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6 Personal freedom Statistics: British households Compare the two sets of statistics about British households. • What are the main changes between 2005 and 2015? • How many reasons can you think of as to why these changes have happened? Reading: Single and happy – It’s the freemales a) Read the text below, then put the paragraphs into the correct order. There is one extra paragraph you should not use. Write your answers at the beginning of each paragraph. The first one has been done for you. The trend towards people living alone looks set to continue partly due to an ageing population, with more people over 65 home alone, but also because of a rise in the number of divorces, with fewer women remarrying or cohabiting, and an increase in the number of young people living as singles. Denis Knowles, relationship counsellor for Relate, said the “freemales” phenomenon was part of a definite culture of partnership. “By the time women have been to university, had a gap year, then launched a career, some of them just want to have time for a relationship or to hunt for someone who will fit into their lifestyle. The most important thing they want is the responsibility for their partnership.” A new report demonstrates we are now seeing the lowest marriage rates on record and more “freemales” living alone. Data released by the Office for National Statistics show that the number of women living alone aged between 25 and 44 – the age when traditionally they would be married and having families – has doubled in the past two decades. The same report states that more than two-thirds of people questioned in a recent survey believed they did not need a partner to enjoy a happy and fulfilled life. Jan MacVarish, a sociologist from the University of Kent and author of the research paper “Understanding the popularity of living alone”, has spent several years researching the lives of single women, particularly those between 35 and 50. She has identified a growing subgroup of households consisting of metropolitan and educated single women with careers in management and the professions. In the past such women have been stigmatised by negative Bridget Jones 1 and Ally McBeal 2 stereotypes as women only focussing on finding a man to make their lives complete. And the traditional view of singletons has tended to focus on single women pitied for “leaving it too late to have children.” 1 British households Source: Labour Force Survey, Office for National Statistics 2005 27% 25% 43% 41% 5% 7% 5% 6% 9% 10% 11% 11% Married or civil partner couple family (with dependent children) Married or civil partner couple family (without dependent children) Cohabiting couple family (with dependent children) Cohabiting couple family (without dependent children) Lone parent family (with dependent children) Lone parent family (without dependent children) 2015 2 1 Bridget Jones: single woman who struggles with her life in London, title character of the 1996 novel by Helen Fielding and of several films 2 Ally McBeal: titular single female lawyer in an American television series 5 10 15 70 The individual and society Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv