Kobi
08-20-2012, 08:55 AM
Just finished reading "Going solo....the extraordinary rise and surprising appeal of living alone" by Eric Klinenberg. Aside from the multitude of perspectives from various fields of study as to why it is occuring, the subject is fascinating.
In the USA, people who live alone make up 28% of all households, tying it with childless couples as the most prominent residential type. Contemporary solo dwellers are mostly middle aged (34-64), females, living in metropolitan areas. The fastest growing segment of solo dwellers is young adults between 18-34.
But, it isnt just a USA thing. The nations with the highest number of solo dwellers are Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Denmark where 40-45% of the population lives alone. In Japan it is 30%. Germany, France, the UK, Australia, and Canada all have higher rates than the USA.
And, the fastest growing solo dweller countries are China, India and Brazil.
The author refers to this as "the cult of the individual". He sees it as serving a purpose. " Living alone helps us pursue scared modern values - individual freedom, personal control, and self realization. It allows us to do what we want, when we want, on our own terms. It liberates us from the constraints of a domestic partners needs and demands, and permits us to focus on ourselves."
Recent studies have shown solo dwellers are happier, healthier, and more social than researchers thought. Earlier judgements saw them as lonely, isolated, and prone to depression type stuff.
So, this has me wondering.... are you a solo dweller? And, if you are, how do you see it i.e. are you happy or unhappy, is it a temporary thing or a preference, does it make you more social or less, how does it affect or reflect who you are as a person, or anything else you find is important to you about it.
In the USA, people who live alone make up 28% of all households, tying it with childless couples as the most prominent residential type. Contemporary solo dwellers are mostly middle aged (34-64), females, living in metropolitan areas. The fastest growing segment of solo dwellers is young adults between 18-34.
But, it isnt just a USA thing. The nations with the highest number of solo dwellers are Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Denmark where 40-45% of the population lives alone. In Japan it is 30%. Germany, France, the UK, Australia, and Canada all have higher rates than the USA.
And, the fastest growing solo dweller countries are China, India and Brazil.
The author refers to this as "the cult of the individual". He sees it as serving a purpose. " Living alone helps us pursue scared modern values - individual freedom, personal control, and self realization. It allows us to do what we want, when we want, on our own terms. It liberates us from the constraints of a domestic partners needs and demands, and permits us to focus on ourselves."
Recent studies have shown solo dwellers are happier, healthier, and more social than researchers thought. Earlier judgements saw them as lonely, isolated, and prone to depression type stuff.
So, this has me wondering.... are you a solo dweller? And, if you are, how do you see it i.e. are you happy or unhappy, is it a temporary thing or a preference, does it make you more social or less, how does it affect or reflect who you are as a person, or anything else you find is important to you about it.