Single and Unmarried Americans Week

I didn't know we had a week to call our own either until a late night cruise of Google news turned it up and from the looks of things we deserve a week of our own! We live in a society that puts marriage forth as the ultimate institution that is all around great for individuals and the community.  The world will fall apart if marriage as we know it ceases to exist, right?  Apparently though, its is we single folks who do more to support our communities, our friends and our families than those who are married.

An article in the New York Times titled "In a Married World Singles Struggle for Attention," mentions a recent study about how, contrary to popular belief, single folks (who make up nearly half of the adult population) contribute more to the general well being of society than married folks do and yet they live in a world that doesn't support their lifestyle.

Turns out single people do more to directly support their families and friends than the matrimonial minded.  Their volunteer hours are also spent in activities that support their communities.  What else is interesting is that it isn't children that make the difference.  Those who are unmarried parents continue to contribute more outside their families than married parents.  “It’s the unmarried, with or without kids, who are more likely to take care of other people,” Dr. Gerstel said. “It’s not having children that isolates people. It’s marriage.”  As it turns out once one is hitched the focus becomes one's spouse and as such connections to friends, family and society in general are let go.

The article from the Times can be found here. It also includes a link to more information about the study.  I will also add a plug here for Bella DePaulo's blog on Psychology Today, which is referenced in the article and which deals with many of the misconceptions about the those living single.  It was one the first blogs I came across when I made the decision to dive into spinsterdom head on and I continue to visit it regularly.


So if you are single, raise a glass to yourself this week.  You deserve it.