The terror of the single old maid: On the insolubility of a cultural category

Lahad, Kinneret; Hazan, Haim

doi:10.1016/j.wsif.2014.08.001

Cited by 27 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…Furthermore, men may be more drawn to dogs in order to be part of a pack or even be the pack leader, because it feeds a desire to be independent of other people ( 23 ). On the other hand, particularly older women who own a cat may suffer from the perceived (though dated) stigma of being an “old maid” (if they do not have a partner) or cat lady, stereotypes that suggest these women are supposedly prone to become disconnected from society ( 37 – 39 ). This, in turn may be associated with reduced self-esteem.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Differences in Self-Esteem Between Cat Owners, Dog Owners, and Individuals Without Pets

2020

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Introduction: Pet ownership may provide an additional source of social support and may contribute to the owner's self-esteem. Self-esteem is considered a basic human need and is associated with psychological conditions such as depressive symptoms. To date, there is limited knowledge on the association between keeping a pet and self-esteem. Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine whether cat owners, dog owners, and individuals without pets differ in terms of self-esteem (total sample and stratified by sex). Methods: Data were taken from the German Aging Survey (wave 5; nationally representative sample of individuals residing in private households ≥40 years). In this survey, the widely used and well-established Rosenberg scale was used to quantify self-esteem. Socioeconomic, lifestyle, and health-related factors were adjusted for in the regression analysis ( n = 5,485). Results: Multiple linear regressions showed that dog owners reported higher self-esteem scores compared to individuals without pets (β = 0.04, p < 0.05). Similarly, male dog owners reported higher self-esteem scores compared to men without pets (β = 0.07, p < 0.01). In contrast, female cat owners reported lower self-esteem scores compared to women without pets (β = −0.07, p < 0.01). Conclusion: Study findings showed a link between owning a cat and lower self-esteem (women), as well as between owning a dog and higher self-esteem (total sample; men). Future studies should concentrate on investigating the underlying mechanisms. Furthermore, longitudinal studies are needed to better understand the link between animal ownership and self-esteem.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Differences in Self-Esteem Between Cat Owners, Dog Owners, and Individuals Without Pets

2020

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“…In the absence of positive and powerful counter narratives within the literature, 'solo'ness' tends to be disparaged and stigmatized and constrains genuine considerations of the different possibilities for women in relation to their identities. Academic research on 'singleness' is surprisingly sparse and relatively underdeveloped, with few empirical investigations; most of which come from a feminist discursive analysis (Lahad and Hazan, 2014). Underpinning some of the assumptions referred to in this paper is the positioning of solo women as being somewhat deviant or in a deficit position.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Going solo: Findings from a survey of women aging without a partner and who do not have children

Hafford‐Letchfield

Lambert

Long

et al. 2016

Journal of Women & Aging

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Greater longevity in the UK population has led to the increasing diversity of women experiencing ageing in a multitude of ways. Internationally gender inequalities within ageing are still relatively invisible within both government policy and everyday life for particular groups of women. This paper explores the concept of women growing older 'solo' by which we mean women who find themselves non partnered and ageing without children as they move into later life. We report on the findings from a mixed-methods survey of 76 solo women in the UK aged 50 years and over, used to provide a broader overview of the issues and challenges they face as they move into later life. Qualitative data from the survey captured respondents' perspectives about the links between their relationships status and wellbeing in later life and highlighted specific cumulative disadvantages emerging for some women as a result of their solo lifestyles. We discuss two key themes were identified; 'sololoneliness' and 'meaningful futures' in conjunction with the relevant literature and make suggestions for future research within gender and ageing studies that could enhance more positive approaches to solo lifestyles.

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“…Det illustrerar hur det heterosexuella äktenskapet konstrueras som ett centralt livsmål. Lahad och Hazan menar att tvåsamhet och familjeliv diskursivt bär på löften om upprätthållande av ordning, sammanhang och meningsfullhet till ens liv, medan att vara singel istället förknippas med att sakna detta, samt att vara isolerad och ensam (Lahad & Hazan, 2014). Rubin menar att biologiska familjer ofta spelar en central roll i att upprätthålla sexuell konformitet, genom att utöva social press mot den som uttrycker erotisk icke-konformitet.…”

Section: Förväntningar På Heterosexuell Familjebildningunclassified

“…Här blir Mattis parrelation som en tröst för föräldrarna, där homosexualitet återigen verkar kopplat till ensamhet och olycka, men där en parrelation "kompenserar" detta och ger någon slags försäkran mot detta. Men det handlar också om att det på olika sätt är premierat att leva i en tvåsam kärleksrelation, framför att "leva ensam och kanske ha tillfälliga kontakter och sådär" (jmf Lahad & Hazan, 2014). Det blir tydligt i berättelserna hur dessa typer av relationer ofta utgör en mycket stor del av livet, där det blir någon som en lever livet tillsammans med, delar intimitet och närhet med, men som också ofta utgör stort emotionellt, socialt och materiellt stöd.…”

Section: Kärleksrelationerunclassified

“…Men när Maj säger att om "det brann någonstans" så fick hon väl ge sig ut och ragga läser jag det samtidigt som att kroppen inte begränsar henne helt utan om hon verkligen ville så skulle hon göra det, som att det är hon som väljer att inte vara ute och ragga. Det kan också vara ett sätt att passa bort frågan om förväntningar på att ragga och träffa partners som också är kopplade till normer om tvåsamhet vilket en som ensamstående kanske aktivt behöver förhålla sig till (Lahad & Hazan, 2014). I slutet av citatet säger Maj att det är vanligt att bli attraherad av den som man inte har chans på, och att inte ragga kan då också handla om "självbevarelsedrift", att slippa bli besviken.…”

Section: åLdersnormer Inom Bögsammanhangunclassified

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Queera livslopp : Att leva och åldras som lhbtq-person i en heteronormativ värld

Siverskog¹

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The terror of the single old maid: On the insolubility of a cultural category

Cited by 27 publications

References 25 publications

Differences in Self-Esteem Between Cat Owners, Dog Owners, and Individuals Without Pets

Differences in Self-Esteem Between Cat Owners, Dog Owners, and Individuals Without Pets

Going solo: Findings from a survey of women aging without a partner and who do not have children

Queera livslopp : Att leva och åldras som lhbtq-person i en heteronormativ värld

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