The number of people living without a partner is growing in Finland, in Europe, and globally. Despite this shift, there is a paucity of research on singlehood. Even though the increase in the amount of singles is reshaping institutions and producing alternative intimacies, the demographic change has not disrupted the tenacity of the couple norm to a significant degree. Single people also still face unjust practices and policies in various facets of life, including housing, wages, taxes and unequal access to services and benefits. Singlehood is also a considerable social phenomenon that cuts across various contemporary entanglements, from living alone to the use of dating apps and from single parenting to various legislative processes. The Research Network of Singlehood Studies is thus founded on the need to establish a common discussion forum for those scholars scattered in different higher education institutions who are conducting research on singlehood or related topics.
This interdisciplinary network seeks to foster an intersectional approach to the study of singlehood and advance scholarship that expands the study of singlehood to cover the lived experiences of various groups of people. It invites scholars from all career stages to explore the following questions and others: How is singlehood viewed, defined and conceptualised in different institutional, political, academic and everyday practices? How do gender, sexuality, class, race, dis/ability, generation and religion shape the experiences of singles? How do material and economic entanglements come to matter in the processes of singlehood? In addition to singlehood, the network fosters scholarship on related themes, including but not limited to the following: couple normativity, living alone, communal living, singlism, single parenting, dating cultures, polyamory, separation and widowhood.
This research network brings together scholars from different fields, including social sciences, humanities, law and health sciences, to explore singlehood. It aims at sparkling academic discussion on singlehood and providing a forum for future collaborations. Furthermore, the network seeks to support, develop and inspire different collaborative efforts in research and teaching. The network will also distribute research publications authored by its members. The network has an email list. If you would like to join the network and the email list, please register at https://lists.tuni.fi/mailman/listinfo/singlehoodstudies. The list is moderated by Anu Kinnunen (anu.kinnunen@tuni.fi).
The network’s launch event takes place on December 17, 2019, at Tampere University (Finland). Everybody is most welcome! The launch event is sponsored by Tampere University’s Sustainable Welfare Systems (SWS) initiative. More information can be found on our website (http://www.singlehoodstudies.net/) and on our Twitter account (@SinglehoodS).
The network is established and coordinated by Dr Marjo Kolehmainen from Tampere University (marjo.kolehmainen@tuni.fi) and Dr Annukka Lahti from the University of Jyväskylä (annukka.p.lahti@jyu.fi).
We would be delighted if you could distribute this call for members among your own networks.
