The ego of the male has taken a psychological as well as economic 'thumping' in the last thirty years.  thinkof the emasculation of the blue collar workers! 

Educated women are not seen as a threat to the male-ness of the head of the household as they used to be.  call it a social shift.  There is also a shift, an increase, in the number of educated women.  Lest we forget, there is strength in numbers!

Consider the matriarchal tone of the television series “Sex In The City”.

I am not saying that it is either good or bad. I am merely pointing to it as “as sign of our times.”

As I first read this thread, male ego made me think of female ego and the poetry of Emily Dickenson.

I think the point in the article I found most interesting is that marriage is more common among those who are financially independent. One less worry, indeed. Money problems only exaggerate a weakness in any marriage. People have always seen marriage as a way to consolidate finances. Also man would marry down anymore? One income is not enough.

From another perspective, these days, really, who would have a kid intentionally without financial independence? All I hear from married friends is how much they spend on their kids and all the worry surrounding child rearing and children growing into their independence. Someday, I would like to adopt an older child out of foster care. I think when I get tenure, have financial security. If I were married to a second income (lol), even better.

Laury,

your comment above makes me question His words:
al malo wa al banoon, zeinat al hayat ad-dunia

Zeinat?? NO.. A source of headaches and heart attacks
do you suppose His thoughts were limited to the time of the prophet or is there something wrong with the social priorities as we have them today?

Salams Center,

I wasn’t advising what you suggest. I was actually being a little wry there. But in truth I do think that not being able to afford food, health care, utilities and clothing for one’s children is no small matter. I am not saying not to have children, I’m not saying that we should try to escape suffering. There is no escape from suffering with money or not. There is no escape from joy with money or not. But money sure comes in handy at the grocery store.