Abstract
The number of people living alone is increasing in Finland (OSF, 2020a; 2020b), in Europe (Eurostat, 2020a) and globally. Individualisation is growing, and many public institutions are adjusting to the rising number of single clientele. At the same time, the couple norm persists, and monogamous partnering is still often seen as the most appropriate way to organise intimate adult life. In this study, we analysed the written stories of 19 single men aged 29–64 and found that the couple norm was predominant in their stories. Internalisation of the norm caused feelings of inadequacy, a lack of self-appreciation and uncertainty about the future. Many men attributed their singlehood to events in their past and felt a lack of agency at present.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 306-322 |
| Number of pages | 17 |
| Journal | Families, Relationships and Societies |
| Volume | 12 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Aug 2023 |
| Publication type | A1 Journal article-refereed |
Funding
This work was supported by the Finnish Cultural Foundation [Grant 12191796].
UN SDGs
This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
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SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being
Keywords
- couple norm
- dating
- living alone
- partnering
- singlehood
Publication forum classification
- Publication forum level 1
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Sociology and Political Science
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