UK: Men want to wed ... women want to roam
From http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/0,,176-1045964,00.html
The Sunday Times (Britain)
21 March 2004
Men want to wed ... women want to roam
By John Elliott
The battle of the sexes has turned full circle. Single men are for the
first time more likely than women to want to settle down and marry,
according to a new study.
While men are becoming bewildered creatures yearning for a loving wife,
women are relishing their freedom and savouring life on their own.
Experts say the report, Singletons, by the research company Mintel,
confirms observations that a shift has occurred in relations between
the
sexes.
Women have become ever more adventurous and socially confident over the
past 20 years, while men have become more insecure and anxious.
Nicola Stuber, author of the report, found that unattached males set a
higher store by relationships than women in the same position. "They
are
more likely to prioritise being in a steady relationship and getting
married or cohabiting," she said.
"Unattached women seem more adventurous in some ways than unattached
men -
they are more inclined to take time out to travel and see the world,
and
are also more enthusiastic about self-improvement. Women are becoming
more
independent, but men like to have a steady relationship, so there's
someone
to rely on."
Researchers found, after interviewing 366 singles, that 39% of single
men
believe being in a steady relationship is one of the most important
things
in life, compared with 26% of single women. Men are also more likely to
have marriage on their mind, with 21% considering it a priority
compared
with 15% of women.
Women are more interested in improving themselves than men - 38% rate
"learning new skills" as a priority, compared with 17% of men - and 43%
rate "having good holidays" as important, compared with 38% of men.
The trend for women to travel the world is epitomised by the new breed
of
British round-the-world yachtswomen.Emma Richards, 29, who competed in
the
2002-03 Around Alone solo round-the-world yacht race, said: "It is
difficult for relationships, but I don't regret any of it."
Richards has now found the ideal way to combine her love of the ocean
with
a relationship. In 2005 she plans to co-skipper a yacht in the Volvo
round-the-world race with her boyfriend.
Fellow yachtswoman Tracey Edwards, 41, blamed the sport for the
break-up of
her marriage. She said last year: "It's impossible - sailing and
relationships never work, especially if you are single. Men are less
tolerant of being away. But that's a price you have to pay."
The change is more marked in the younger generation. Adam Grady, a
23-year-old physiotherapist from London, is due to marry his fiancee
Danielle Besant, 23, a trainee dentist, in December. Besant plans to
work
abroad and Grady is happy to move with her.
"There are a lot of aspects to Danielle - her values and attitudes -
that
are very similar to my mum. She's caring, maternal and will be
wonderful at
looking after our family," he said.
"She's keen to travel and wants to work abroad, but if she didn't want
to
go abroad then I wouldn't go as I don't want to spend time apart from
her."
Besant said: "Spending time abroad was something I've always had plans
to
do and Adam was quite happy to go."
Richard Scase, professor of sociology at Kent University and author of
the
book Britain in 2010: the Changing Business Landscape, said: "We now
have
more assertive, self-confident women, much more aspirational than men,
more
risk- taking and more enterprising."
Scase said success in the workplace meant that women no longer needed
to
rely on men financially: "The bargaining power of men in the erotic
marketplace has declined quite dramatically. Men no longer call the
shots -
it's women who pick and choose."
END
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