Living alone doesn’t equal being single

Louisa Pearson at The Scotsman writes an article saying that just because you live alone, it doesn’t mean you are single.

It’s estimated that by 2021, over one-third of the population will live in single-person households.

Earlier this year, a group from the Centre for Research on Families and Relationships at the University of Edinburgh published its findings into a study of solo living.

The Centre’s co-director, Dr Fran Wasoff, says there are several factors which contribute towards the trend. “One is the greater frequency of relationship transition - people cohabit or marry, they separate, they live on their own for a while and then they may form other relationships,” she says. “Then there is the fact that some women’s incomes have gone up to a sufficient extent that they can afford to live alone.”

Dr Wasoff points out that for women in particular, social attitudes have changed, meaning that living alone is a more acceptable choice in the public eye. All the studies into solo living make an important point - just because you’re living alone doesn’t mean you’re single. “We call this group ‘Living Apart Togethers’,” she says. “The fact that people are living alone doesn’t have to imply they have no close partnership.”

The research suggests that living alone doesn’t cut you off from society, but rather ’singletons’ have strong relationships with friends and family.

However it also notes a difference in how men and women cope. Whereas women often more readily choose to live alone, men may find it harder and don’t actively choose it.

Read the full article: Just because you’re living alone doesn’t mean you’re single