Acacia Chacon

11/20/14
ECON 211 Paper
Marriage rates in the United States have been on the decline since the turn of the century.
The rate of marriages amongst citizens between the age of twenty-five and thirty-nine has gone
from ninety-two percent during the post-war baby boom, to eighty-one percent in 1971, to only
fifty-one percent in 2010. (Braunstein, Marriage, House and Family) Many factors contribute to
this rapid decline in the rate of marriages in the past sixty years but after reading Nancy Folbres
article The Declining Demand for Husbands it is arguable that the demand for husbands has
decreased over time which is a major factor in the declining rate of marriage in the United States.
The demand for husbands can be defined as a womans preference or necessity for a husband.
Womens preferences for needing or wanting a spouse has declined over the decades due to a
couple of factors which are: A womans increased opportunity for financial independence, and
cultural limitations which inhibit a womans independence and equality in marriage. Equality
amongst the sexes, access to education and higher paying careers has given more women the
opportunity to be financially independent. Statistics show a decreased amount of autonomy and
independence available to women who are married versus those who are single. A
counterargument to this dichotomy between levels of independence both inside and outside of a
marriage is in the statistics that prove outsourcing gendered household labor can stabilize the
gender roles and satisfaction within marriages of affluent couples who can afford to outsource
their house work. This factor shifts the demand for a husband, as gendered expectations do not
interfere with the wifes time or earning potential when household work is outsourced, leading to
a higher rate of satisfied marriages.

A pull factor that explains why womens demand for husbands has been on the decline
would be the increasing availability of financial independence and greater autonomy for women.
In the past sixty years, women have gained greater access to higher education. Higher education
has allowed women to enter into career fields that have higher incomes. This increased human
capital has shifted womens dependence on a second income as well as provided women with
greater autonomy. In 2010, only twenty-five percent of women were seeking a long-term
relationship. (Folbre) This low demand for a significant other is indicative of womens decreased
demand for a husband as women are increasingly attending college, maintaining higher careers
and are becoming increasingly financially independent as well as holding greater amounts of
autonomy outside of marriage.
A push factor that is responsible for womens declining demand for marriage can be
correlated to the patriarchal gender expectations still dominate in marriage markets today. "The
[marriage] contract involves commitments for financial support and family care on terms that
can be completely egalitarian (Folbre) Studies show that at all levels of income, women are still
sharing the majority of the burden in raising children and performing household work which
raises the question of the need for a husband in regards to the supposed egalitarian share of
childcare and household burdens. Additionally, married women who have a higher earning
potential than their husbands earn less in actual income than their potential earning income.
(Braunstein, Marriage, Work and Family) Women who enter into a marriage, statistically, earn
less than their human capital is worth, take on major shares of household work and childcare
burdens, and take on hyper-gendered roles in the marriage. These factors make for less
autonomy and independence within a marriage which could be contributing to the decline for the
demand for husbands and the declining marriage rates in the United States.

A counterargument to the autonomy and independence dichotomy between married and

unmarried women is the rates of marriage amongst affluent couples. When couples have the
wealth to outsource gendered tasks like: childcare, housework and meals they are able to
maintain gender roles without impeding on the wives time spent on earning money. (Folbre)
This factor diminishes the non-egalitarian division of labor between husband and wife in the
marriage which leads to a decreased rate of dissatisfaction with the marriage. The same cannot
be said for marriages at lower earnings levels that do not have the disposable income to spend on
outsourcing household tasks. In this case, statistically, wives take on a larger portion of the
division of care work with the home than husbands which reiterates the discriminatory division
of labor between wives and husbands in marriages. (Braunstein, Marriage, Work and Family)
Women are increasingly making use of a larger opportunity for financial independence
and autonomy in their careers as compared to years past. Womens increased access to higher
education in all career fields has provided them with higher human capital. Higher human capital
is allowing women to enter into career fields at higher income levels which have historically
been held my men alone. Womens entrance into career fields with higher earning potential
allows for greater financial independence and autonomy for single, working women. Statistics
show that women in marriages take on heavier shares of household work. Married women also
earn less than they would have if they werent married. The disparity between independence and
autonomy amongst women who are married versus unmarried declines the demand for husbands
which in turn has resulted in a decrease in marriage rates in America.

Works Cited
Braunstein, Elissa. Marriage, Work and Family. ECON 211. CSU, Fort Collins. 10/28/14. InClass Lecture.
Folbre, Nancy. "The Declining Demand for Husbands." Economix The Declining Demand for
Husbands Comments. The New York Times, 17 June 2013. Web. 16 Nov. 2014.