Marriage improves men.
They work more, have better jobs, give to charity, and attend church more frequently, an award-winning book shows. As impressive as those findings are, the book goes one step farther. Written by Steven L. Nock, a University of Virginia sociology professor, and published by Oxford University Press, the book asserts that marriage contributes to and enhances males' images of themselves and their masculinity, driving them to be more successful, more generous and more concerned about the welfare of others. Drawing on a national database of 6,000 men who were interviewed yearly since 1979, Nock found that marriage with its expectations, rules and customs gives husbands a way to fulfill traditional roles as fathers, providers and protectors. Public opinion, the law and religion clearly define the standards of what a good marriage should be, Nock says.