"Traditional" men more likely to say, "I do"

USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education), August, 2004

Men raised in "traditional" family households--with both biological parents present and who are religiously observant--are more likely to marry than those from nontraditional homes, according to a nationwide survey by the National Marriage Project at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.

Among the unmarried men surveyed, 55% from traditional households indicate they "would be ready to marry tomorrow if the right person came along," compared to 43% from other kinds of family backgrounds. Unmarried men who attend religious services several times a month, and those who say their fathers were very involved in their upbringing are more "ready" to wed than men who are not religious and whose fathers were not involved in their lives.

The survey also found that married and unmarried men from traditional family and religious backgrounds have more positive attitudes toward women, children, and marriage. "The findings suggest that the experience of growing up with both parents is an important factor influencing young men's desires for, and confidence in, marriage," states David Popenoe, a Rutgers sociology professor and co-director of the National Marriage Project.

The research also identified a small, but significant percentage of unmarried men who might be considered poor candidates for marriage. Two of 10 unmarried male respondents reported a low personal desire for marriage and displayed negative attitudes toward women, children, and the institution of marriage itself. These marriage-phobic men were more likely than other unmarried men in the survey sample to have come from nontraditional families, to be nonreligious, and to have fathers who were not involved in their lives.

Other key findings include:

* 94% of married men say that they are happier being married than being single.

* 73% of married men say their sex lives are better since getting married, and 68% say marriage has helped them become more financially stable.

* 36% of unmarried men contend that "single men have better sex lives than married men."

* Two-thirds of all young men surveyed disagree with the statement that "The main purpose of marriage is to have children."