Singlism: How Being Single Can Hurt You

Singlism-a Google search returns more than 3,000 results for the word, yet a search for "singlism" in a Webster's dictionary returns nothing. This is because singlism is a relatively new concept. For years there have been debates on the problems with illegal workplace discrimination. Illegal workplace discrimination involves race, sex, color, national origin, and/or age; however, the marital status of an employee is not often a topic in a discrimination discussion. It soon could be. This concept of discrimination against singles in the workplace is an important topic to discuss. Singlism might sound like a silly word, but the consequences of singlism could be greatly underestimated.

Singlism is a problem for any single person. We see evidences of this unfairness all around us. This problem is exacerbated by the creation of different "family-friendly" policies by companies. Benefits are becoming a more and more important part of a person's overall compensation, so the lack of support for singles is becoming apparent. According to Sam Roberts (2006) of The New York Times, there are officially more single people in the United States than married people. He says that the newest statistics put singles at 50.3%, or just over half of our population. Roberts also points out that a growing number of adults are living the single life. So why should singles be "singled" out?

Singles face some major problems, says one behavior expert. An expert on the matter of singlism, Bella DePaulo, believes that the dilemma is much bigger than it first appears. She says, "[Singles] are stereotyped (as miserable, lonely, etc.) They are often excluded (as when couples socialize only with other couples). They are targets of discrimination" (DePaulo, 2004, p.13). DePaulo was part of a research team studying the subject of singlism. In a study performed by the research team, married people were no happier than single couples.

"Singles in Society and Science", "Should Singles and the Scholars Who Study Them Make Their Mark or Stay in Their Place?", and "No Shelter for Singles: The Perceived Legitimacy of Discrimination Against Singles" are three examples of the work written by Bella DePaulo, an expert on the topic. At her website, Bella DePaulo (2005) says, "My life passion... [Is] the study of people who are single and their place in contemporary American society." If life as a single is as she says, then singles definitely are getting the short end of the stick. She has written a book on the subject, Singled Out: How Singles are Stereotyped, Stigmatized, and Ignored, and Still Live Happily Ever After. Ms. DePaulo is actively campaigning to show the problems associated with singlism and the discrimination of singles in the workplace.

Here comes another big issue for employers, as if they didn't have enough to worry about already. Imagine asking someone to work over for the weekend. Later, that person files a lawsuit against the company, claiming that he/she was discriminated against because of marital status. Other single employees bring up the same issue, and the company's legal fees suddenly skyrocket--all due to singlism. This is frightening. The timeline for this type of workplace discrimination issue has been plain for some time now. If this issue continues growing, then sooner or later some group will come along to fight for singles' rights. Soon after that, the government will enact laws protecting the rights of the single employee against singlism and to protect against other workplace discrimination claims. If anyone thinks it can't happen, they should look at the recent developments on the age and sex discrimination fronts. Singlism is a problem, and the workplace is where it is becoming evident.

Companies should do their best to stop singlism before it starts. Allow singles the same choices and benefits available to married employees. According to Jeffrey Zaslow (2004), married people enjoy numerous perks that singles do not. These include better healthcare benefits, unemployment benefits, insurance rates, and miscellaneous family discounts available at any number of merchants. Even if companies do not give equal advantages to singles, they should do their best to provide comparable benefits (p. D.1). This can help to alleviate some of the pressure from the situation. Having a proactive approach to singlism discrimination claims can help employers to fight potential lawsuits based on marital status.

Although people living the single life might enjoy themselves, others perceive singles as lacking something, and this can lead to singlism. Maybe it is because the critics have already lived the single life, and now they are on the other side of the fence. Maybe it is because the critics miss the freedom and simplicity of the single life. Without further questioning and study, these questions may never be answered. But one thing is for sure, the problem with singlism discrimination against single people is real, and it is growing.

References

DePaulo, B., & Morris, W. (2004). Singles in society and science. Manuscript submitted for publication, University of California at Santa Barbara.

DePaulo, B. (2005). Retrieved from http://belladepaulo.com/singles.htm.

Roberts, S. (2006, October 15). To be married means to be outnumbered. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com.

Zaslow, J. (2004). Moving on: The singles lobby: unmarried people seek economic perks enjoyed by couples. Wall Street Journal, D.1. Retrieved from the ProQuest database.