Chapter 4

Singlehood, Hanging Out, Hooking Up, and Cohabitation

Chapter Sections

• 4-1 Singlehood• 4-2 Categories of Singles• 4-3 Ways of Finding a Partner• 4-4 Intentional Communities

Singlehood

• Although most Americans will eventually marry, there is a trend toward delaying when one gets married.

Singlehood

Reasons for remaining single include:• Fear of marriage• Fear of divorce• Scarcity of men

Reasons to Remain SingleBenefits of Singlehood Limitations of MarriageFreedom to do as one wishes Restricted by spouse or childrenVariety of lovers One sexual partnerSpontaneous lifestyle Routine, predictable lifestyleClose friends of both sexes Pressure to avoid close other-sex

friendshipsResponsible for one person only Responsible for spouse and childrenSpend money as one wishes Expenditures influenced by needs of

spouse and childrenFreedom to move as career dictates Restrictions on career mobilityAvoid being controlled by spouse Potential to be controlled by spouseAvoid emotional and financial stress of divorce

Possibility of divorce

Singlehood

The acceptance of singlehood as a lifestyle can be attributed to social movements:

• Sexual revolution• Women’s movement• Gay liberation movement• Can you think of ways in which Single people

are segregated or discriminated in our society?

Categories of Singles

• Singlehood: the state of being unmarried• Includes never-married, divorced, widowed

U.S. Adult Population by Relationship Status

Categories of Singlehood

• Being married is still the norm.• Single women report higher life satisfaction

and positive affect than single men.• Relationships, career, financial security

contribute to a sense of well-being for singles.

Categories of Singles

Divorced Singles• There are 13.7 million divorced females and

9.9 million divorced males in the United States.

• Married individuals tend to live longer than divorced individuals.– Increased suicide risk– Protective aspect of marriage

Categories of Singles

Widowed Singles• There are 11.4 million widowed females and

2.9 million widowed males in the United States.

• The main problem is loneliness.• The widowed report greater support from

children and other relatives than do spouses.

Ways of Finding a Partner

• Many single people have partners.• Singles find their partners in a variety of ways.

Dating Rules

• In groups, determine today’s “dating rules.”– What is an acceptable first date? – What is expected/accepted on the first date? – How long should a couple wait to become

physical? – How many partners are too many? – What are other areas that you may find

interesting?

Finding a Partner

• Hanging out: (getting together) going out in groups where the agenda is to meet others and have fun

• Hooking up: sexual encounter that occurs between individuals who have no relationship commitment– Men seem to benefit more than women.

Finding a Partner

• Meeting online: using the Internet to find a partner– It is becoming more common and less stigmatized.– Men tend to emphasize status and women tend to

emphasize youth and beauty.• Video chatting: using webcam programs to

connect with people throughout the world

Finding a Partner

• Speed-dating: brief encounters set up by an organization such as Eight-Minute Dating.

• High-end Matchmaking: wealthy, busy clients pay for service that researches and interviews potential dates

• International Dating: service provides potential contacts in a different country

Intentional Communities

• Intentional community (commune): a group of people living together on the basis of shared values and world view– Shared values include religious values,

egalitarianism, and “homegrown” culture.