Name Changing

[martian687]

via snailprincess, What Women's Lib?:Some 70 percent of the respondents in a new study feel [women] should also take their spouse’s surname - and 50 percent say that it should be a legal requirement for a woman to take her spouse’s last name. [emphasis mine

Comments

[morganlf]

*headdesk*

[triath]

woah.

[paperclippy]

There is some critical information about who was being surveyed missing. Did they survey only women? Or did they ask men too? How did the results break down by gender? By location?

I'm not surprised that 70% of people feel that women should take their husband's name. I am shocked that 50% think it should be illegal not to (WTF, seriously?).

Also, I have to say, as a woman who took her husband's last name, I resent the implication that changing my name made me lose my identity.

[martian687]

I've spent about 15 minutes trying to find the actual study, but the closest I can get is the abstract. Like, were all 815 respondents men who live in Salt Lake City?

[camlost]

Also, knowing the exact question and options would be really useful. For instance, if the poll options are
1) Women should be legally required to change their name to their husband's name after marriage.
2) Women should be legally required to eat babies
the results are meaningless.

Also many!=majority.

Still 50% sounds crazy.

[sillygoosegirl]

In my experience, people are often really quick to say that something should be illegal, but if you ask the right questions ('what should be the penalty for non-compliance?' etc), they quickly say they really mean 'no one should do it'... and often really don't think it should be enforced in the courts. Or at least won't admit to it.

It seems like people use the term illegal for emphasis without thinking about what it means. Similar to how one might say damn without really wishing the subject to Hell.

[iainuki]

I saw this study and actually wondered if the pollsters were doing something wrong. If it's true, it just makes me breath-takingly angry instead.

[martian687]

We were talking about that at work. Women get stuck in an infinite loop and men do nothing.