"By Her Support, Does She Earn His Infidelity?"

- Pamela Paul, Sept. 24, 2010. The New York Times

In conjunction with...

"Men Earning Less Than Women, Cheat"- August 16,2010. The Times of India

In a study released in August 2010, Christin L. Munsch polled over a thousand men and women about their relationships, discovering what Pamela Paul of the New York Times called a "score... for sexual stereotypes"(Paul). In her study Munsch found that when women were the only source of income, husbands were five times more likely to cheat on their spouses. Analyzing this statistic Munsch explained that it probably stemmed from the intertwined ideas of masculinity and providing for the household (Paul). She also explained that this disturbing statistic held more weight in certain communities. Specifically, Latino men dependent on their wives' salaries were more likely to cheat because the "breadwinning status is "one of the defining features of Hispanic masculinity,"" explained Munsch (Times of India).

On the other side women who earned significantly less than their partners seemed to become more loyal. They have "more to loose", explained Munsch (Paul). Yet, Munsch also discovered that when men earned significantly more than women, cheating ensued at a higher rate than the average. Pamela Paul of the New York Times explained that "the safety zone" is where women make 75% of what men make.

While the percentage of male disloyalty was higher in couples where females dominated the economics, the percentage of overall cheaters was still small. In addition, of couples where the female had a higher income, more education and religious involvment decreased the chances of cheating. Yet, Munsch was adamant that women should take that raise when it comes, and press on as a loving, caring couple, for relationship satisfaction trumped all the statistics.

I found this study fascinating. Investigating Christin L. Munsch's profile on google I read that she initially became interested in this topic after working with women affected by domestic abuse. The connections are tricky. When men have more power, domestic abuse can occur and women are trapped. When women have more power, men (a small percentage of men) have a greater tendency to cheat. How can the cycle be broken? How can we transition to a world where it is acceptable for women to be the breadwinners and for men to stay home, without feeling inferior. As someone in class eloquently said, women are being pushed towards acting like men, yet there is still a negative stigma for men filling the roles of women. Women and men are biologically different, yet all people should probably be held to the same moral standards. Is there a way to transcend or shift cultural expectations as women shatter through the glass ceiling?