Living Alone

In Northern Europe almost half of households consist of one person. Rates of living alone are lower in the Global South but the trend is still on the increase. Prevalent first among the elderly, living alone then becomes common at ages associated with partners and children. Fears about the end of family and community combine with stereotypes, the 'sad and lonely' or 'selfish singles', in popular depictions.

This groundbreaking and highly original study brings evidence to the core debates about contemporary social change in the context of globalization, exploring individualization and social connection, the future of family formation, consumption and identities, the relevance of place - rural or urban - in mobile worlds, sexuality, belonging and 'community', living arrangements and sustainability.

This book presents a systematic sociological analysis of the growing trend of solo living across the globe, while also drawing on the voices of working-age men and women living in urban and rural areas in the UK. Review: Living Alone sets out to investigate the rising incidence of solo-living against a background of research on households that assumes the multi-person household as a unit of analysis.

Furthermore, it aims to challenge and deconstruct normative assumptions about solo-living narrating the diverse trajectories, lived experiences and biographies of those living alone. By locating this within broader sociological theories concerned on the one hand with the rise of individualism, and on the other hand with community and sociality, the book presents a nuanced picture of an often stereotyped and misunderstood household arrangement. - BSA Sociology Journal Lynn Jamieson and Roona Simpson offer the most comprehensive review and analysis of solo living to date'. - Bella de Paulo, Project Scientist, University of California, USA