Communication, connection and community

Are women the more social sex?

A year ago this month (May 2004) my friend Jo-Ann Marzullo forwarded an article she read in Newsweek. It was from a special issue focused on women in honor of Mother's Day. According to the article, "Human and primate studies suggest that friendship does for females what status does for males-that it enhances their own sense of well-being while improving their children's prospects for survival."

The article goes on to describe studies of baboons and human mothers. For humans and animals alike, mothers with the most social connections had higher birth-weight babies.

Is it possible that women feel and relate to social status differently than men? My own experience is that for me, and maybe other women's, social status is flexible. Depending on who you date and marry, your social status can change dramatically.

I remember being the envy of my entire high school gym class when my boyfriend drove up beside our field hockey game in his new ice blue Corvette Stingray. Six months later, he was history and so was my new found fame.

Women's wealth and social connections do not seem to be as important to men when choosing a mate as physical beauty. In some instances, status actually feels like it makes women less desirable.