Voluntary and involuntary singlehood: Salience of concepts from four theories

Abstract

Reconfiguring theoretical approaches is needed as growing numbers of adults are experiencing extended periods of singlehood. There is a central distinction in intentionality, which creates a voluntary or involuntary status. Voluntary individuals have chosen to be marriage-free. Involuntary individuals wish to be cohabited/married but have been unable to do so. The purpose of this paper is to describe the linkages among characteristics of voluntary/involuntary singlehood and concepts from four theories (social exchange, symbolic interactionism, family development, chaos). These theories were chosen because they are commonly addressed in family science teaching and scholarship. They are used as conceptual lenses to guide relational or familial research, but there has been little attention to their potential linkages to singlehood. Given the voluntary-involuntary distinction, linkages are drawn to each type. This paper highlights how four traditional theories can be bridged with diverse components of singlehood experiences.