Anelikogamy1 : A case of sexist prejudice?

Abstract

This paper analyses the age differential between marriage partners. The tendency in a sexist society is for the woman to be younger. Marriages which violate the current stereotype by reversing this age differential arouse hostility despite the fact that on average women live longer than men. Men gain from potentially being able to mate with a cohort of younger women, whilst most women feel unable to consort with younger men. Therefore the inequality of power in gender relationships is accentuated by differences in experience, income and social status. However, a substantial minority of marriages where the man is younger do occur. Individuals require the widest possible opportunity for developing their own styles of living, yet the exercise of such choice is effectively restricted for many middle-aged women, because more of them live alone and a stigma is attached to relationships with younger men. One solution to the loneliness and neglect experienced by many middle-aged women is an urgent reconsideration of attitudes towards those who seek a younger husband. This search is not evidence of a `neurotic personality' (as some would have it), but rather constitutes one possible adaptation to many women's life situation.