Ross Douthat observes that wealthy Americans, by and large, have stable marriages and wonders why working and middle-class people don’t. Can we help him out here?
First, let’s put this in historical perspective. Back in the day, the marriage contract was a bargain in which the man worked for wages and provided economic stability, while the woman did the work around the house and took care of the family. While this state of affairs could seem oppressive at times, the bargain was reasonably equal, and made sense.
Fast forward to today. Consider the position of two hypothetical characters, Jim and Anne. Jim has a blue collar job that pays him about $30,000 a year; Anne is a teacher making $40,000 a year. The two can save on some expenses by getting married and living together, but Anne will have to serve both as the primary breadwinner and the person doing most of the housework. If you were Anne, is that a bargain you would make, particularly if Jim’s employment is insecure?
Probably not. The bottom line is that this problem is being driven both by the evolution of the knowledge-based economy and a cultural issue regarding work around the house.