Females Fight Sexist Forbes Feature

"Careers and Marriage," an article by Forbes Editor Michael Noer, was originally published on Aug. 22 on Forbes.com. Immediately following its release, public outrage forced magazine editors to pull the story from the website. A few hours later, the article was posted again along with a female rebuttal. The article states that a successful and educated woman is "more likely to get divorced, more likely to cheat and less likely to have children. And if they do have kids, they are more likely to be unhappy about it." I believe I speak for all William Paterson University female students and faculty members when I say that this is the most asinine thing I have ever heard! Noer uses sociological research to paint a type of "damned if you do, damned if you don't" scenario. He depicts women as being unsatisfied whether they make more money than their spouses or if they stay home. I guess it just happens to be a coincidence then that the researchers he cites are all male, right? Noer goes on to say that the lack of labor specialization that arises when both parties work outside the home contributes to divorce. In other words, he is complaining that he would actually have to put in some time doing housework and other chores instead of depending on "the maid" to do everything for him. Is it really important who does what around the house? What counts is that it gets done, right? The editor uses additional literature to indicate that "when your spouse works outside the home, chances increase that he or she will meet someone more likable than you." Thank you for that insight, genius. Noer even gives statistics citing that "those with graduate degrees are 1.75 times more likely to have cheated that those with high school diplomas." I am not sure where he found this supporting evidence, but I am rather confident that the study is not merely referencing women. There is no such correlation between working women and cheating because infidelity is present everywhere. It is hypocritical to assign women this double standard when men do the same thing. Elizabeth Corcoran, a member of Forbes' Silicon Valley bureau, offered a rebuttal to Noer's argument. In it, she gives examples from her own marriage that discredit the points he makes. "The essence of a good marriage is that both people have to learn to change and keep adapting," she said. The bottom line is marriage is a commitment. Some couples have what it takes to make it work, while others need to go their separate ways. There are numerous factors that must be considered. It is unfair to blame working women for the skyrocketing divorce rates in our country. Remember that we are in 2006, not 1950. Gender roles have drastically changed. Society cannot emphasize to women how important it is to get an education only to turn around and say that this may sabotage future relationships. Considering that there are more female than male college students and graduates, it will be rather difficult to find a date anywhere if men follow Noer's advice. To view this article, visit http://www.forbes.com/2006/08/23/Marria ge-Careers-Divorce_cx_mn_land.html.