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From: llama@eleazar.dartmouth.edu (Joe Francis)
Newsgroups: soc.feminism
Subject: Re: Name Change After Marriage
Message-ID: <23824@dartvax.Dartmouth.EDU>
Date: 21 Aug 90 21:29:22 GMT
References: <220@sierra.STANFORD.EDU> <24409@megaron.cs.arizona.edu>
Sender: ambar@ora.com (Jean Marie Diaz)
Organization: Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
Lines: 30
Approved: ambar@ora.com

In article <24409@megaron.cs.arizona.edu> bweiss@cs.arizona.edu (Beth Weiss) writes:

>I have to admit I'm always slightly amazed when I meet a
>professional woman who changed her name when she got married.  The
>older the woman when she married, the more amazed I am.  To me,
>it means that she's not completely serious about her own career, and
>she's willing to let it take second place to her husband's.

You are exaggerating.  I have known professional women to change their
name with no damage to their career - in fact the vast majority I 
know fall into that category.  Only some careers/situations cause
your name to affect your value in the work market.

And finally, it is untrue that changing names necessarily means 
"taking second place to your husband".  If a women feels this way,
then that is an excellent reason for her not to change her name.
That is not a reason for women who do not feel that way to not change
their name.  A friend of mine claims to be looking foward to 
changing her name when married - she simply doesn't like her present
(last) name (and yes, she is considering changing it anyway, without
marriage).

I can certainly understand anyone's attachment to their name.  I
have no intentions of changing my name should I marry, even if my
spouse should desire me to.  It is a mistake, however, to get up
on the soap box and tell us that women (or men) who change their
name at marriage are somehow devaluing themselves.  

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