Paper short abstract:

This paper explores the multivocal character of singleness by focusing on the historical, psychosocial, cultural, gender and religious dimensions of being single in Irish society. The construction of dominant discourses of singleness, and challenges to these discourses, will be reviewed.

Paper long abstract:

Historically in Ireland there has been a high level of singleness, particularly in some rural communities. However, recent demographic analyses now demonstrate an increasingly higher proportion of single people in urban areas, and a higher percentage of singleness among males. This study explores how Irish men and women negotiate their single identity.

Ideological accounts of singleness in Irish society range from the negative construction of the single individual as failing to attain full adulthood to the positive interpretation of singleness as the realisation of personal autonomy and freedom. The varied ways in which positive and negative societal narratives of singleness create tensions within the individual psyche in terms of identity will be investigated.

Differences in perceptions of singleness among minority ethnic groups in Ireland also highlight how cultural constructions of singleness may influence individuals' perceptions of their status in their communities, and in the wider society. The concomitant pressures that these perceptions may place on individuals in terms of mental and physical well-being, economic stability and educational opportunity will be outlined. Equally, the release from cultural expectations and norms which the status of singleness may also confer on the individual is also explored.