Apparently, your name matters

Ladies, don't change your name after marriage, especially if you care about career progression.

Women who take their partner’s name are regarded as more caring but less intelligent, less competent and less ambitious, researchers from the Netherlands discovered. Moreover, they’re less likely to be hired for a job and are perceived to earn much less at work than those who keep their own name.

This shows how level the playing field is between men and women, and that is not very level at all. It implies that long-existing gender roles are still in effect, and how far we still need to go to bridge that gap. If the simple act of adopting your partner's name after marriage will affect the perception of your abilities, and thus potentially compromise your career, then then the existing patriarchal power structures will persist for a long while yet.

Comments

[kixes]

That's extremely strange! How the heck did they figure that one out?

Personally I don't think I would ever change my name. Firstly, I'm used to it and I like it. Secondly, I don't see the necessity. And thirdly, I didn't particularly like the last names of the guys I have been out with before, and unless someone comes along a really spectacular last name, like Highfalutin or Kirstens (the idea of being called Kirsten Kirstens is just so Pushing Daisies), I don't think I will prefer any of their names to the one I already have.

[Callan Tham]

I think women adopting their partners' last name are getting rarer. I'm just concerned about the continued psychology of gender roles since a benign move like this still triggers perceptions that are not exactly accurate.