single person households

• One person households 

  Trends and patterns-

  • In 2019ONS- 8.2 million single person households in the UK -29% of total households. In twenty years, the number of people living alone increased by a fifth.

  People most likely to live alone are those who are older, particularly women over the age of 75 who have been widowed
• Increased Life Expectancy


  • Blaikie - increased longevity (life expectancy) explains increasing numbers of elderly living alone
  • Gannon - this affects women mostly, forces them to live alone-forced singlehood
  • Jewson - development of medicine been crucial, preventative medicine, treatments, operations, screening, maternity services
• Welfare State


  • Provided free healthcare and social services since late 1940s
  • Universal and means-tested allowances like maternity benefits, child benefit, sickness benefit, pensions, free school meals, winter fuel allowances
  • People better informed about health, diet, exercise due to health promotion campaigns, embedded in National Curriculum
  • Reduction in smoking rates contributed to increased life expectancy
• Improvements before major medical advances

  • McKeown - most of the fall in death rates and increased life expectancy was due to improvements in nutrition and hygiene
  • Governments and local authorities improved housing, introduced clean water, sewage, sanitation, less overcrowding
  • Minimum wage increased, decline in absolute poverty, improved standard of living, more nutritious food
• Rising Divorce Rate


  • Increase in separation and divorce, especially among men under 65 as children more likely to live with mother
  • Changes in legislation, Divorce Reform Act introduced no-fault divorce
  • Decline in stigma attached to divorce, seen as more socially acceptable
  • Secularisation, less influence of religious teachings on personal decisions about divorce
  • Changing position of women, rising expectations of marriage
• Changing Position of Women

  • Increased educational opportunities, policies like GIST and WISE
  • Legislation like Equal Pay Act, Sex Discrimination Act, Equality Act
  • Government and EU policies to encourage women into workforce
  • Changing attitudes, priorities no longer centred around marriage and children, more focused on education and career
  • Economic independence, can afford to live alone
• Changing Norms and Values

  • Less pressure to marry, more freedom to choose relationship type
  • Remaining single now regarded as acceptable, less stigma
  • Individuals can afford to live alone, progress careers, travel, reflect on own needs
• Rising Expectations of Marriage

  • Concept of 'cult of the individual' and 'individualisation'
  • Postmodern families characterised by individualism and choice
  • Notion of 'confluent love', people wait to find right partner before committing
  • Plastic sexuality, sex detached from reproduction
  • Individuals more likely to end unsatisfactory relationships, leading to living alone
• Increased Life Expectancy 


  • . Many have no choice due to death of partner- forces them to live alone-forced singlehood. -development of medicine been crucial
  • Welfare State= provided free healthcare and social services. Universal and means-tested allowances , better informed about health, diet and exercise due to health promotion campaigns,

  improvements in nutrition and hygiene -. authoritive bodies such as the Housing Executive improved housing by introducing clean piped water, sewage etc .minimum wage has steadily increased.-and an improvement in the standard of living.
• Rising Divorce Rate 


  • increase in separation and divorce , -changes in legislation

  since the 1960s has been the rapid decline in the stigma attached to divorce. changing position of women and the rising expectations of marriage
•  Changing Position of Women 


  • emancipation of women and the progression of their rights. Number of laws aimed at reducing inequality in the workplace.
  • Wilkinson-female attitudes towards marriage and family life have undergone a 'genderquake'.  
  •  Flour and Buchanan (2001) pointed out that marriage is no longer economically necessary for women as increased career opportunities for women mean that they are economically independent.
• Changing norms & values 

  • Has been a change in attitudes towards relationship types and household structures-less pressure to marry and more freedom for individuals to choose the type of relationship they want. Remaining single is now regarded as acceptable. Also less stigma attached to being unmarried, especially for women. more individuals are choosing to remain single or marry later meaning can live alone. Individuals can now afford to live alone. People are free to progress in their careers, travel and reflect upon their own needs. 
• Rising Expectations of Marriage & Confluent Love

  individualism and choice- individuals seeking own opportunities and self interests. The expectations of marriage are increasing . Many are serial monogamists- wait to find right partner before committing to cohabitation and/or marriage. This fits in with Giddens' 'plastic sexuality' concept- sex is detached from reproduction. Moreover, as we are placing more value on finding the right partner, people are more likely to end relationships that are unsatisfactory