| The Experience of Competent Never Married, Over Forty Adults Contributor(s): Daiter Karen (Author) |
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ISBN: 3659805165 ISBN-13: 9783659805165 Publisher: LAP Lambert Academic Publishing OUR PRICE: $78.90 Product Type: Paperback Published: December 2015 |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Psychology |
| Physical Information: 0.53" H x 6" W x 9" (0.76 lbs) 232 pages |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: Remaining single into later life is often seen from the deficit model of being unmarried but in this study older, competent, never married people are studied from a normative perspective. Using Erikson's developmental theory and relational analytic thought, six common attributes emerged: On One's Own; On the Periphery; The Responsible One; Independent in Relationships; Comfort Zone/Make a Difference; and A Space of One's Own. An independent sense of identity was found within a relational matrix, with a Winnicotian capacity to be alone. Marriage is secondary to ensuring a space of one's own, despite valuing relationships. Additionally, a near perfect correlation between anxiety and avoidance was found, but only in romantic attachments. Theses never married adults have a different developmental path than their married counterparts, with equally meaningful relationships and lives and high levels of life satisfaction. Using individual values and beliefs as guides rather than relying upon conventional choices or marriage, these individuals reveal prolonged singleness as a different, but successful, developmental pathway. |