Since 1970, an ever-greater proportion of wives are higher paid, and more educated, than their husbands. That's according to this new report by Pew Research. The New York Times covers it here.This is a positive trend for some obvious reasons. One reason women made less than their husbands in the past was that professional opportunities for women were limited by sexism. This is a sign that that situation's getting better. Also, financial independence makes it easier for any marriage partner, male or female, to evaluate the relationship based on emotional fulfillment without worrying as much about money. Anyone who caught Sunday's episode of Big Love saw how a wife's income can transform a marriage from a dictatorship (benevolent or not) into a partnership.But here's the question: In the ideal society, what should these charts look like? Should we aim for a society where these statistics are identical for husbands and wives, or should we accept some lopsidedness? In other words, when do these metrics indicate natural biological differences between the sexes and when do they indicate sexism?
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