Chapter 4
Singlehood, Hanging Out, Hooking
Up, and Cohabitation
Chapter Sections
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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 Single
Benefits of Singlehood
Limitations of Marriage
Freedom to do as one wishes
Restricted by spouse or children
Variety of lovers
One sexual partner
Spontaneous lifestyle
Routine, predictable lifestyle
Close friends of both sexes
Pressure to avoid close other-sex
friendships
Responsible for one person only
Responsible for spouse and children
Spend money as one wishes
Expenditures influenced by needs of
spouse and children
Freedom to move as career dictates
Restrictions on career mobility
Avoid being controlled by spouse
Potential to be controlled by spouse
Avoid 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.