Fwd: What Do Men Want In A Wife?



---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Institute for Family Studies <editor@ifstudies.org>
Date: Fri, Jul 17, 2026 at 2:37 PM
Subject: What Do Men Want In A Wife?
To: Bill <billcoffin68@gmail.com>


Looking at Working Class Men's relationships, data from a marriage-oriented dating app, rising materialism, plus the latest from IFS.
͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌    ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­

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Articles From This Week

Family and Nothing Else: Relationships And Purpose for Working-Class Men

by Sam Pressler


Family is often described as the anchor or foundation of a robust relational life. For some working-class men, it’s family and nothing else.


Read the full article →

Wine Moms Switched To Weed, But Their Wounds Haven’t Changed

by Jenet Erickson


We have sold an entire generation of mothers the same quiet proposition: that the way through the difficulty of raising a young child is to feel less of it.


Read the full article →

Materialism And Marriage

by Jason S. Carroll

A family-focused, non-partisan review of the Vice President’s new memoir


Read the full article →

What Do Men Want In A Wife? Evidence From A Matchmaking App

by Rosemary L. Hopcroft



Both men and women who use Keeper want many of the same things in a long-term partner, but men state stronger preferences for youth and beauty.


Read the full article →

What Women On A Matchmaking Site Are Looking For In A Husband

by Rosemary L. Hopcroft



Women’s preferences for a spouse are quite similar to men’s. They place greater weight than men on a potential spouse’s ability to provide for a family.


Read the full article →

Congratulations to Bill Coffin on Lifetime Achievement Award!



A longtime IFS fellow and contributing editor, Bill recently won the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2026 NARME summit. Join us in giving him a HUGE congratulations.



Check out Bill’s Weekly Friday Five →


Weekly Insight

Read more here →

In The News This Week

  1. Lyman Stone wrote an op-ed for The New York Times about impending population decline


  2. Peter Foreshaw Brookes appeared on EWTN News Nightly to discuss the state of American fertility


  3. Peter Foreshaw Brookes was quoted in a National Review piece about friendship and fertility


  4. Brad Wilcox went on the Isabel Brown Show to discuss marriage, dating, and happiness


  5. Brad Wilcox joined the Washington Post’s Make it Make Sense podcast to talk all thing relationships


Will you strengthen marriage and support families with IFS?

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Candidates for IFS Friday Five

1. Fewer People Are Going to Become Grandparents—and No One Has Acknowledged Their Grief

By Laurie Yarnell





2. Family Obligations? Working-Class Older Parents’ Relational Work in Support of their Young Adult Children

Rona Ziv  and Orly Benjaminhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-0307-9442





3. Over 1 in 3 young Japanese not interested in tying the knot, survey finds








Dr. Scott M. Stanley


https://slidingvsdeciding.blogspot.com/




5. How Half-Listening Undermines Your Marriage






6. All or Nothing: How Ambivalence and Indifference Shape the Initiation, Maintenance, and Dissolution of Romantic Relationships

Mirna Đurić1 | Francesca Righetti2 | Giulia Zoppolat3 | Iris K. Schneider4

https://compass.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/spc3.70168




7. I do not have access to this article
Indirect Effects of Individual-Oriented Relationship Education on Children's Social-Emotional Outcomes: A Randomized Controlled Trial of MotherWise

Jenny Lee 1, Yunying Le 1, Galena K Rhoades 1

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42675014/




8. [PDF] Mentalization and couple relationships: A systematic review of associations and interventions

K Hurman, M Shaikh, T Greene, C O'Driscoll - Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory …, 2026





9. Testing the Extrinsic Convergent Validity of Relationship Quality Constructs

  • Charlotte A. Sudduth1,2
    orcid icon
  • Jeffry A. Simpson1
    orcid icon
  • Alexander J. Rothman











11. Doing Future and Love, Marriage, and Family

https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-658-52371-8_9




12. ACF Awards $7.3 Million to Help States Build Prevention Infrastructure to Reduce Foster Care Entries





13. On the Shortage of Marriageable Women






Candidates for IFS Friday Five

1. How to Increase Compassion and Lower Contempt in Relationships





2. Mapping the Mystery of Humanity

https://globalflourishingstudy.com/



3. Strong Marriages.
Whole Families.




4. 

Why Young Men Are Opting Out of Work | Tanveer Ahmed







6.  Downloadable Resource for Parents: The Magic Tablet

https://www.hhs.gov/surgeongeneral/reports-and-publications/screen-use-harms/index.html#magic-tablet



7. Singapore offers families financial support as birth rate hits record low






8. When Men Become Optional, Babies Disappear

Rob Henderson






9.  Lessons From the Field: Designing Professional Development for Military Family Practitioners

 Kalin Goble Mathis1 | Nichole Huff2 | Kristen Jowers2 | Kayla Reed-Fitzke3 | Jasmine Lewis1 | Molly Herndon1 | Kathleen Hlavaty4

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/fare.70271




10. A Preliminary Test of the Comprehensive Model of Post-Dissolution Distress: Predicting Initial and Over Time Changes in Distress Following Romantic Dissolution

  • René M. Dailey1
    orcid icon
  • Zhengyu Zhang2
    orcid icon
  • Lingzi Zhong3
    orcid icon
  • Kyle Kearns1
  • Sarah Varga4





11. How Appropriated Racial Oppression Impacts Black Parent-Child Discussions on Race

https://jbhe.com/2026/08/how-appropriated-racial-oppression-impacts-black-parent-child-discussions-on-race/



12. Couple to climb Kilimanjaro to celebrate 60 years of marriage

by: MacKenzie Michalojko




13 https://www.marriageinitiatives.org/
Number and Timing of Grant Awards.  Since 2022, the CMI Fund has offered seven rounds of grants, and awarded grants to sixteen organizations. The deadline for the eighth round is 11:59 pm ET on:

                       Application          Grant Period

   Round #      Due Date             Begins

        8              9/15/2026           10/16/2026








Candidates for IFS Friday Five

1. Is Your Marriage a Conspiracy Against the World?

Nicole Ruiz and Leah Libresco Sargeant







2. The decisions we should make





3. No one should have to win the financial or legal lottery to become a parent.

https://wapo.st/4cgC2M2 

OR

Extreme inequality is commonplace, so why do people accept it?





4. Michael J. McManus, syndicated columnist of ‘The Northern Perspective,’ ‘Solutions’ and ‘Ethics & Religion’ dies at 85

Author of Marriage Savers and Community Marriage Policies

https://www.editorandpublisher.com/stories/michael-j-mcmanus-syndicated-columnist,262623





5. Building the Benedict Option

Restoring the Social Order Within Our Homes and Churches - Part III

https://instituteofcatholicculture.org/events/building-the-benedict-option/video/1221622779





6. Do You Compare Yourself to Your Partner? It’s Not All Bad

 Zachary Reese







9. Generation AI starts early symposium

9/9 @9am 

https://www.brookings.edu/events/generation-ai-starts-early-symposium/







10. Appropriated racial oppression shapes Black parents’ socialization of children

Sharita Forrest

https://news.illinois.edu/appropriated-racial-oppression-shapes-black-parents-socialization-of-children/




11. Dolly Parton and Carl Dean’s love story: Inside their 60-year relationship

Brianna Zigler

https://ew.com/dolly-parton-and-carl-dean-inside-their-60-year-love-story-12068031




12. Young people still see marriage as ‘ultimate sign of commitment’

Obianuju Mbah










Candidates for IFS Friday Five





2. The World’s Best Managers with Emily Oster

https://earlychildhoodmatters.online/birth-of-a-parent-podcast/





3. Healthy Relationships Florida partners with churches and relationship-education organizations

https://healthyrelationshipsflorida.org/partner





4.  Harmonies of Taste: Shared Music Preferences and Compatibility in Romantic Relationships

 Julia Vigl, Felix Lene Ihrig, Miriam Greif, and Marcel Zentner






5. Love Without Becoming the Therapist: How to Support a Traumatized Partner ...

By Calvin Larkin Tanne


John S. Collier, MSW, LCSW-S 

https://sekybh.com/tag/intentionality/




7. Registration for Winshape 2027 retreats is officially LIVE!

 https://marriage.winshape.org/upcoming-events/



8. The spatial distribution of the U.S. childfree population: Does state context matter?

Zachary P. Neal ,Jennifer Watling Neal






9. Fatherhood and motherhood reshape the importance people place on marriage, according to a study






10. Most U.S. adults have lived with a romantic partner they’re not married to by their early 40s






Lexi DeHart





Thanks
Bill

Candidates for IFS Friday Five

1. Conjoint Exercise among young married couples: Exploring associations with couple conflict, conflict resolution, and communication

OR 





2. Watching TV Together Can Bring Couples Closer

David Haruvi, Yael Bar‐Shachar, and Eran Bar‐Kalifa





3. Brothers and sisters

 Anatoly Liberman





4. The Secret To Lasting Love May Be Hidden In Mathematical Equations

Laurent Pujo-Menjouet (University of Lyon I)

https://studyfinds.com/the-secret-to-lasting-love-mathematical-equations/




5. The 5 R’s for Easing Back-to-School Stress

Rachel Glik Ed.D., LPC for PT

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/creating-soulful-connections/202608/the-5-rs-for-easing-back-to-school-stress




6. Student loan borrowers face steeper ‘marriage penalty’ under new repayment plan

Annie Nova

https://www.cnbc.com/2026/08/10/student-loan-marriage-penalty-rap.html





7. ‘Ring By Spring’: A View Into Christian College Dating Culture

Cassidy Grom

https://religionunplugged.com/news/ring-by-spring-break-christian-college-experience




8. More young Korean women are saying 'I do' as their marriage concerns ease


https://collectivekindness.net/academy/newlyweds-course



10. The objectives of pastoral accompaniment for married couples in the first years of married life in the light of the documents Amoris Laetitia and Catechumenal Pathways for Married Life

Jacek Goleń, Julia Gorbaniuk






‌

Candidates for IFS Friday Five

1. Beyond Reassurance: How Commitment Creates Relationship Security

Brooklynn Garcia and 

https://decidetocommit.com/beyond-reassurance-how-commitment-creates-relationship-security/






2. Too much information or not enough? How self-disclosure in online dating profiles influences attraction and relationship intentions

Birnbaum, G.E., Refaeli, Y., Zholtack, K. et al

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12144-026-09787-y




3. U.S. Instates Military Wife Draft





4. Forever Love with Calvin Copeland

https://www.lightsource.com/ministry/forever-love/series/the-national-alliance-for-relationship-and-marriage-education-narme




5. Free therapy course prepares Florida clinicians to better serve youth and families

Child and Family Studies, College News





6. Being a mother affects health more than being a father

Anna Barbuscia







7. Benefits of middle school program trickle down to next generation

by Aaron Wagner, Pennsylvania State University

https://phys.org/news/2026-07-benefits-middle-school-trickle-generation.html




8. Regulations Are Keeping Families Smaller Than They Want to Be

Anna Claire Flowers, Vincent Geloso, Clara Piano, Lyman Stone

https://www.city-journal.org/article/childcare-regulations-fertility-families




9. Family Structure, a Key Factor Hidden in Plain Sight: The Case for Federal Reporting in Education

Ian V. Rowe, Brad Wilcox, Grant Bailey


 Marilyn La Jeunesse





Thanks
Bill
rainy day in OBX




Candidates for IFS Friday Five

1. New York’s Child Welfare Agency Launches Plan to Involve More Fathers in Their Children’s Lives




2. Together but Alone: Understanding Silent Divorce





3. Families Under Pressure: The State of Family Life

 Elizabeth Raws, Eren Ince, Narendra Bhalla,  Emily Blackshaw and Rosemary Spillman







4. “The most important thing is forgiveness”: Chair of Marriage Care reflects on the ingredients for a strong relationship

Roger Carr-Jones, Chair of Marriage Care

https://zenit.org/2026/07/10/the-most-important-thing-is-forgiveness-chair-of-marriage-care-reflects-on-the-ingredients-for-a-strong-relationship/




5. A Blueprint for Connection: Mapping Interconnected Patterns of Relationship Change in Couples Using the Agapé App †

by 
Ronald D. Rogge
 1,2,*,
Jenna A. Macri
 1,
Khadesha Okwudili
 2 and
Dev Crasta
  

https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/16/7/1182




6.  Romantic Relationships and Socioeconomic Status as Independent Predictors of Health and Wellbeing: Evidence From the United States and Spain

 Inmaculada Valor-Segura1 , Mar´ıa Alonso-Ferres1 and Hannah C. Williamson2







7. Psychologist tips to reduce children's screen time


https://www.corowafreepress.com.au/news/psychologist-tips-to-reduce-childrens-screen-time/

OR

What AIFS' family formation research could mean for early childhood education and care

Fiona Alston





8. What's Behind the Rise of the Beta Mom







9. You can now get marriage advice from your car






Back in early August
Bill


Candidates for IFS Friday Five

1. Across Cultures, One Key to Happiness Stands Out

Tim Lomas







2. 2025 Survey of Income and Program Participation






3. Why Forgiveness Is Good for Your Health

Emiliana R. Simon-Thomas






4. Can Family and Friends Make or Break a Marriage?

Rosie Shrout

https://spsp.org/news/character-and-context-blog/shrout-family-friends-marriage-stability




5. Lord Bailey on the rich keeping marriage for themselves





6. "Dating, Relationships, and Mental Well-Being"

The Dibble Institute, in conjunction with the Senate Mental Health Caucus, invites you to a congressional briefing on "Dating, Relationships, and Mental Well-Being.”

Wednesday, August 5th, 2026.
Lunch and learn from 12:00-1:00 pm.
Russell Senate Office Building, Room 188.





7. [HTML] Economic Costs and Benefits of the Digital OurRelationship Program for Distressed Couples

BD Doss, S Guttman, M Metser‐Waldman, N Ajmera… - Family Process, 2026















10. [PDF] A Longitudinal Examination of Sexual Functioning and Relationship Adjustment in Couples with Infertility

M Uhlich, ZD Peterson - The Journal of Sex Research, 2026





11. FOR THE LOVE OF RELATIONSHIPS – Healthy Marriage: A Pathway to Human Flourishing

Joneen Mackenzie






Candidates for IFS Friday Five # 617

1.The Stability Advantage

Marriage Foundation research director Dr Harry Benson


OR

[PDF] The Timing of Marriage and Union Dissolution


H Benson - Marriage, 2026





2. Behaviors Associated With Improved Relationship Satisfaction: Examining Change in the Relationship Checkup
Erica A Mitchell 1,✉, Patricia N E Roberson 2, Desirée S Woodle 3, James V Cordova 4, Kristina Coop Gordon 

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13282717/



3. Call for Papers: Health Communication

Submit your research to a Special Issue on Digital Mental Health: The Intersection of Information, Media Technology, Mental Health, and Communicative Processes.

Manuscript Deadline: 31 July 2026

Find out more




4. Sustainable marriage: A longitudinal assessment of the styles of marital relationships and marital quality of long-lasting married couples in Switzerland

Olga Ganjour
 &
Eric D. Widmer






5. Couple Relationships and Interaction During Pregnancy: A Comprehensive Review of Key Relational Dynamics
Yujia Huang 1,A,E,F, Xueni Xiao 1,E,F, Chaojun Shan 2,3,E,F, Chuanya Huang 

7. Family expectations reduce the risk of postpartum depression among mothers but not fathers












9. [PDF] Romantic Relationships and Socioeconomic Status as Independent Predictors of Health and Wellbeing: Evidence From the United States and Spain

I Valor-Segura, M Alonso-Ferres, HC Williamson - Journal of Social and Personal …, 2026




10. The role of parental control apps and parental knowledge in adolescents' sleep-related screen use: A nationwide study





11.  Have rising living standards pushed marriage out of reach?

Rachel Sheffield:   TribLive

https://community.triblive.com/news/4083896



12. The surprising factor shaping young Australians' family plans

 Mikele Syron, SBS News