The abject single: exploring the gendered experience of singleness in Britain

Abstract

This paper explores the gendered experience of singleness in Britain through a theoretical and empirical understanding of the 'abject'. Drawing on the writings of Judith Butler, we argue that 'singleness' is culturally pathologised as an 'abject other', a liminal state which renders the legitimation of the 'single subject' unintelligible. Through 14 active interviews withBritish singles, we demonstrate how our participants negotiate their marginal status vis-à-vis the marketplace and the broader society that continue to uphold heterosexual partnership as a normative form of intimacy. Our data uncovers persistent and powerful stereotypes of how singles ought to organize their lives and conform both to social, as well as market-driven, pressures. We therefore highlight research gaps in the experience of singleness and critique the heteronormative framework that remains dominant, yet concealed, in gender research. Summary Statement of ContributionThis paper advances a theoretical and empirical understanding of the neglected experience of singleness and how singles understand and negotiate their gendered subjectivities in a coupleoriented marketplace. Theoretically, we have enhanced understanding of how the concept of 'abjection' can be developed to expose the 'naturalisation' of heterosexual relationships as a legitimate practice. We argue that the marketplace remains politically vested in the institution of heteronormativity. Our empirical study contributes to the understanding of how the circulation of the heterosexual imaginary in the marketplace shapes the experience of singleness. Most notably, our findings reveal that the experience of singleness is structured along gendered lines: a statein which single women are 'visibly' subjected to the disciplinary power that produces their 'abject' status. While single men have seemingly averted the disciplinary gaze, on the other hand, we also show that their singleness remains tenuously tethered to the heteronormative framework.

Solo dining in Chinese restaurants: A mixed-method study in Macao

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