Faculty Books and Book Chapters

Singlehood

Singlehood

Book Title

Essays in Developmental Psychology

Document Type

Essay

Publication Date

2020

Editors

Randall Summers, Charles Golden, Lisa Lashley, & Erica Ailes

Keywords

bachelor, marriage, partner or spouse, singlehood (or ‘singlism’), spinster, unmarried

Description

Excerpt

Singlehood is defined as a state of being unmarried, either with or without a partner. For some singlehood is a choice to remain unmarried as an adult, or it can be a stage that is passed through temporarily when a spouse dies, or even when an adult is between partners. Singlehood is experienced differently depending on which of those groups a person finds themselves in or chooses to be part of. The experience is also varied by a person’s cultural and ethnic heritage. People in both the married group and the unmarried group are able to identify benefits and drawbacks to being in their respective group. Often times they also fantasize about being in the other group. Whichever the case may be, singlehood can be both rewarding and frustrating, enlightening and lonely. However, some would say the same about marriage.

Additional Information

This is one in a collection of essays as part of a project that began as an encyclopedia of developmental psychology coordinated by Dr. Randall Summers. However, for unforeseen reasons, the publisher was no longer in a position to publish the encyclopedia. This project was undertaken so that thousands of hours of work by psychologists would not go wasted. Enjoy these essays and feel free to cite them using the proper format.

Submit suggestions for corrections and topics to goldench@nova.edu.

Disciplines

Psychology

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Singlehood

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