The Intimate Relationships of Contemporary Spinsters

Several theorists of social change have argued that there are profound transformations in social interactions emerging in the context of wider social, cultural and economic change, including a shift to greater choice and fluidity in personal relationships. Alongside this, there has been widespread academic support for the notion of individualism as a major explanation of family change, with several commentators raising concerns that changing familial forms signal increasing self-centredness and a decline in commitments to others. Remaining single can be seen as paradigmatic of such individualisation, and single women in particular risk being characterised by their lack of connection to significant others. However, there has been relatively little empirical attention to the relationships of single people. This paper draws on research on never-married single women in Britain and analyses their relationships with both kin and non-kin in relation to claimed transformations in intimacy prevalent in contemporary debates. It concludes by considering the implications of the main findings of this research for sociological debates about the changing conceptions of both intimacy and \'the family\'.Intimate Relationships, Familial Change, Single Women

Solo-Living, Demographic and Family Change: The Need to Know More About Men

Solo-living is analytically separate from 'being single' and merits separate study. In most Western countries more men are solo-living than women at ages conventionally associated with co-resident partners and children. Discussions of 'demographic transition' and change in personal life however typically place women in the vanguard, to the relative neglect of men. We draw on European Social Survey data and relevant qualitative research from Europe and North America demonstrating the need for further research.Family Friendship Gender Intimacy Solo-Living One-Person Household

Contemporary spinsterhood in Britain: gender, partnership status and social change

An increase in spinsterhood is one aspect of recent changes in family and household formation. Family change has been the focus of much academic and political attention, however there is little contemporary research on singleness. This thesis explores the experiences and meanings of contemporary spinsterhood, and considers the extent to which these have altered in the context of recent social change. Quantitative analysis of the British Household Panel Survey demonstrates that recent cohorts of men and women are experiencing longer periods of singleness prior to the formation of any residential partnership. This thesis explores the life histories of thirty-seven nevermarried single women aged between thirty-five and eighty-three, an age range permitting a consideration of continuities and changes in experiences of singleness over time. This sample included mothers who had 'opted into' solo motherhood via artificial insemination and adoption. The thesis utilised narrative analysis to consider participants' experiences of singleness in relation to social networks and caring relationships, education and employment experiences, and gendered subjectivities. The role of social and institutional contexts in shaping these women's choices and experiences is also considered. This exploration of the actualities of contemporary women's lives found that gender and partnership status continue to structure the possibilities and strategies available to women in both the private and the public sphere. However, their varying experiences also demonstrate significant material and cultural changes, enabling wider opportunities for some. These changes have implications for the practices and discursive possibilities for contemporary spinsters. This thesis considers the extent to which the new discourses and practices emerging in the context of wider social change contribute to a dismantling of normative female gender identities predicated on marriage and motherhood

Living on your own: Social integration, quality of life and aspirations for the future

The General Registrar Office for Scotland predicts an increase in the proportion of one-person households from 35% of all households in 2006 to 44% in 2031. This trend is common across many societies and has implications for a range of social provision such as income support, pensions, health, housing and transport. This briefing outlines some of the findings of an ESRC funded project, Rural and Urban Solo Living, which investigated the experiences of people who live on their own

Contemporary spinsters in the new millennium: changing notions of family and kinship

Familial change in recent decades has been the subject of much academic theorising and political attention, with concerns raised that changing familial forms signal a decline in obligations and commitments and a concomitant rise in selfish individualism. Remaining single can be seen as paradigmatic of individualism in contemporary Western societies, and single women in particular risk being depicted as strident individualists characterised by their lack of connection to significant others, despite their singleness historically being explained in relation to duties to care for parents and wider family members. This paper draws on ongoing research on the family and social networks of contemporary spinsters 1 . I look specifically at their caring relationships as daughters and mothers and argue that the changes and continuities illustrated reflect more an increasing diversity in the context and meanings associated with these caring commitments rather than their decline. I suggest this research both challenges a conception of the individual as autonomous and self-directed, supporting rather a more relational interdependent conception, and that it supports arguments about the progressive potential of diversity of familial practices in the context of changing cultural and societal conditions of contemporary Western societies

Singleness and self-identity

Demographic trends in recent decades such as the delay and decline in marriage and increase in divorce have meant more men and women experiencing periods of singleness. For women in particular, singleness has long been considered anomalous: normative femininity, bound up with marriage and motherhood, has meant single woman being represented in terms of deficit or deviance. The increase in singleness is one aspect of wider social changes that have implications for the categories of identity available to single women. In this article, I draw on in-depth qualitative interviews with never-married single women in Britain to examine the single self-identities evident in their narratives. I consider the extent to which these suggest shifts in the centrality of partnership status in the context of the latter half of the 20th century

Childbearing on hold: delayed childbearing and childlessness in Britain

Described as ‘one of the most remarkable changes in social behaviour in the twentieth century1, declining fertility is related to wider changes in families and relationships occurring in recent decades such as later marriage, increased cohabitation, and increased divorce and cohabitation breakdown. Declining fertility combined with low rates of mortality results in population ageing and potentially population decline2. These have implications for areas such as social security provision and labour supply, as well as the provision of unpaid care. It has been suggested that one important factor explaining declining fertility is higher levels of delayed childbearing and increased childlessness. This research investigates some of the factors associated with later childbearing and childlessness amongst men and women in Britain and whether these have changed over time. Through analysing data from large-scale cohort studies, the 1958 National Child Development Study (NCDS) and the 1970 British Cohort Study (BCS), this ESRC funded project compared fertility patterns of those born in 1958 and 1970

Transport, the environment and social exclusion

In the last 20 years there has been a dramatic growth in both vehicle numbers and the distances driven in all industrialised societies, and car-ownership is now the norm for most households. Ever-rising car-ownership has led to concern about the harmful effects of transport on the natural environment and quality of life. Nevertheless, this study suggests that policies which aim to mitigate the environmental impacts of traffic may sometimes come into conflict with the social inclusion of low-income and other disadvantaged groups and communities. This study analyses current evidence on the opinions and perspectives, behaviour and expenditure patterns of low-income and other disadvantaged groups on transport and travel. In addition, it reports on qualitative case study research in five different locations in the UK. It explores to what extent the availability and affordability of local services influences people's decisions about travel, the distances people are prepared to travel to reach services, and the impact of reliability and availability of current transport provision. The particular transport needs of some low-income groups (for example women shift-workers) and some areas (rural or isolated homes) are also explored. The researchers conclude that discouraging car use will not be effective unless adequate public transport measures are put into place first.</p