Solo-Living and Social Individualization: Analysis of Life Experience among Young Women in Spain
Fecha
2023
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SAGE
Resumen
The increase in one-person households is regarded as a manifestation of the process of social
individualization that strengthens individuals’ ability to make lifestyle choices to the detriment of
certain social institutions. However, the background circumstances to solo living can vary widely
and often stem from structural determinants, such as gender inequalities, within the framework
of a highly competitive society. This article analyses the nature and social significance of solo-living
in Spain through a case study of young adult women (25–45 years of age) residing in an urban
environment (Barcelona and Jaen). The analyses focus on aspects connected with the theory of
social individualization (e.g. the demands of working life and expectations regarding life partners,
motherhood and social relations). Four different profiles of women can be distinguished in the
results: ‘cosmopolitans’, ‘unconditionals’, ‘empowered’, and ‘temporaries’. In broad terms, the
interviewees’ narratives bear witness to the process of individualization (self-realization with which
to engage in a personal life project), although tensions come into play between personal expectations
and the demands of working life, especially in the spheres of sexual partnership and motherhood.
Descripción
Palabras clave
gender, qualitative analysis, social individualization, solo-living, Spain
Citación
Rodríguez-Guzmán, C., Barros-Rodríguez, F., Barroso-Benítez, I., & Cámara-Hueso, A. D. (2023). Solo-Living and Social Individualization: Analysis of Life Experience among Young Women in Spain. Sociological Research Online, 28(3), 609-626. https://doi.org/10.1177/13607804211069401