"Singleness" in Salvador

ANDRADE, Darlane Silva Vieira. The “singleness” in Salvador: unveiling practices and meanings among middle-class adults. Thesis (Doctorate in Interdisciplinary Studies about Women, Gender and Feminism). Faculty of Philosophy and Humanities, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, 2012

ABSTRACT

This thesis sought to understand the contemporary phenomenon of “singleness”, specifically in the capital of Bahia, through experiences and the definition of the condition of being single middle class men and women who live by themselves in Salvador. The study was based on interdisciplinary discussions about the changes in personal life, gender relations, relationships, and lifestyles in urban contexts that have contributed to the rethinking of the definition and practices of “singleness”. The research was based on feminist epistemologies, taking gender as the main category chosen to analyze the data. It adopted mixed methods with both qualitative and quantitative techniques: focus groups in which four women and three men participated; structured questionnaires to which 76 people responded; field observations carried out in leisure spaces around the city; and a subsample of six participants given biographical interviews guided by their “life grids” and  diaries. Participants range from 30 to 60 years old, have a university level degree, live in middle to high class neighborhoods in Salvador, and are classified as belonging to A/B social class according to Brazilian Criteria of Economic Classification. The compilation of data and the analysis of the literature about the theme at hand allowed, firstly, for the reconstruction of the concept of “singleness” according to its dimensions of civil status, lifestyle, and loneliness, using freedom as the focal point, as well as the element that connects all the dimensions and the most important meaning of “singleness”. Secondly, this study allowed for the construction of a profile of a specific group of singles living alone, based on their socioeconomic characteristics and experiences of “singleness” in the field of relationships and sexuality, on their leisure and work routines, and on their expectations for the future. In addition, the study mapped the areas around the city occupied by singles, especially for leisure activities, showing that the singleness condition is experienced inside and outside the home, freedom being the main focus. Finally, this study revealed some gender differences in the way that singleness is experienced, given that freedom, as the major characteristic of single life, has different connotations for men and women, especially in regards to sexuality: it is more socially acceptable for men to have sex outside marriage than for women. Although many single women have an active sex life, others remain celibate until they enter into a stable relationship, which suggests that singleness represents both changes and permanencies in personal life.

Keywords: Singleness. Living alone. Gender relations. Middle class. Urban lifestyle.