The New Marriage of Unequals

Along the lines of my post from two weeks ago on women and marriage, The Atlantic has an article on women marrying less educated men. 

Once upon a time, it was fairly common for highly educated men in the United States to marry less-educated women. But beginning in the mid-20th century, as more women started to attend college, marriages seemed to move in a more egalitarian direction, at least in one respect: A greater number of men and women started partnering up with their educational equals. That trend, however, appears to have stalled and even reversed in recent years. Gaps in educational experience among heterosexual couples are growing again. And this time? It’s women who are “marrying down.”

Researchers debate whether marriage between educational equals—homogamy—is on the decline. But one thing is clear: The phenomenon of women marrying men with less education than themselves, what academics call “hypogamy,” is on the rise. In fact, women are now more likely to marry a less-educated man than men are to marry a less-educated woman.

The reasons listed in the article are:

• Political divergence - men, especially young men are moving to the right whereas women are more to the left. 
• Love - women's increasing economic security allowing them to marry who they love rather that "a good catch". 
• Availability - Fewer educated men available per educated woman. 

I would add a fourth namely that gender segregation in work. Most plumbers, electricians, carpenters and other skilled trade positions are dominated by men. Such jobs do not require college degrees but are very well paid. 

Law Firms Caving In To Trump

Perhaps not surprisingly several large law firms who  worked for clients President Trump dislikes are caving in to Trump administration pressure and agreeing to $100 million "pro-bono" work for causes he supports. So much for legal ethics. 

I wonder if these firms are thinking at all about how they will be perceived in the future. Germany went through something similar in the early 1930s and firms which aligned with their authoritarian leader did not in the end do so well. Hopefully our country won't go quite so far down the authoritarian path but I suspect that is exactly what the Germans thought nearly a century ago. Time will tell. 

There is some hope however as several law firms are resisting. 

Are Women Giving Up On Marriage?

In a Wall Street Journal article, reporter Rachel Wolfe  explains why women are giving up on marriage. It is an interesting read but it appears to be an opinion piece with few relevant facts. Indeed, one of her key facts - that more men are going to college than women is false and was corrected from the original version.

What we're seeing is that young men are really struggling across a whole host of factors, and they are having a lot more trouble finding paying jobs than they once did. Women, on the other hand, are flourishing, they're just blazing ahead. And so what that means is that women no longer are financially dependent on men to do the things that they want to do in life, including buy houses and have kids. And so more of them are doing it alone. It makes economic sense that if they don't have to settle, they won't. Which is not to say that they don't ever want to get married and find a romantic partner, but it does mean that they don't have to accept something that doesn't meet their standards.

I don't totally disagree with her, but personally I think the main reason women are marrying less is increasing gender equality which allows women who do not have an interest in marrying to not be pressured by society into doing so. And if they want to have a kid on their own, they can manage it both biologically and financially. 

I do not think it is due to a lack of good men. That is a bit silly and sexist. I wonder what Ms. Wolfe's reaction would be to reading an article stating men are marrying less because there just aren't any good women around? 

Crazy Legal System

A recent lawsuit against HP relating to an HP firmware update which prevented their printers from using non-HP ink resulted in a victory for the three litigants. Each was awarded $5000. Their lawyers were awarded $750,000. The award to the lawyers is simply crazy. It clearly shows just how out of control our legal system is. I wish I knew what the true profit margin on the "attorneys’ fees and expenses" was. I'll bet it made up the vast amount although I imagine it was all rolled into the expenses. Just like I have seen in family court. 

Northern California Family Court Corruption

As is the case with most of the country, the family court system in northern California appears to riddled with crime and corruption. 

A 2022 report by California State Auditor Michael S. Tilden exposed widespread corruption within the California State Bar, citing undisclosed conflicts of interest, misappropriation of client funds, and improper handling of judicial complaints. While this report focused on attorneys, the abuses within California’s family courts extend far beyond, affecting countless parents and children trapped in a system designed to extract wealth rather than ensure justice.

Parents in Northern California have come forward with harrowing stories of judicial misconduct, including:

Judges who have been recused continue to issue orders retroactively.

• Children being permanently removed from a parent based on hearsay allegations, without evidence or due process.
• Fraudulent restraining orders issued to manipulate custody arrangements.
• Attorneys engage in abuse of process, coercion, blackmail, and suppression of exculpatory evidence.
• Repeated violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act in family court proceedings.
• Court-appointed minors’ counsels disregard the best interests of children while benefiting from prolonged litigation.
• Children being denied the right to testify, despite legal statutes protecting their ability to do so.
• Secret hearings (“Star Chambers”) that remove children from their parents without notice.
• Systemic bias favoring wealthier litigants who can afford to game the system.

A Great Lawyer Knows The Judge

I was in the elevator at one of my sister's apartment building when a guy came on wearing a sweatshirt with, "A Good Lawyer Knows The Law - A Great Lawyer Knows The Judge" printed on it.

When you think about it, this saying is one of the most cynical sayings about our legal system there is. 

It it is also very true.

Queen Bee Syndrome

I suspect most people think bullies in the workplace are exclusively male. It might be surprising then to learn that over two-thirds of women in the workforce say they have been bullied by other women at work. Such bullies are termed "Queen Bees". 

Labelled ‘Queen Bee Syndrome’, this kind of behaviour arises when women treat their female colleagues in a demoralising manner, either by undermining them or using their social stature to manipulate others into thinking less of them.

The study, which was written by London-based consultant Cecilia Harvey, founder and chair of global showcase platform Tech Women Today, describes Queen Bee Syndrome as the “biggest hindrance to women advancing in the workplace.”