Community Quote by Barbara Dafoe Whitehead
““We've come a long way from the time when the crowning achievement in a woman's life was her youthful marriage. And many would agree that this represents progress for women. But when did the search for someone to marry become self-absorbed and pathetic? This absence of social sympathy for women's ambitions to marry is all the more striking because the social world has cared so deeply about virtually every other aspect of these privileged young women's inner and outer lives. (...) The achievement of a good marriage is the one area of life where the most privileged, accomplished, and high achieving young women in society face a loss of support and sympathy for their ambitions and where the social expectations are for disappointment and failure, not success.””
About This Quote
Critiques how society now undervalues marriage for ambitious women, framing it as a loss of support.
In simple terms: Marriage support declines for high‑achieving women.
Key Takeaway
Advocate broader social support for women’s choices.
Themes
gender
marriage
social expectations
women’s ambition
support
Mood
critical
empathetic
Type
Community:1
Life:1
Long way:1
Marriage:1
Relationships:1
Success:0
Time:1
Womanhood:1
Women:1
Women in society:1
Man's Life:0
Social Expectations:1
Social Sympathy:1
Women Ambitions:1
Youthful Marriage:1
Ambitions Marry:1
When to use this quote
- career counseling
- policy advocacy
- public discourse
Key Concepts
feminist theory
sociology
Questions to Reflect On
- How can society better support varied life choices?
- What alternatives to marriage provide fulfillment?
A Different Perspective
May generalize diverse experiences.
![“The social [media channel] isn't about beauty contests and popularity contests. They're a distortion, a caricature of the real thing. It's about trust, connection, and community. That's what there's too little of in today's mediascape, despite all the hoopla surrounding social tools. The promise…” quote by Umair Haque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c85/umair-haque-25881_beauty_the-social-media-channel-isn-t-about-bea_1270.jpg)
