A Discursive Investigation to Explore Peoples Perception of Singleness
A discursive investigation to explore people’s perception of attitudes towards singleness since the war
Abstract
Previous work, for example Wetherell and Reynolds, into this topic are has shown that the socially constructed nature of singleness has polarized interpretative repertories; two are positive as in independence or self-actualisation and negative as in deficit or social exclusion. Research carried out by Edley and Wetherell identified two interpretative repertories; Jekyll or sensible feminists and Hyde or extreme feminists man-hating lesbians. This research is pointed at whether attitudes have changed over time. I found that is has become more socially acceptable and financially viable to be single but some of the attitudes presented after WWII still remains. The method used was one to one interviews which were analysed the discursive approach. The research question posed was designed to draw out the changes in attitudes since 1950’s onwards. Has the attitude of society towards singleness changed since the war? Using discursive psychology I will explore how individuals feel they viewed by peers, parents and others.
Background
There are many different types of close relationships in the modern Western world that are challenging what were seen as traditional families. The focus for much of the research into singleness has conventionally viewed it at as an opposite of family life. Chapter Three ‘Families’ (in Social Psychology Matters) suggests that this may not now be the case and singleness may be yet another social category. This research has taken the view that singleness are women that do not live with a partner. The focus centred around how peers, parents and others view single women since singleness has become a statistically and ideologically more common way of living.
Reynolds and Wetherell argue that singleness is a discursively constructed social category that characterizes the identity of single women through the subject
Abstract
Previous work, for example Wetherell and Reynolds, into this topic are has shown that the socially constructed nature of singleness has polarized interpretative repertories; two are positive as in independence or self-actualisation and negative as in deficit or social exclusion. Research carried out by Edley and Wetherell identified two interpretative repertories; Jekyll or sensible feminists and Hyde or extreme feminists man-hating lesbians. This research is pointed at whether attitudes have changed over time. I found that is has become more socially acceptable and financially viable to be single but some of the attitudes presented after WWII still remains. The method used was one to one interviews which were analysed the discursive approach. The research question posed was designed to draw out the changes in attitudes since 1950’s onwards. Has the attitude of society towards singleness changed since the war? Using discursive psychology I will explore how individuals feel they viewed by peers, parents and others.
Background
There are many different types of close relationships in the modern Western world that are challenging what were seen as traditional families. The focus for much of the research into singleness has conventionally viewed it at as an opposite of family life. Chapter Three ‘Families’ (in Social Psychology Matters) suggests that this may not now be the case and singleness may be yet another social category. This research has taken the view that singleness are women that do not live with a partner. The focus centred around how peers, parents and others view single women since singleness has become a statistically and ideologically more common way of living.
Reynolds and Wetherell argue that singleness is a discursively constructed social category that characterizes the identity of single women through the subject
References: Edley, N. and Wetherell, M. (2001) ‘Jekyll and Hyde: Men’s constructions of feminism and feminists’, Feminism & Psychology, Vol.11, No.4, pp. 439-457. Reynolds, J. and Wetherell, M. (2003) ‘The discursive climate of singleness: The consequences for women’s negotiation of a sin gle identity’, Feminism & Psychology, Vol. 13, No. 4, pp. 489-510.