mating

Fundamental dilemma: women:

Access to resources with which to care for children and self

Access to suitable genes in males (attractive personal traits)

Fundamental dilemma: men:

Access to partners of a healthy child-bearing age (fertile)

Assurance of paternity

The optimal age for conditions to be met results in a 2-3 year discrepancy in the ages of partners.

Female sexual trajectory peaks in the mid to late twenties

Male sexual trajectory peaks in the 30’s

2012 marriage stats correspond with these numbers more than ever

[age of marriage—gender]

29—males

27—females

Makes perfect sense, right?

Information or evolution?

Males profit from marrying earlier, females later, but one way or another evolved tendencies are going to get pushed aside.

Pros and Cons of marriage trends

Earnings

Female average earnings by time of marriage and degree

[age of marriage; education level; average earning]

<20

The later women wait to marry the higher their average income

The highest earning demographic are women who have never married and have a college degree.

Male Average Earnings by time of marriage and degree

[age of marriage; education level; average earning]

<20 30

Children

2% of children with two parents live in poverty

22% of children in one parent households live in poverty

For >7 years

Children are 2-3 times more likely to have behavioral and emotional issues when from a single parent home

Single parent family children are more likely to

Become pregnant as teenagers

Drop out of high school

Abuse drugs

Get in trouble with the law

The flags of a productive female workforce are raised, and once set familial boundaries are more porous than ever.

But why do the casualties have to be kids?

[citations]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/03/25/nine-facts-about-marriage-and-childbirth-in-the-united-states/

http://ht.ly/km76N

http://www.theatlantic.com/sexes/archive/2013/03/getting-married-later-is-great-for-college-educated-women/274040/

http://www.children-and-divorce.com/children-divorce-statistics.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/29/sexual-peak-women-28-men-33-myth_n_1554011.html

http://www.nationalsexstudy.indiana.edu/graph.html

http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/journals/3116099.html

http://www.psy.cmu.edu/~rakison/bussandschmitt.pdf