Why do dancers marry welders?
May 31, 2016 5:25 PM Subscribe
This interactive chart of who marries whom may be a horrible example of data visualization, but it contains fascinating information about marriages by occupation for both heterosexual and homosexual couples. For example, actuaries mostly marry database administrators, though male actuaries in same-sex marriages prefer fitness instructors and female actuaries in same-sex marriages go for carpenters. High-earning women (doctors, lawyers) tend to pair up with their economic equals, and the most common marriage is between grade school teachers. Hints on how to read the chart inside, as you explore the more interesting parings (for example, proofreaders tend to marry optometrists)
The easiest way to find a profession is to use the search box. The jobs are organized by the degree to which they are male-dominated (left) or female-dominated (right), and the chart shows the five most common match ups per occupation, plus the most common male-male (blue line) and female-female (pink line) matches. Otherwise, the color of the line shows whether it is for male members of the profession (blue shading to pink) or female (pink shading to blue). Circles indicate that one of the most common matches is to people in the same profession (upholsters really like to marry each other).
The easiest way to find a profession is to use the search box. The jobs are organized by the degree to which they are male-dominated (left) or female-dominated (right), and the chart shows the five most common match ups per occupation, plus the most common male-male (blue line) and female-female (pink line) matches. Otherwise, the color of the line shows whether it is for male members of the profession (blue shading to pink) or female (pink shading to blue). Circles indicate that one of the most common matches is to people in the same profession (upholsters really like to marry each other).
That is challenging to work with. But interesting nonetheless.
posted by not that girl at 5:31 PM on May 31, 2016
posted by not that girl at 5:31 PM on May 31, 2016
Why do dancers marry welders?
Flashdance, duh.
posted by ejs at 5:37 PM on May 31, 2016 [76 favorites]
Flashdance, duh.
posted by ejs at 5:37 PM on May 31, 2016 [76 favorites]
oh my god I'm a Male Miscellaneous Manager married to a Female Secondary School Teacher! Who knew we were such a cliche?
posted by GuyZero at 5:41 PM on May 31, 2016 [16 favorites]
posted by GuyZero at 5:41 PM on May 31, 2016 [16 favorites]
There must be some additional factors for relative geographic concentrations of the various occupations, though, surely.
posted by Brockles at 5:44 PM on May 31, 2016
posted by Brockles at 5:44 PM on May 31, 2016
I tried to google the answer to "which professions marry least," and only found a purported answer for China. Some other tidbits that came up included.
Farmers, Managers, Salespeople marry within profession the most; miners, maintenance and construction workers the least.
Clergy, optometrists, shuttle car drivers divorce the least; dancers, bartenders, and massage therapists divorce the most.
In China, poets, secretaries, and lawyers marry the least.
posted by little onion at 5:46 PM on May 31, 2016
Farmers, Managers, Salespeople marry within profession the most; miners, maintenance and construction workers the least.
Clergy, optometrists, shuttle car drivers divorce the least; dancers, bartenders, and massage therapists divorce the most.
In China, poets, secretaries, and lawyers marry the least.
posted by little onion at 5:46 PM on May 31, 2016
Software developers and web developers kind of need to get out of the office more.
posted by Artw at 5:49 PM on May 31, 2016 [13 favorites]
posted by Artw at 5:49 PM on May 31, 2016 [13 favorites]
Helloooo female elementary and middle school teachers out there! This artist and related worker would love to acquaint himself with your sweet, sweet spousal benefits.
posted by bonobothegreat at 5:50 PM on May 31, 2016 [25 favorites]
posted by bonobothegreat at 5:50 PM on May 31, 2016 [25 favorites]
would love to acquaint himself with your sweet, sweet spousal benefits
Tip #1: don't ever say "spousal benefits" again
posted by (Arsenio) Hall and (Warren) Oates at 5:50 PM on May 31, 2016 [39 favorites]
Tip #1: don't ever say "spousal benefits" again
posted by (Arsenio) Hall and (Warren) Oates at 5:50 PM on May 31, 2016 [39 favorites]
Female actuaries are most likely to be in same-sex relationships with carpenters. I'm betting there's something going on with small sample size.
Similarly, men in a lot of professions are most likely to marry teachers, but I think that's mostly because there are an awful lot of teachers.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 5:51 PM on May 31, 2016 [11 favorites]
Similarly, men in a lot of professions are most likely to marry teachers, but I think that's mostly because there are an awful lot of teachers.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 5:51 PM on May 31, 2016 [11 favorites]
Why can't people just fall in love and travel in time and space together?
posted by vrakatar at 5:53 PM on May 31, 2016 [11 favorites]
posted by vrakatar at 5:53 PM on May 31, 2016 [11 favorites]
Male Dancers and Choreographers partner with:
[Male] Unemployed, with No Work Experience in the Last 5 Years
posted by KGMoney at 5:53 PM on May 31, 2016 [20 favorites]
[Male] Unemployed, with No Work Experience in the Last 5 Years
posted by KGMoney at 5:53 PM on May 31, 2016 [20 favorites]
Software developers and web developers kind of need to get out of the office more.
I was just saying to my same-profession techie spouse, "Isn't the big self-loop on 'software developers' so romantic?"
posted by Ralston McTodd at 5:56 PM on May 31, 2016 [9 favorites]
I was just saying to my same-profession techie spouse, "Isn't the big self-loop on 'software developers' so romantic?"
posted by Ralston McTodd at 5:56 PM on May 31, 2016 [9 favorites]
I'm an electronic tech and work with lots of engineers, we're all married to registered nurses.
posted by Grumpy old geek at 5:56 PM on May 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Grumpy old geek at 5:56 PM on May 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
The maintenance-of-class-and-privilege implications of this are kind of depressing, particularly when you're looking at low-paying jobs.
posted by gusandrews at 6:01 PM on May 31, 2016 [5 favorites]
posted by gusandrews at 6:01 PM on May 31, 2016 [5 favorites]
"Astronomers and Physicists" and "Writers and Authors" don't even get near each other in the pairings.
My sweetie 'n me are defying the odds!
posted by kyrademon at 6:02 PM on May 31, 2016 [10 favorites]
My sweetie 'n me are defying the odds!
posted by kyrademon at 6:02 PM on May 31, 2016 [10 favorites]
I feel like noting this was illustrated by the person behind Cat and Girl
posted by The Whelk at 6:07 PM on May 31, 2016 [9 favorites]
posted by The Whelk at 6:07 PM on May 31, 2016 [9 favorites]
Female Network and Computer Administrators pair with Female Auto Mechanics
It's like a festival of lesbian unicorns.
Also, this is impossible to use on mobile.
posted by Xyanthilous P. Harrierstick at 6:09 PM on May 31, 2016 [23 favorites]
It's like a festival of lesbian unicorns.
Also, this is impossible to use on mobile.
posted by Xyanthilous P. Harrierstick at 6:09 PM on May 31, 2016 [23 favorites]
It seems like this chart wants to tell us there are no gay people in most occupations...
posted by hoyland at 6:13 PM on May 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by hoyland at 6:13 PM on May 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
Apparently there are no straight female computer support specialists.
posted by soren_lorensen at 6:14 PM on May 31, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by soren_lorensen at 6:14 PM on May 31, 2016 [2 favorites]
The data are indeed horribly arranged; are the professions in any sort of order? Otherwise it's interesting.
posted by a halcyon day at 6:28 PM on May 31, 2016
posted by a halcyon day at 6:28 PM on May 31, 2016
Web Developers need to marry more colorblind people.
posted by cmfletcher at 6:35 PM on May 31, 2016 [15 favorites]
posted by cmfletcher at 6:35 PM on May 31, 2016 [15 favorites]
Apparently I'm single because I never met my Mr. Right, the entertainer/truck driver.
posted by easily confused at 6:35 PM on May 31, 2016 [5 favorites]
posted by easily confused at 6:35 PM on May 31, 2016 [5 favorites]
Switchboard operators are still a thing that exists?
posted by Mitrovarr at 6:42 PM on May 31, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by Mitrovarr at 6:42 PM on May 31, 2016 [2 favorites]
According to the chart, male photographers marry female elementary and middle school teachers. My wife is an elementary school teacher and anecdotally I can say about 50% of my male photographer friends are married to teachers. I started noticing this while in college and its held up over the last 20 years.
posted by photoslob at 6:42 PM on May 31, 2016
posted by photoslob at 6:42 PM on May 31, 2016
Yeah, I don't like how there's usually only one same-sex line of each color. On the other hand, as long as the SO and I call ourselves software developers and not web developers or computer programmers, we'll be okay by the time we get there.
posted by Sequence at 6:48 PM on May 31, 2016
posted by Sequence at 6:48 PM on May 31, 2016
"Elementary and middle school teachers" and "registered nurse" seem to be very strongly represented on the female side, with "Truck Drivers" and "miscellaneous managers" represented very strongly on the male side. I think this might be due to the strong gender bias in each field along with very high numbers of people employed.
posted by Mitrovarr at 6:51 PM on May 31, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by Mitrovarr at 6:51 PM on May 31, 2016 [3 favorites]
Apparently there are no heterosexual female engineers. But they are pretty anti-classist, partnering with female laborers!
posted by corb at 6:52 PM on May 31, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by corb at 6:52 PM on May 31, 2016 [3 favorites]
Librarians and truck drivers are a thing, apparently. *
Dudes driving the bookmobile, maybe? Speaking as a librarian, I would have thought "multiple cats" vastly more likely to appear than truck drivers.
posted by ryanshepard at 6:54 PM on May 31, 2016 [11 favorites]
Dudes driving the bookmobile, maybe? Speaking as a librarian, I would have thought "multiple cats" vastly more likely to appear than truck drivers.
posted by ryanshepard at 6:54 PM on May 31, 2016 [11 favorites]
There are enough Coin, Vending, and Amusement Machine Servicers to warrant their own segment?
posted by ChuraChura at 6:54 PM on May 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by ChuraChura at 6:54 PM on May 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
There are enough Coin, Vending, and Amusement Machine Servicers to warrant their own segment?
Those snacks are going to fill up themselves, man.
posted by ryanshepard at 6:56 PM on May 31, 2016 [6 favorites]
Those snacks are going to fill up themselves, man.
posted by ryanshepard at 6:56 PM on May 31, 2016 [6 favorites]
Would be interesting to integrate this with something like OkCupid's dataset. Seems like there's a bunch of data geeks over there that might be up to the challenge, any takers?
posted by Two unicycles and some duct tape at 7:07 PM on May 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Two unicycles and some duct tape at 7:07 PM on May 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
Librarians and truck drivers are a thing, apparently.
If I'm reading that right, hetero male librarians are basically not a thing, or don't get to marry anybody.
So looks like I'm destined for the cats....
posted by Pink Frost at 7:16 PM on May 31, 2016 [4 favorites]
If I'm reading that right, hetero male librarians are basically not a thing, or don't get to marry anybody.
So looks like I'm destined for the cats....
posted by Pink Frost at 7:16 PM on May 31, 2016 [4 favorites]
Pink Frost: If I'm reading that right, hetero male librarians are basically not a thing, or don't get to marry anybody.
So looks like I'm destined for the cats....
They list the top five, plus the top male->male and top female->female. So if your field doesn't have enough of your gender in it to crack the top five, you might not be represented.
I think the two same-sex links being included no matter how small the sample size has a lot to do why so many of them are weird; probably extremely small sample sizes, maybe even down to one pair.
posted by Mitrovarr at 7:21 PM on May 31, 2016
So looks like I'm destined for the cats....
They list the top five, plus the top male->male and top female->female. So if your field doesn't have enough of your gender in it to crack the top five, you might not be represented.
I think the two same-sex links being included no matter how small the sample size has a lot to do why so many of them are weird; probably extremely small sample sizes, maybe even down to one pair.
posted by Mitrovarr at 7:21 PM on May 31, 2016
little onion: "miners, maintenance and construction workers the least."
Trades skew wildly male. Miners are so skewed male they make trades look balanced. The only miners marrying miners are homosexuals.
Electricians marry, nurses, maids, teachers, secretaries, child care workers. I'm a little surprised there aren't more artists in there but then I'm assuming this is US data and electrician pays better here in Canada.
posted by Mitheral at 7:23 PM on May 31, 2016
Trades skew wildly male. Miners are so skewed male they make trades look balanced. The only miners marrying miners are homosexuals.
Electricians marry, nurses, maids, teachers, secretaries, child care workers. I'm a little surprised there aren't more artists in there but then I'm assuming this is US data and electrician pays better here in Canada.
posted by Mitheral at 7:23 PM on May 31, 2016
Software developers and web developers kind of need to get out of the office more.
It's scary out there in the big blue room.
posted by octothorpe at 7:28 PM on May 31, 2016 [6 favorites]
It's scary out there in the big blue room.
posted by octothorpe at 7:28 PM on May 31, 2016 [6 favorites]
Female firefighters also have no heterosexual matches. Pink Frost, if your male hetero librarians are lonely, maybe we could set them up with the straight firewomen? Although on the same sex side, the female firefighters are partnering with miscellaneous managers, so those ladies are movin' on up!
posted by sara is disenchanted at 7:31 PM on May 31, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by sara is disenchanted at 7:31 PM on May 31, 2016 [2 favorites]
And journalists tend to marry other journalists? Well, guess that explains my status. And there is something kinda cute about a pair of reporters married and working together. Hmm. This needs further investigation in the field.
posted by Aya Hirano on the Astral Plane at 7:39 PM on May 31, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by Aya Hirano on the Astral Plane at 7:39 PM on May 31, 2016 [2 favorites]
Sadly, this chart doesn't tell me which career I should pursue if I want to marry a lighthouse keeper and keep him company.
posted by ejs at 7:46 PM on May 31, 2016 [26 favorites]
posted by ejs at 7:46 PM on May 31, 2016 [26 favorites]
Librarians and truck drivers are a thing, apparently
Book truck drivers, maybe (those little wheeled carts, I mean). IME, librarians tend to pair up with other librarians.
there is something kinda cute about a pair of reporters married and working together
Wasn't that a Cary Grant movie?
posted by octobersurprise at 7:46 PM on May 31, 2016 [4 favorites]
Book truck drivers, maybe (those little wheeled carts, I mean). IME, librarians tend to pair up with other librarians.
there is something kinda cute about a pair of reporters married and working together
Wasn't that a Cary Grant movie?
posted by octobersurprise at 7:46 PM on May 31, 2016 [4 favorites]
Actually it's a Rosalind Russell movie
posted by The Whelk at 7:47 PM on May 31, 2016 [27 favorites]
posted by The Whelk at 7:47 PM on May 31, 2016 [27 favorites]
Proofreaders and dispensing opticians - makes sense, a question of opportunity? Or being orderly in mutually comforting ways?
Truck drivers are getting along with everybody though, apparently, just scrolling up the pink side, from bakers to bartenders. I guess they do get around, professionally.
posted by cotton dress sock at 7:48 PM on May 31, 2016
Truck drivers are getting along with everybody though, apparently, just scrolling up the pink side, from bakers to bartenders. I guess they do get around, professionally.
posted by cotton dress sock at 7:48 PM on May 31, 2016
what career I should pursue if I want to marry a lighthouse keeper and keep him company.
Mermaid?
posted by octobersurprise at 7:49 PM on May 31, 2016 [11 favorites]
Mermaid?
posted by octobersurprise at 7:49 PM on May 31, 2016 [11 favorites]
Proofreaders and dispensing opticians - makes sense, a question of opportunity? Or being orderly in mutually comforting ways?
It's so they don't disappoint their Jewish mothers by marrying gentiles.
posted by subdee at 8:00 PM on May 31, 2016
It's so they don't disappoint their Jewish mothers by marrying gentiles.
posted by subdee at 8:00 PM on May 31, 2016
Apparently gay chefs don't get married at all which seems depressingly accurate
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 8:05 PM on May 31, 2016 [12 favorites]
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 8:05 PM on May 31, 2016 [12 favorites]
Male Unemployed, with No Work Experience in the Last 5 Years partner with Male Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs. Makes sense.
posted by Garm at 8:05 PM on May 31, 2016 [5 favorites]
posted by Garm at 8:05 PM on May 31, 2016 [5 favorites]
Male preschool and kindergarten teachers are another one without a straight match. The best part, though, is that the one match they do get is... wait for it... male word processors and typists. Do those even exist anymore? Maybe they could marry a nice cooper or a blacksmith?!
posted by sunset in snow country at 8:06 PM on May 31, 2016 [4 favorites]
posted by sunset in snow country at 8:06 PM on May 31, 2016 [4 favorites]
Apparently male clergy tend to marry other male clergy? I must be reading this wrong, because I'm pretty sure most churches don't allow that.
posted by lollusc at 8:44 PM on May 31, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by lollusc at 8:44 PM on May 31, 2016 [2 favorites]
welcome to the world of Anglicanism, lollsuc (and the UCC)
posted by PinkMoose at 8:47 PM on May 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by PinkMoose at 8:47 PM on May 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
And the Metropolitan Community Church. And a lot of Reform synagogues.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 8:52 PM on May 31, 2016
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 8:52 PM on May 31, 2016
Sure (my father and stepmother are both Anglican priests). But I still can't believe that it is in the top most common pairings for clergy, given that Anglicans, UCC, Reform Judaism, etc are not the only religions around.
posted by lollusc at 9:07 PM on May 31, 2016
posted by lollusc at 9:07 PM on May 31, 2016
And as my family has found, a double-priest marriage is really difficult, logistically. I can't believe that's more common than inter-career marriages.
posted by lollusc at 9:08 PM on May 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by lollusc at 9:08 PM on May 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
All I see are lines pointing out my failed relationships.
posted by herrdoktor at 9:12 PM on May 31, 2016 [5 favorites]
posted by herrdoktor at 9:12 PM on May 31, 2016 [5 favorites]
The gay steelworkers seem to remain unmarried. They're all about the molten hot party lifestyle I guess.
posted by LastOfHisKind at 9:27 PM on May 31, 2016 [4 favorites]
posted by LastOfHisKind at 9:27 PM on May 31, 2016 [4 favorites]
But I would feel so weird marrying an editor. I'd be constantly afraid that they would ask me to cut a 1/3 out of my best dinner party stories and try not to rely so heavily on dialogue.
posted by thivaia at 9:40 PM on May 31, 2016 [14 favorites]
posted by thivaia at 9:40 PM on May 31, 2016 [14 favorites]
That's why I won't date actors! If they're any good, how would you know if they're lying?
Also they're generally way too cute and out of my league but
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 9:42 PM on May 31, 2016 [3 favorites]
Also they're generally way too cute and out of my league but
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 9:42 PM on May 31, 2016 [3 favorites]
My job never ends up on any lists like these. Closest is "Writers and Authors" which Bloomberg has decided belongs under "female occupations". Not sure how to read the chart form there since I'm a heterosexual man.
posted by gehenna_lion at 9:52 PM on May 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by gehenna_lion at 9:52 PM on May 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
Physicians marry physicians. Or if you're creepy you marry a nurse. Like I can't even imagine a universe where I'd have enough interaction with non-physicians to form a serious relationship with one of them. Plus, I have no idea what I'd talk to a non physician about at the end of the day: "oh, mangoes were on sale today? That's nice, I got bloody puke on my new shoes today. No, not an esophageal varix, just a Mallory-Weiss tear. Your suicidal patient was psychotic because of methamphetamines? That sucks, now lets talk about the 25 ways insurance companies were evil today."
(Note: actual conversation today, not held over dinner due to at least one of us coming home after dinner was over).
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 9:54 PM on May 31, 2016 [7 favorites]
(Note: actual conversation today, not held over dinner due to at least one of us coming home after dinner was over).
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 9:54 PM on May 31, 2016 [7 favorites]
Slarty Bartfast: " Plus, I have no idea what I'd talk to a non physician about at the end of the day"
This can't be a wide spread problem; the majority of featured pairs don't really have much career wise in common.
posted by Mitheral at 9:59 PM on May 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
This can't be a wide spread problem; the majority of featured pairs don't really have much career wise in common.
posted by Mitheral at 9:59 PM on May 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
Mitrovarr: They list the top five, plus the top male->male and top female->female. So if your field doesn't have enough of your gender in it to crack the top five, you might not be represented.
Oh, I see, That makes sense. One MM and one FF, and then given that librarians are mostly female, that would explain the top five being all F>M.
Sunset in snow county: Male preschool and kindergarten teachers are another one without a straight match.
Heh, that would be my brother. (In reality he's married to a woman and I'm in a very LTR with one. So we are obviously exceptions...).
sara is disenchanted: Pink Frost, if your male hetero librarians are lonely, maybe we could set them up with the straight firewomen?
That would be an amusing gender-swapping of the traditional sex symbol stereotypes, there. I like it.
posted by Pink Frost at 10:05 PM on May 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
Oh, I see, That makes sense. One MM and one FF, and then given that librarians are mostly female, that would explain the top five being all F>M.
Sunset in snow county: Male preschool and kindergarten teachers are another one without a straight match.
Heh, that would be my brother. (In reality he's married to a woman and I'm in a very LTR with one. So we are obviously exceptions...).
sara is disenchanted: Pink Frost, if your male hetero librarians are lonely, maybe we could set them up with the straight firewomen?
That would be an amusing gender-swapping of the traditional sex symbol stereotypes, there. I like it.
posted by Pink Frost at 10:05 PM on May 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
I find it so interesting that men so often don't marry their equals — financially speaking — but women nearly always do. This is something I definitely encountered when dating and I have a lot of theories, mostly about ego.
posted by dame at 10:09 PM on May 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by dame at 10:09 PM on May 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
How can one spouse marrying an equal and the the other half not?
posted by Mitheral at 10:38 PM on May 31, 2016 [4 favorites]
posted by Mitheral at 10:38 PM on May 31, 2016 [4 favorites]
I think they didn't normalize their data correctly. Or at least the way I would have. It seems more informative to normalize each profession according to the number of people in it.
E.g. I don't care that hetero female insurance underwriters most often marry "miscellaneous managers" -- because there are just lots of miscellaneous managers -- I care whether they marry miscellaneous managers more or less often than they would if they just chose a spouse at random.
posted by gold-in-green at 10:40 PM on May 31, 2016 [2 favorites]
E.g. I don't care that hetero female insurance underwriters most often marry "miscellaneous managers" -- because there are just lots of miscellaneous managers -- I care whether they marry miscellaneous managers more or less often than they would if they just chose a spouse at random.
posted by gold-in-green at 10:40 PM on May 31, 2016 [2 favorites]
Female software engineers and male writing-his-thesis-for-the-next-god-knows-how-long doesn't even make the list...
posted by stoneandstar at 10:45 PM on May 31, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by stoneandstar at 10:45 PM on May 31, 2016 [2 favorites]
I find it so interesting that men so often don't marry their equals — financially speaking — but women nearly always do. This is something I definitely encountered when dating and I have a lot of theories, mostly about ego.
Yeah. What you do sometimes see is, professional guys marrying their (financial, educational, etc) women counterparts - fellow students or colleagues - the first time. Then there's stress, battles of the will, divorce. From marriage #2 on (if applicable), the wives get younger and less "collegial" (as dudes' status and pay increase). I assume the hope is that the next wife will make things "pleasant" at home, won't arm wrestle over decisions, will offer "deserved" comforts without complaint. That only works until W2.0 is settled into her acquired status (and feels entitled to do some arm wrestling). Things start feeling less "pleasant", and it's time for another swap. That has to be a lonely road, ultimately.
posted by cotton dress sock at 11:29 PM on May 31, 2016 [6 favorites]
Yeah. What you do sometimes see is, professional guys marrying their (financial, educational, etc) women counterparts - fellow students or colleagues - the first time. Then there's stress, battles of the will, divorce. From marriage #2 on (if applicable), the wives get younger and less "collegial" (as dudes' status and pay increase). I assume the hope is that the next wife will make things "pleasant" at home, won't arm wrestle over decisions, will offer "deserved" comforts without complaint. That only works until W2.0 is settled into her acquired status (and feels entitled to do some arm wrestling). Things start feeling less "pleasant", and it's time for another swap. That has to be a lonely road, ultimately.
posted by cotton dress sock at 11:29 PM on May 31, 2016 [6 favorites]
There's a much more readable version of the chart at Dorothy's website.
posted by kaibutsu at 11:31 PM on May 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by kaibutsu at 11:31 PM on May 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
Apparently my match is with a male accountant, but I'm actually married to a female accountant in reality. Perhaps this chart is trying to tell me something.
posted by L.P. Hatecraft at 11:38 PM on May 31, 2016
posted by L.P. Hatecraft at 11:38 PM on May 31, 2016
Female counsellors marry truck drivers. I wonder if this is because truck driver is the most common profession in the US or if counsellors wittingly choose husbands who are on the road all the time.
posted by Chaussette and the Pussy Cats at 11:53 PM on May 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Chaussette and the Pussy Cats at 11:53 PM on May 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
> How can one spouse marrying an equal and the the other half not?
More men than women in high-pay professions?
posted by dame at 11:56 PM on May 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
More men than women in high-pay professions?
posted by dame at 11:56 PM on May 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
Male Bartenders partner with
Waiters and WaitressesHealth Practitioner Support Technologists and Technicians
Makes sense. I was long married before I took up cocktails, so my being married to a risk management analyst is a non-surprising outlier.
posted by Pirate-Bartender-Zombie-Monkey at 12:11 AM on June 1, 2016
Waiters and WaitressesHealth Practitioner Support Technologists and Technicians
Makes sense. I was long married before I took up cocktails, so my being married to a risk management analyst is a non-surprising outlier.
posted by Pirate-Bartender-Zombie-Monkey at 12:11 AM on June 1, 2016
That there are enough lesbian Computer and Information Systems Managers to be statistically significant makes me happy. Also that they marry Database Administrators. It is a most cromulent coupling.
That there are zero lines for hetero women CIS managers confirms my anecdotal observations (as one who is single). Sigh.
posted by fraula at 1:38 AM on June 1, 2016 [3 favorites]
That there are zero lines for hetero women CIS managers confirms my anecdotal observations (as one who is single). Sigh.
posted by fraula at 1:38 AM on June 1, 2016 [3 favorites]
Lawyers marry lawyers. Nice to see my anecdata verified by cold, pitiless numbers! I wonder whether it's because the only people who can stand us are other lawyers, because we so rarely leave the office, or because we tend to live in places with loads and loads of lawyers? (Seriously, something like one out of every twelve adults in DC is a lawyer.)
posted by Mr. Excellent at 3:16 AM on June 1, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by Mr. Excellent at 3:16 AM on June 1, 2016 [3 favorites]
Apparently male clergy tend to marry other male clergy? I must be reading this wrong, because I'm pretty sure most churches don't allow that.
What it showed me is that gay clergy tend to be married to clergy, but straight male clergy tend to be married to teachers. Female clergy marry male clergy. (Absolutely none of that is surprising to me.)
posted by Pater Aletheias at 4:43 AM on June 1, 2016 [2 favorites]
What it showed me is that gay clergy tend to be married to clergy, but straight male clergy tend to be married to teachers. Female clergy marry male clergy. (Absolutely none of that is surprising to me.)
posted by Pater Aletheias at 4:43 AM on June 1, 2016 [2 favorites]
They didn't claim to test for statistical significance, so most of these pairings are likely "top five" only by meaninglessly thin margins. (And as gold-in-green points out, they don't seem to have considered professions' frequency in the population) It's fun to look through an essentially random list of professions and snicker about fun matchups, and that seems like the spirit people are taking it in, but I reserve the right to grumble when someone goes to the trouble to derive and publicize wrong results from real data.
posted by xris at 4:46 AM on June 1, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by xris at 4:46 AM on June 1, 2016 [3 favorites]
Every single male profession that contains any variety of the word word "engineer" (including partial matches like "small engine mechanic," and "engineer" in the literal sense of "the guy who drives the train") matches with female registered nurses and elementary/middle school teachers. Every single one. There's a sociology Ph.D on how an entire swatch of humanity has managed to offload emotional labor, waiting in the wings for the first person who wants to dive into a billion interviews with emotionally stunted men who marry surrogate maternal figures.
Disclaimer: I am an engineer who married a middle school teacher. No comment.
posted by Mayor West at 4:58 AM on June 1, 2016 [12 favorites]
Disclaimer: I am an engineer who married a middle school teacher. No comment.
posted by Mayor West at 4:58 AM on June 1, 2016 [12 favorites]
I find it so interesting that men so often don't marry their equals — financially speaking — but women nearly always do. This is something I definitely encountered when dating and I have a lot of theories, mostly about ego.
There has been a big rise in what I think is called assortive marriage -- when people marry financial equals. Back in the day, the pattern was that a man who was well off (say, a doctor) would marry a woman with less education and less earning power (obviously reflecting the reduced opportunities for women also), whereas these days the pattern is much more people marrying within their educational and financial class -- people who went to graduate school marry each other, people who didn't finish high school marry each other (if they marry at all, since marriage is also becoming a thing more often done by better-off people).
It's easy to think of reasons why this happens in a time of economic uncertainty and more difficulty in maintaining a middle class lifestyle on one income, but it is also producing a more class-divided society with fewer paths for people to change their class situation through marriage and less mixing overall.
And there has been a lot of attention (and some very interesting previous FPPs) on the specific issue of dating and how women's options can become constrained.
posted by Dip Flash at 5:37 AM on June 1, 2016 [1 favorite]
There has been a big rise in what I think is called assortive marriage -- when people marry financial equals. Back in the day, the pattern was that a man who was well off (say, a doctor) would marry a woman with less education and less earning power (obviously reflecting the reduced opportunities for women also), whereas these days the pattern is much more people marrying within their educational and financial class -- people who went to graduate school marry each other, people who didn't finish high school marry each other (if they marry at all, since marriage is also becoming a thing more often done by better-off people).
It's easy to think of reasons why this happens in a time of economic uncertainty and more difficulty in maintaining a middle class lifestyle on one income, but it is also producing a more class-divided society with fewer paths for people to change their class situation through marriage and less mixing overall.
And there has been a lot of attention (and some very interesting previous FPPs) on the specific issue of dating and how women's options can become constrained.
posted by Dip Flash at 5:37 AM on June 1, 2016 [1 favorite]
The fact that sysadmins and web developers tend to marry teachers makes me really worry about my colleagues ...
posted by oheso at 5:40 AM on June 1, 2016
posted by oheso at 5:40 AM on June 1, 2016
Women glaziers in same sex marriages marry ushers and ticket takers, according to this, and upholsterers marry each other, as do butchers. And if you are a heterosexual male who wants to marry an elementary or middle school teacher, get in line, buddy, because they are super busy being married to literally EVERYONE.
posted by taz at 6:06 AM on June 1, 2016 [5 favorites]
posted by taz at 6:06 AM on June 1, 2016 [5 favorites]
My husband also had a throwaway funny line about how nobody but women trained to deal with a classroom of children could handle engineers, but I think there really is something there about women who are used to handling other people's emotional labor marrying people who consistently insist that emotional labor is not something that needs to be a part of their professional life.
posted by corb at 6:28 AM on June 1, 2016 [9 favorites]
posted by corb at 6:28 AM on June 1, 2016 [9 favorites]
dame: "More men than women in high-pay professions?"
But then women would be marrying up (financially) rather than equal.
posted by Mitheral at 7:22 AM on June 1, 2016
But then women would be marrying up (financially) rather than equal.
posted by Mitheral at 7:22 AM on June 1, 2016
There are no straight married female network and computer sys admins. I don't exist, and I'm not sure how I feel about that...
posted by Anne Neville at 7:23 AM on June 1, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Anne Neville at 7:23 AM on June 1, 2016 [1 favorite]
oheso: The fact that sysadmins and web developers tend to marry teachers makes me really worry about my colleagues ...
Almost all educated, male-skewed professions link back to teachers. I think it's just because educated marries educated and teachers are both a very numerous profession and skew heavily female.
posted by Mitrovarr at 7:38 AM on June 1, 2016 [3 favorites]
Almost all educated, male-skewed professions link back to teachers. I think it's just because educated marries educated and teachers are both a very numerous profession and skew heavily female.
posted by Mitrovarr at 7:38 AM on June 1, 2016 [3 favorites]
> "And if you are a heterosexual male who wants to marry an elementary or middle school teacher, get in line, buddy, because they are super busy being married to literally EVERYONE."
Have we considered the possibility that the statistics are being thrown off by one particularly efficient school teacher who marries someone new every couple of hours or so?
posted by kyrademon at 8:00 AM on June 1, 2016 [11 favorites]
Have we considered the possibility that the statistics are being thrown off by one particularly efficient school teacher who marries someone new every couple of hours or so?
posted by kyrademon at 8:00 AM on June 1, 2016 [11 favorites]
So is the data available to us or do we only get this stupid chart? Dorothy's looked much better, but they just picked some occupations (and totally left out actuaries!).
posted by LizBoBiz at 9:02 AM on June 1, 2016
posted by LizBoBiz at 9:02 AM on June 1, 2016
They used the American Community Survey 2014 and all the data (and much, much more) is publicly available from the census bureau. The Minnesota Population Center also hosts the data on their awesome IPUMS site -- just don't use if for evil.
And, if you do dig into it you'll quickly realize how ridiculous it is to give credence to any but the most large scale correlations in the Bloomberg chart.
posted by paper chromatographologist at 9:14 AM on June 1, 2016 [1 favorite]
And, if you do dig into it you'll quickly realize how ridiculous it is to give credence to any but the most large scale correlations in the Bloomberg chart.
posted by paper chromatographologist at 9:14 AM on June 1, 2016 [1 favorite]
All right, this management analyst is marrying his equal! ...hm.
posted by psoas at 9:17 AM on June 1, 2016
posted by psoas at 9:17 AM on June 1, 2016
Why do dancers marry welders?
Someone has obviously never been to like, burning man/oregon county fair/etc.
posted by emptythought at 9:27 AM on June 1, 2016 [5 favorites]
Someone has obviously never been to like, burning man/oregon county fair/etc.
posted by emptythought at 9:27 AM on June 1, 2016 [5 favorites]
Lawyers marry lawyers. Nice to see my anecdata verified by cold, pitiless numbers! I wonder whether it's because the only people who can stand us are other lawyers, because we so rarely leave the office, or because we tend to live in places with loads and loads of lawyers? (Seriously, something like one out of every twelve adults in DC is a lawyer.)
A lot of (dull) lawyer-lawyer pairs I know got together during law school. Which I never understood. I want to come home from debating with people every damn day and have my upholsterer husband sit me down on our beautiful sofa and give me a martini and a foot massage,* or whatever. The thought of spending leisure time trapped in a house with another lawyer...BLEAH!!!
*is that not how marriage works?
posted by sallybrown at 10:15 AM on June 1, 2016 [2 favorites]
A lot of (dull) lawyer-lawyer pairs I know got together during law school. Which I never understood. I want to come home from debating with people every damn day and have my upholsterer husband sit me down on our beautiful sofa and give me a martini and a foot massage,* or whatever. The thought of spending leisure time trapped in a house with another lawyer...BLEAH!!!
*is that not how marriage works?
posted by sallybrown at 10:15 AM on June 1, 2016 [2 favorites]
Straight male librarian seeks female, any profession. Object: data point.
posted by Devoidoid at 10:30 AM on June 1, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by Devoidoid at 10:30 AM on June 1, 2016 [3 favorites]
I want to come home from debating with people every damn day and have my upholsterer husband sit me down on our beautiful sofa and give me a martini and a foot massage,*
I used to date this incredible comp sci student. I'd go over to his place after 10-12 hours on my feet in a kitchen, he'd hand me a beer about three seconds after getting in the door and spend twenty minutes massaging my feet. BLISS.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 10:34 AM on June 1, 2016 [4 favorites]
I used to date this incredible comp sci student. I'd go over to his place after 10-12 hours on my feet in a kitchen, he'd hand me a beer about three seconds after getting in the door and spend twenty minutes massaging my feet. BLISS.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 10:34 AM on June 1, 2016 [4 favorites]
Please... please introduce us.
posted by stoneandstar at 11:21 AM on June 1, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by stoneandstar at 11:21 AM on June 1, 2016 [1 favorite]
(I'm going to draw the conclusion that I'm not his type, but maybe he wants friends with beer-and-foot-rub benefits?)
posted by stoneandstar at 11:22 AM on June 1, 2016
posted by stoneandstar at 11:22 AM on June 1, 2016
Almost all educated, male-skewed professions link back to teachers. I think it's just because educated marries educated and teachers are both a very numerous profession and skew heavily female.
Likewise:
A lot of the skilled blue-collar male-skewed professions (mechanics, plumbers, welders, steelworkers, plant operators) link to Secretaries and Administrative Assistants.
A lot of the unskilled male-skewed professions (dishwashers, parking lot attendants, painters, grounds maintenance workers) link to Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners.
I haven't figured out what ties together the various occupations that link to nurses. What ties together cabinetmakers, mathematicians, firefighters, and bailiffs?
posted by clawsoon at 5:17 PM on June 1, 2016
Likewise:
A lot of the skilled blue-collar male-skewed professions (mechanics, plumbers, welders, steelworkers, plant operators) link to Secretaries and Administrative Assistants.
A lot of the unskilled male-skewed professions (dishwashers, parking lot attendants, painters, grounds maintenance workers) link to Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners.
I haven't figured out what ties together the various occupations that link to nurses. What ties together cabinetmakers, mathematicians, firefighters, and bailiffs?
posted by clawsoon at 5:17 PM on June 1, 2016
I can see firefighters and nurses, especially in areas where firefighters are also EMTs. Long, similar hours, high stress... that might be a journey best taken with someone on a similar journey. And think of all the cute "we met in the ER" stories!
posted by vrakatar at 5:49 PM on June 1, 2016
posted by vrakatar at 5:49 PM on June 1, 2016
Lots of my co-worker nurses are married to cops. I'm still looking for the perfect cabinetmaker.
posted by yodelingisfun at 6:12 PM on June 1, 2016
posted by yodelingisfun at 6:12 PM on June 1, 2016
The big self-loops are mostly anybody who went to med school, law school, or teacher's college, including: Physicians and Surgeons, Lawyers and Judges, Dentists, Pharmacists, Optometrists, Psychologists, Physical Therapists, Other Health Diagnosing and Treating Practitioners, Veterinarians, Medical Scientists, Post Secondary Teachers, and Elementary and Middle School Teachers.
Same thing if you're on a farm: Farmers and Ranchers, and Agricultural Workers.
Or if you create emotions for money: Actors, Entertainers and Performers, and Musicians and Singers.
Clothing and textiles, too: Upholsterers, Textile Winding Machine Operators, Tailors Designers Dressmakers and Sewers, and Sewing Machine Operators.
I'll let someone else sort out the rest of the self-loop list: Assemblers and Fabricators, Retail Supervisors, Butchers, Other Physical Scientists, Air Traffic Controllers, Lodging Managers, Personal Service Supervisors, Food Service Managers, Miscellaneous Personal Appearance Workers, Retail Salespersons, Janitors and Building Cleaners, Software Developers, Other Food Processing Workers, Gaming Services Workers, Real Estate Brokers, and Property Managers.
posted by clawsoon at 6:31 PM on June 1, 2016
Same thing if you're on a farm: Farmers and Ranchers, and Agricultural Workers.
Or if you create emotions for money: Actors, Entertainers and Performers, and Musicians and Singers.
Clothing and textiles, too: Upholsterers, Textile Winding Machine Operators, Tailors Designers Dressmakers and Sewers, and Sewing Machine Operators.
I'll let someone else sort out the rest of the self-loop list: Assemblers and Fabricators, Retail Supervisors, Butchers, Other Physical Scientists, Air Traffic Controllers, Lodging Managers, Personal Service Supervisors, Food Service Managers, Miscellaneous Personal Appearance Workers, Retail Salespersons, Janitors and Building Cleaners, Software Developers, Other Food Processing Workers, Gaming Services Workers, Real Estate Brokers, and Property Managers.
posted by clawsoon at 6:31 PM on June 1, 2016
Have we considered the possibility that the statistics are being thrown off by one particularly efficient school teacher who marries someone new every couple of hours or so?
“the average female teacher marries two educated male professionals during her lifetime" factoid is actually just a statistical error. The average teacher never marries at all. Matrimony Georgina, who lives in cave & marries over 10,000 men each year, is an outlier and should not have been countedposted by Pater Aletheias at 7:27 PM on June 1, 2016 [4 favorites]
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This is a whole sub-genre of M/M romance novels.
posted by not that girl at 5:29 PM on May 31, 2016 [37 favorites]