No description available.

Thesis (D. Min.)--Trinity International University, 2009. / Abstract. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 143-147).

Thesis (M.T.S.)--Catholic Theological Union, 1985. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 99-102).

The number of single individuals in Western societies has increased and continues to rise. Research suggests that single women do not find it easy to be single. This thesis explores the lived experience of being single in female counselling psychology trainees. Seven single women engaged in semi-structured interview, which were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. From the analysis, four main themes emerged. The first was an existential search for relatedness, encompassing the realisation that human relationships are fundamentally necessary; participants experienced being single as a choice that provoked anxiety. The second theme, the paradox of singleness, highlighted ambivalent emotions regarding freedom, but also the absence of a partner. The third theme viewed the training as an all-demanding partner, leaving no space for a romantic relationship, and whose presence at times felt like the loss of one’s soul. The final theme of longing for a romantic relationship addressed participants’ relational longing, feelings of isolation, loneliness, sense of struggle and being different to individuals with a partner. The relational nature of the training brought participants’ singleness into their awareness and this was experienced as difficult. In line with the research examined in the literature review, this study confirms the overall experience of being single as an ambivalent one, which causes individuals to struggle with their singleness. Moreover, this study furthers the previous literature by examining the experience in a rarely studied group. The insights gained from this research have deepened our understanding of the experience of single female counselling psychology trainees and contribute to knowledge within the profession. Specifically, this study suggests that counselling psychology trainees would benefit from training that addresses relational issues and the experience of being single. This would lead to improved clinical practice with single clients and an enhanced awareness of their own process.

The number of single people is increasing in the Western world. Despite this and a trend towards individualisation, women are still stigmatised for being single. Quantitative studies have shown that physical appearance and romantic relationships are two interconnected areas by demonstrating that single women who seek a partner are more sensitive to their appearance. This can have adverse psychological implications, such as body image concerns or low self-esteem. How physical appearance is experienced in the context of partner seeking remains however understudied. To address this gap, this study explores qualitatively how women feel about themselves and their appearance when seeking a partner. Eight women, who had been single for at least one year, were interviewed. Data gathered from the semistructured interviews were transcribed and analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), chosen due to its in-depth exploration of the participants’ experiences. Four master themes were identified: I) The intrusive Other: Experiencing a sense of restriction when seeking a partner; II) Self-rejection when seeking a partner; III) Appearance as a means of control when seeking a partner; and IV) Feeling overwhelmed: The emotional intensity of seeking a partner. The results revealed that women who seek a partner experience several tensions regarding their appearance, their singleness and their social interactions. They are left excessively outer-focused, which is self-silencing and disconnecting. The implication for clinical practice is that counselling psychologists should acknowledge public and private aspects of distress when working with women who seek a partner. It is advised to stay with different tensions and to explore their underlying anxiety phenomenologically instead of either glamourising or pathologising women’s experiences of partner seeking. Limitations are discussed, including that this study does not consider the experiences of women who wish to remain single, which can be addressed in future research.

University of Macau / Faculty of Social Sciences / Department of Communication

No description available.

With people living longer and coming into old age with more diverse relational experiences than previous cohorts (e.g., divorce, cohabitation), researchers anticipate that the so-called baby boomers will be more interested in pursuing romantic relationships in later life than their predecessors. On the other hand, we know that the experience of aging varies among people on the basis of their social locations (e.g., racial, gender, class). As central Appalachia is a place characterized by persistent poverty, I interviewed single, midlife White women from a community in West Virginia (N=11) to investigate (a) their experiences with family life and (b) their expectations for romantic relationships in later life. I used grounded theory methodology to develop a theory of intimacy and family life in central Appalachia. I found that the women who were more integrated into their families of origin had little or no interest in romantic relationships, regardless of their past relationship history. Women who perceived their childhoods as traumatic were less integrated into their families of origin and had a weaker sense of place, but had more interest in finding a romantic partner in later life. I concluded for those with a strong sense of place the importance of the family of origin persisted through midlife and into old age. / Ph. D.

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Work

Society views and treats women who are single differently than women who are not single. This practice of stereotyping and discrimination towards singles is called singlism. The purpose of this qualitative study was to use grounded theory methodology to explore and explain how women experience singlism and what explains how women experience singlism. Social constructionism, cognitive dissonance theory, and social identity theory were used as conceptual foundations in explaining how society constructs the status of single women, how single women are viewed and treated, and how single women manage their single social identity. The participants of the study included women over the age of 18 who self-identified as single and as having experienced singlism. Semistructured interviews, memoing, and member checking were used to collect data. Initial, focused, and theoretical coding procedures were used to manage the data, and a content analysis of the textual data was performed. Findings from the data suggest women respond to singlism by experiencing feelings, adopting beliefs, and participating in behaviors. A woman's experience of negative or angry feelings, adopting beliefs supporting or opposing to singlism, and participating in behaviors to support or oppose singlism is explained by her internalization of singlism, and of the ideology of family and marriage. Social action is needed to counteract singlism. This necessitates an identity shift to reframe single as a positive social identity which begins by raising awareness about singlism. The findings of this study may promote positive social change by raising awareness about singlism.