Singles Society

Going Solo

Singleness is increasingly becoming a social phenomenon, not only in China and the United States, but also in other developed countries, and even in developing countries like Brazil and India. This research specifically focuses on this increasingly prevalent phenomenon of singleness, and the social, political, and economic changes and transformations brought about by living alone. Currently, there is no authoritative book specifically dedicated to studying the phenomenon of singleness on the market.
This is the ultimate direction for humanity! Each person's one and only life is simply to prove their ability to live independently and the rich possibilities of life itself. Marriage, family, all these ancient superstitions! That era has already sunk into oblivion!
In the 1950s, only 22% of the American population lived alone. Today, over half of Americans are single, and of those, 31 million live alone – which is roughly 1/7 of the adult American population. Individuals living alone account for 28% of all American households, a proportion that makes it the most common household form in the United States, even surpassing that of nuclear families. In this book, Eric Klinenberg demonstrates that this figure is far from a temporary trend; in fact, it represents the most significant social change since the Baby Boom – we are learning to be single, and this has led to entirely new ways of life.
Based on his forward-looking research, Klinenberg explores the rise of single-person societies and the immense impact this phenomenon has on our social culture, economy, and politics. Although traditional thought has always warned us that living alone leads to loneliness and isolation from the world, Klinenberg reveals that the vast majority of single people are enthusiastically engaged in social life, and are more likely than their married peers to dine out, exercise, participate in art and music classes, public events, lectures, and charitable activities. There is even evidence that people who live alone are mentally and physically healthier than married people living with a spouse, and their urban apartment lifestyle is more environmentally friendly compared to suburban single-family homes.
Klinenberg professionally analyzes the challenges and opportunities faced by these individuals living alone: young professionals who pay high apartment rents for freedom and privacy; single people in their thirties and forties who are unwilling to sacrifice their careers or lifestyles for an unsatisfactory partner; divorced individuals who no longer trust marriage as a foundation for happiness and stability; and older people who prefer to live alone rather than with friends or children. Based on in-depth interviews with over three hundred men and women of different ages and social strata, Klinenberg draws an unexpected conclusion: in today's society, where media is ubiquitous and people are highly interconnected, living alone allows us to understand ourselves better and to better enjoy the companionship of others.
In this book, Klinenberg uses refreshing statistics, first-hand accounts, and vivid portrayals of individuals living alone to overturn traditional perceptions of singleness and provides a conclusive assessment of the changing nature of single-person societies in America: the single-person society is becoming an unprecedentedly powerful and inevitable social transformation.

2017-08-01

人民文学出版社

99 Readers

272

9787020128693