Women with university or postgraduate degrees are less likely to marry and more inclined to remain single and childless. This is the conclusion of a University of Chicago study conducted in high-income countries. including ItalyUnited States, France and Germany.
Second article in Al Femminile, from La RepubblicaThe research used data accumulated over a period of up to 30 years. The researchers followed women aged 25 to 44 to understand how higher education redefines the concept of a stable relationship in contemporary societies.
The survey indicates that the trend is not linked to a lack of desire to start a family. The determining factor is the redefinition of criteria. Higher education has guaranteed economic autonomy and greater expectations regarding the quality of partnerships.
Changing expectations
The results indicate that educated women do not reject affection, but rather refuse relationships based on traditional gender roles. According to the studyMany women earn more than men, but find partners who still do not share domestic responsibilities.
For many women, remaining single is a rational choice in the face of relationship models that penalize them professionally and personally. The decision reflects the search for partnerships with an equitable division of tasks.
The absence of public policies, such as daycare centers and equal leaveThis also contributes to the scenario. The role of full-time mother is seen as incompatible with the ambitions of women seeking a balance between personal life and career.
Intelligence and birth rate
Additional data from London School of Economics Studies indicate that as intelligence quotient (IQ) increases, the probability of having children decreases. This phenomenon is observed especially among women in industrialized countries.
In these regions, the opportunity cost of interrupting one's career is a decisive factor. Greater access to contraception and information allows highly educated women to make more informed choices about their family future.
The "new" single woman
The study shows that education doesn't diminish love, but increases expectations. Independent women prefer their own company to relationships that penalize them professionally or overburden them at home.
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