Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: Notesfiles $Revision: 1.7.0.5 $; site uiucdcs Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxn!ihnp4!inuxc!pur-ee!uiucdcs!seefromline 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 :-)