Understanding singlehood as a complex and multifaceted experience: Insights from relationship science

Abstract

Singlehood is often framed as not being in a relationship and treated as the referent category in research on the impacts of romantic involvement. However, growing research illustrates the multifaceted and complex experience of singlehood. Within our own research on the interconnections between romantic and individual development during young adulthood, the diverse nature of singlehood has emerged despite not being an initial focus of our research. Specifically, we have observed the important roles being single plays in young adulthood and variations in singlehood depending on the individual and their context. In this article, we offer observations about the complexity and diversity of singlehood in the lives of young adults by drawing on our own qualitative and quantitative research on young adult romantic development. Framed by the Life Course Perspective, Developmental Task Theory, and Emerging Adulthood Theory, we describe insights we have gained about singlehood and provide suggestions for future research.

Kaleidoscopic perspectives on theorizing singlehood

“…Lumping them all together into one group is not meaningful because it blurs the considerable variation among group members. Moving toward theoretical framing that contextualizes singlehood in the life course resonates with approaches taken by Beckmeyer and Jamison (2023), Luke and Poulin (2023), Ermer and Keenoy (2023), and Jordan and Martin (2023) who address the meaning of singlehood in young, middle, and older adulthood, respectively.…”

“…As Tessler (2023) notes, singlehood is often viewed as the absence of a romantic relationship, but presenting singlehood as a relationship status takes away any form of identity around singlehood and reinforces the idea that the only true identities are as girl/boy/datefriend (i.e., people who one may be dating but to whom they are not committed), partner, or spouse. Building on this, Beckmeyer and Jamison (2023) demonstrate that singlehood in young adulthood allows for exploration of identity through self‐reflection, education, and relationships broadly when romantic relationships may be a barrier. DePaulo (2023) and Kislev and Marsh (2023) specifically discuss singlehood as a chosen identity, and Fitzpatrick (2023) distinguishes voluntary and involuntary singlehood.…”

“…As they age, some adults may be reentering singlehood after a long period of partnership whereas others may be lifelong singles. Beckmeyer and Jamison (2023) focus on young adulthood (late teens and 20s, sometimes including those in their 30s) in their piece, which combines an overview of key theories for studying singlehood (as well as romantic relationships) during this life stage with high-level insights from their own extensive body of work. The article begins with a thorough dive into three key theories and frameworks: the life course perspective, developmental task theory, and emerging adulthood theory.…”

Exploring the associations between being single, romantic importance, and positive well‐being in young adulthood

“…For example, perceptions of romantic relationship importance, romantic attitudes and values, and current romantic desire may all contextualize young adults' romantic involvement (or lack thereof). Therefore, the degree to which being single is associated with lower well‐being may depend on how individuals feel about being single (Beckmeyer & Jamison, 2023b). To consider contextual influences and meaning‐making about singlehood, we draw on symbolic interactionism.…”

Voluntary and involuntary singlehood: Salience of concepts from four theories

“…Singlehood is defined as individuals who might be romantically involved with others (e.g., dating, partnering), but are not married or cohabitors (Beckmeyer & Jamison, 2023;Juteau, 2022). In prior decades, there was little consideration of singlehood in the traditional family theories.…”