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From: kaufman@uiucdcs.Uiuc.ARPA
Newsgroups: net.singles
Subject: Re:  More Men Than Women?
Message-ID: <26600133@uiucdcs>
Date: Tue, 16-Jul-85 12:21:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: uiucdcs.26600133
Posted: Tue Jul 16 12:21:00 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 18-Jul-85 05:30:43 EDT
Lines: 42
Nf-ID: #N:uiucdcs:26600133:000:2312
Nf-From: uiucdcs.Uiuc.ARPA!kaufman    Jul 16 11:21:00 1985



> >Essentially, as we get older, there are FEWER men "available" for partnering
> >for a variety of sociological and biological reasons.  More female babies
> >were born, a higher childhood mortality rate for males, and a shorter life
> >expectancy for males in general are cited as the major biological reasons
 
> Personally, I have nearly always dated men
> from two to ten years older than myself because I find
> I have more in common with them.  And it is true that
> as time goes on, the number of (available)
> men in that category decreases.

A good friend of mine told me a story about an uncle (I believe) of hers who
always had trouble with women until he turned 25 and BINGO - there were
suddenly hordes of available 25-year-old women just waiting to get involved
with him.  I always considered that perception utter hogwash; after all,
when you are 24, where are all those 25-year-olds who will come knocking at
your door in a year?  They're out there being 24, no?  Anyhow, two of the
reasons Moira presents, the life expectancy and mortality rates, would seem
to be insignificant at this age.  Then let us consider only a greater birth
rate for females, and how it would affect these observations.

If I recall, the overall female-male ratio in this country is 53-47.  Given
that some of this imbalance would be due to mortality rates in higher age
groups, the ratio at age 25 would be no worse than 52-48, and perhaps more
even.  If 50% of the men at that age are married or in an equivalent state
of committment, that makes the available ratio 28-24, or 54-46, which wouldn't
seem to be as overwhelming as described above.  If the 50% becomes 75%, the
ratio becomes 16-12, or 57-43, perhaps a borderline condition.  Of course,
this varies with geographical area.  Still, such a change wouldn't be noticible
at 25, unless a lot of people are committing themselves at 24.

So, while perhaps at advanced ages, the pool of available men becomes sparse,
I find it difficult to believe that this cataclysmically happens at a certain
age.  It would seem that the best strategy for women is to keep other men from
marrying anyone but themselves :-)  (isn't it fun what can be done with
statistics?)

From the Central Illinois Hug Distribution Center,
Ken Kaufman (uiucdcs!kaufman)
Soon to turn 25 :-)