Unpopular Science 230310

A collection of unvetted, but interesting recent ideas

This week, in no particular order, we present some topics on marriage, COVID, vaccines, and more that aren’t quite appropriate for general distribution. Read at your own risk.

Women and Marriage

Time asks  Why Don’t More Women Propose?

Men make the overwhelming majority of marriage proposals. Michele Velazquez, who helps plan proposals with her company The Heart Bandits, says she has seen no increase in the number of women proposing in the 13 years she has been in business. She estimates that only three women from heterosexual couples contact her per year.

Men still buy women expensive engagement rings, even when a couple already shares expenses. American women married to men continue to take their husband’s last names, at a rate of 80:20

The latest figures from the U.S. Census Bureau say that there are only 90 unmarried men for every 100 unmarried women. More women than ever are earning money of their own and thus less reliant on men for financial stability. And most women are already living with the men they are going to marry before any proposal is plotted.

Rosemary Hopcroft, professor emeritus of sociology at University of North Carolina, Charlotte points to studies that suggest that across different cultures, women value partners who are providers more than men do.