Commenting on more women here marrying men who are less educated than them, SMU Dean of Students and Professor of Sociology (Practice) Paulin Straughan said that under a patriarchal system, it was more acceptable for a woman to marry up and for a man to typically marry a woman with an equal or lower educational level than himself. But gender roles and expectations are changing, she noted. Prof Straughan said, "Now we see the gap closing as women are more educated and more capable, and...don't need to marry to gain social mobility."