SINGLE WOMEN: ON THE MARGINS? (WOMEN IN SOCIETY)

Historically women have been defined in relation to men. Single women have been represented both as 'old maids' who could not get a man and as 'city-singles' who do not want a man. Both stereotypes potentially marginalise single women in family-centred societies. But there is also increasing diversity in family and household formations. This book explores both continuities and changes in the position of single women (unmarried and divorced) in London, San Francisco Bay area and Helsinki, Finland. The 72 women interviewed are a heterogeneous group in terms of occupation, ethnic grouping, sexual orientation etc. Their struggles to establish autonomy and independence are analysed: single women are learning a 'new script'. Simple generalisations are avoided, and the diversity of single women is emphasised. The theoretical concerns of the book centre on 'individual' and 'individuality' as gender-specific concepts. Despite growing awareness of feminist sensibilities, single women remain polarized in the popular imagination. Either "old maids" or "power women," they remain defined in relation to men - women who "can't get," or, unnaturally, women who "don't want" a man. Through extensive historical research as well as interviews with dozens of women from San Francisco, London, and Helsinki, Tuula Gordon here forcefully exposes the artificial nature of this perceived dichotomy. The single woman is mistakenly seen to be a product of the twentieth century. Drawing on figures as diverse as Joan of Arc, Elizabeth I, and the Amazons, Gordon brings to light a powerful tradition of single womanhood and calls the "marginality" of single women into question. Conceptions of "woman" are important in shaping the possibilities and limitations of single women. A heterogeneous group in terms of occupation, ethnic grouping and sexual orientation, the women portrayed in this book serve to emphasize the diversity of single women, while indicating that their societal and cultural integration is still not wholly free of problems. Tuula Gordon's incisive application of feminist theory further adds to a fascinating and invaluable study of an increasingly significant segment of society. Front Matter....Pages i-vi Introduction....Pages 1-8 From spinsters to singles....Pages 9-24 Individuality, autonomy and women....Pages 25-37 The making of a ‘single woman’....Pages 38-64 Excursion into the public sphere....Pages 65-83 Excursion into the private sphere....Pages 84-105 Partnerships and sexuality....Pages 106-127 On being single....Pages 128-158 Independence....Pages 159-177 Marginality....Pages 178-198 Back Matter....Pages 199-224 Historically women have been defined in relation to men. Single women have been represented both as old maids who could not get a man, and as city-singles who do not want a man. Both stereotypes potentially marginalize single women in family-centred societies. But there is also increasing diversity in family and household formations Explores both continuities and changes in the position of single women (unmarried and divorced) in London, the San Francisco Bay area and Helsinki, Finland. The 72 women interviewed are a heterogeneous group in terms of occupation, ethnic grouping and sexual orientation.