Too Many Women? : The Sex Ratio Question

by Marcia Guttentag

• ISBN13: 9780803919198
• ISBN10: 0803919190
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1983-03-01
• Publisher: SAGE Publications, Inc

Summary

'The basic premise of this provocative book is a startling one - that sex ratios among people on the marriage market have profound consequences for a wide variety of attitudes, values, and behaviors, from sexual mores and behavior to shifts in economic power...the authors share with the reader a wealth of fascinating data and information...a book which is...fascinating, scholarly, provocative and exceedingly well-written.' -- Canadian Journal of Sociology, Vol 10 No 2'Written by social scientists with training and considerable publication in social psychology, this book is a unique contribution to the literature on women, sex roles, and the history of relations between men and women. No similar book is available to the academic community.' -- Sociology, September//October 1983'Here is a highly original contribution to the 'feminist debate' which should be of interest to demographers, whether male or female. A review can only give an indication of the many stimulating, well-documented ideas and arguments advanced.' -- Biology and Society, Vol 1 No 2, June 1984'Too Many Women? is useful for courses on the family and social change but is a necessary reference for those interested in social changes in relationships. The argument is soundly convincing, the case artfully presented, and the book designed to generate considerable interest.' -- Family Relations, Vol 34 No 1'This volume is well written...Bibliography and references are more than adequate. Useful as suggested or supplementary reading in undergraduate courses in sociology of the family, gender roles, or family studies.' -- Choice, December 1983'...this is a book well worth reading. It is controversial, ambitious, consciousness-raising, and informative.' -- Contemporary Psychology, Vol 29 No 5, 1984'this book should be read for the originality of its authors' ideas and the promise of their hypotheses.' -- Signs, Summer 1987

Table of Contents

Introduction: The Sex Ratio Question

Part 1: Clues from the Past

Women's Roles in Classical Atehns and Sparta

Love and Misogyny in Medieval Europe

Sex and Family Among Orthodox Jews

Frontier, Southern and Victorian Women in Early America

Part 2: Observations From Recent Times

From Sex Ratios to Sex Roles

Sex Roles and Family Among White Americans

Sex Roles and Family Among Black Americans

Future Trends in Sex ROles and Family