Even at a time when it is increasingly likely that most women will spend periods of their lives alone, without a committed partner relationship, there remains a degree of social stigma attached to being an independent, single woman.

The issue is explored in The Single Woman, a new book by Jill Reynolds, which looks at how women deal with this possibly stigmatized identity and at the rhetorical work involved for women in presenting a single identity.  The book is informed by interviews with women aged 30-60 and living alone.

Further articles by Reynolds on singleness can be found at http://oro.open.ac.uk/view/person/jcr5.html

Jill Reynolds is based in the OU’s Faculty of Health & Social Care which scored highly in the recent national assessment of research excellence (RAE 2008), with sixty percent of its submission classed as world leading or internationally excellent. See: www3.open.ac.uk/media/fullstory.aspx?id=15555&filter=research