Uncoupled Living
Future Thinking Report Chloe Butler N0751513
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Ethics Clause;
I confirm that this work has gained ethical approval and that I have faithfully observed the terms of approval in the conduct of this project. Signed ………………………………………………………… Date…..………………………………
Content; Introduction ............................................................................................
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Methodology .........................................................................................
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Uncoupled Living ................................................................................
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Trend Drivers ..........................................................................................
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Affected Sectors ..................................................................................
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Self Identity .............................................................................................
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Leisure .......................................................................................................
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Self gifiting .............................................................................................. Food ...........................................................................................................
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Work .........................................................................................................
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Trend Futures and Conclusion ......................................................
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Appendix .................................................................................................
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Image list .................................................................................................
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Reference list ........................................................................................
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Bibliography ...........................................................................................
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To begin;
Uncoupled living is fast becoming the norm for many households, dynamics vary from older couples divorcing to consciously separate and live alone, younger people choosing not to get married and be single, and happily married couples choosing to live separately. All scenarios are evidenced by decreasing marriage rates and increasing divorce rates globally. This report will look at the lifestyles of the new uncoupled culture. The report aims consist of providing a deep understanding of the macro trend ‘Uncoupled Living’ its drivers and futures. Another aim is to investigate how it will affect different sectors such as leisure, sex, accommodation and food, the consumer this affects and recommendations for how brands will have to respond to this shift. Although there are cultural differences between marriage and divorce rates, affecting both men and women, the focus throughout will be on women in the UK and Ireland, thus allowing for a deeper investigation of this specific aspect of the trend.
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The research objectives are to:
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use academic research to find the macro trend’s source, drivers and evolution.
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use credible sources to demonstrate how Uncoupled Living is affecting consumers.
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understand and present a balanced approach, being aware of bias.
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present adoptions into industries, and business sectors. discover new opportunities and future trend developments.
Approach;
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gain in depth knowledge surrounding Uncoupled Living using a range of sources,
The research methodology has involved in-depth research and analysis of a range of secondary sources. LS;N Global provided the underpinning and basic understanding of the trend through quantitative data and created opportunities for further reading. Academic websites and online journals provided theory to inform and support content. Books such as De Paulo’s ‘Singlism: What It Is, Why it Matters, and how to Stop it’ (2011) provided relevant theories and provided the basis of awareness surrounding the discrimination. Limitations: Newspaper articles, magazines and online blogs periodically have biased opinions. However, this research has considered this bias. Singletons generally do not talk about intimacy or struggles, so it proved difficult to find a range of outspoken early adopters to evaluate the effects on consumers. The lack of primary research showed limitations in finding genuine consumer response to further evidence and support points made. Although, sources like MINTEL, Office For National Statistics and Forbes have been used as supporting evidence in replacement of primary research.
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Uncoupled Living; Singlism
Despite more people choosing to be single, prejudices against ‘singletons’ remain. DePaulo describes the issue as singlism, defining it as the “discrimination, stigmatising, marginalising and stereotyping of people who are not married or in a relationship” (2017).
Being single has long been considered a temporary relationship status, only being single until finding a partner to marry. Marriage is seen as an essential part of society and is an integral part of many religions, with many practising abstinence. Members of the LGBT+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and more) community have fought against churches to have their relationships included in the acceptable norm and recognised by being allowed to be in a couple, to marry and to divorce. Showing how vital marriage is within society. However; a current shift in attitude is indicated by marriage rates declining, and the singles population (including divorcees as well as those who have never married) rising globally. According to Eurostat (2019), the marriage rate has decreased by nearly 50% while the divorce rate has more than doubled since 1965. Marriage is becoming less important in society as having children out of wedlock, and female financial independence have become accepted norms “For unknown numbers of people, being alone is not just a preference – it is a craving, a need” (DePaulo, 2017).
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Trend drivers; A change in societal norms acts as a significant driver, and currently, ‘non-traditional’ situations are generally widely accepted. 2019 has seen the rapid change in attitude towards consumption of single-use plastics, a rise in veganism, and the #metoo movement, demonstrating the speed in which societal norms can change. Research by Centola et al. indicates a change in attitude of quarter of a group activates the persuasive domino effect, therefore changing the behaviour of the group (Centola, Becker, Brackbill & Baronchelli, 2018.)
Societal norms directly affecting this trend are; - having children out of wedlock - the rise of female financial stability - the acceptance of women to choose not to have children - the increased likelihood of women having a career - closing gender pay gaps - the drop in marriage rates - the increase in divorce rates - social media & connectivity
Social media and being constantly connected is meaning access to people from all over the world is feasible, and therefore, a lot more choice of potential partners. Historically, if two people did not meet or have a mutual friend, there would be no contact. The rise in popularity of apps such as Tinder are giving consumers a vast choice of potential partners, leading to people being able to be selective when it comes to finding a partner. Described as the ‘paradox of choice’ social media and being connected online is leaving consumers fickle and indecisive. (Schwartz, 2016).
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Affected Sectors; Arguably every element in life and society can be affected by Uncoupled Living and experiencing singlism. However, the sectors chosen to discuss consist of self-identity with a focus on sex, relationships and female empowerment, work and leisure focusing on accommodation and food.
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Self Identity; A woman’s self-identity can be questioned when single or consciously uncoupled. Historically a woman’s role consisted of being inferior to the man, taking care of the children and the house, cleaning and cooking. In contrast, it is now acceptable for a woman to have a career and be self-sufficient, and to choose not to marry or have children. It is changing how women identify themselves. “Behind every great man there’s a great woman” (Frost 1946) Sex is a factor hugely affected by the uprising uncoupling. Humans and dolphins are two of the very few creatures on earth that have sex for pleasure. (Orbach 2019) However, as well as for pleasure, sex for humans is deemed a need, according to Maslow. The theory of the hierarchy of needs states sex is of the primary needs listed alongside food water, shelter, and being able to breathe (Maslow, 1943). (See appendix one) According to Maslow’s theory without achieving the content of the bottom row, progression up through the triangle is unfeasible. However, as sex is an essential need for humans, the theory denotes not having regular sex means the individual cannot climb the triangle, therefore Uncoupled Living and being single challenges this theory. If an increasing number of the population are uncoupled, it translates to an increased number not having a regular sexual partner. This situation means that casual ‘hook-ups’, ‘one night stands’ and having multiple sexual partners may be the only chance to fulfil this need. Fulfilling this need through multiple partners has an unjust imbalance between men and women. There is a social stigma around women having multiple sexual partners. It is not uncommon for a man to be called a ‘lad’ and praised amongst peers whereas a woman is more likely to be called derogatory slang such as ‘slut’ or to be looked down on. (Marks and Fraley, 2005)
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“Slut-shaming refers to deliberate efforts to discredit people by associating them with sexual deviancy, especially sexual immodesty and promiscuity. Victims of slut-shaming, who are disproportionately women rather than men, gain a negative reputation, can experience a loss of social status and social isolation, as well being susceptible to negative, emotions such as embarrassment, humiliation, regret, and sadness.� (Nadal, 2017) The gender imbalance and slut-shaming are suppressing women’s sexual habits and therefore, is becoming degrading for a woman to have or indeed share large numbers of sexual partners.
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Leisure; Accommodation is a sector largely impacted by uncoupled living. Large family homes and multiple bedroom flats are not necessarily suitable for an uncoupled individual. The number of one-person households in England is projected to increase by 26% between 2016 and 2041 (Harkrader, 2019) With rising rent and house prices, it is becoming increasingly difficult to get on the ‘property ladder’ – a fact that is significantly harder solo. Companies are starting to notice and provide solutions for solo living. Starcity is a company that provides luxury ‘co-living’ apartments in cities. Although currently only in San Francisco and Los Angeles Starcity demonstrates providing a solution to a consumer need. Residents have a private bedroom but shared communal areas to encourage socialising and a safe haven for solo workers. “Our mission is to make cities more accessible to everyone; we accomplish this by creating comfortable, community homes that inspire people to live a more intentional life.” (Starcity 2019) Properties with the same intentions as Starcity are available in London designed for people who cannot afford to rent alone.
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Self Gifitng; A shift in consumer buying habits has seen a change in gifting; instead of buying for loved ones, consumers are now increasingly buying for themselves. Industries selling items such as jewellery, lingerie and perfumes have long marketed to the opposite sex, with diamonds and lingerie targeted at a male consumer. An example of successful marketing to the opposite sex is old spice men’s body wash. Listed at number four in the top fifteen adverts for the 21st century and one of the most revolutionary rebrands for a company is the Old Spice ‘The Man Your Man Could Be’ campaign. The campaign directly addressed the female consumer to buy the male scented body wash. The campaign reached near six million views on YouTube on its first day, increased traffic to the website by 300% and was rated the no.1 men’s body wash shorty after launch showing its immense success. (O’Leary, and Wasserman, 2010) Due to uncoupled living marketing tools demonstrated here will not have the same effect today.
Lingerie ‘No frills, no bows, no bullshit.’ “Dear ladies, (Guys—we hope you’ll read this, too.) - Bras that push, pad, and squeeze. Fabrics that suffocate. Lace that chafes. The industry has made billions telling women that in order to feel sexy, they need to look like something they’re not. But times are changing—and so should our underwear. Forty prototypes later—it’s here. A line of beautiful, Supima cotton underwear that’s healthy on your skin, flatters every curve—and made at a factory that’s leading the way in ethical manufacturing. On wages. Workplace environment. And the empowerment of its 50,000 female employees.” (Everlane 2019).
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Everlane has based the design for their new underwear line on the idea of self-gifting, “Underwear should be made for you. But for decades, it’s been designed with someone else in mind.” (2019) The launch was a huge success and highly praised by single women, due to the approach questioning why single women should wear sexy yet uncomfortable underwear for no one to see. Thus, proving companies are starting to take on the Uncoupled Living trend in their marketing and product design.
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Food; Singlism also occurs heavily in the food industry and with household items. For example, in the UK, a pint of milk costs £0.50 compared to £1.15 for a four-pint bottle. An increase of 21p per pint, this can be seen in other food and household items, it is more often than not cheaper to buy larger quantities of products. Singlism also carries down to bills, people living alone are offered a 25% discount on council tax, whereas a 50% discount is granted for living with a partner. Holidays are no exception; a single supplement is very often charged in hotels or on cruise liners for only having one person in the room. Good Housekeeping 2018 found that being single carried a penalty of around £6,000 a year per individual. (Brouwer 2016) The implication for companies is clear: there is a market of consumers who approach life differently. They shop for food more frequently but buy less. ‘Small households have a lot of buying power and shop very differently from family shoppers. A study by Nielsen in 2018 found that 18% of shoppers wanted to buy smaller packs. Too often brands ignore this large market, instead products and services are being tailored to families or to couples through marketing, product design and user experience. Even something as simple as going out for a meal is not something that is generally done alone and restaurants, cafes and bars currently do not tailor for solo dining. With an increasing number of people eating and living alone, consideration of how this uncoupling of society will affect consumption should be in place. Downsizing packaging and removing the stigma of single parenthood, are examples of the abundance of opportunities for those that live a single lifestyle.
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Work; One aspect of life where singlism is the most overlooked is within the workplace, where family-friendly employment policies often discriminate against single workers. In the UK, a study from pwc with 25,000 workers found that 65% of child-free women aged 28–40 felt they were expected to work longer hours than those with children 'There is widespread perception that singles became the workhorses in corporate offices' says sociologist Eric Klinenberg. ‘Countless workers [believe] their managers viewed them as always available for late night and weekend assignments, because they didn’t have children or spouses.’(2017) Companies which use competitive benefits to attract staff will need to address how they pitch their employment culture not only to those who seek a work-life balance because they have children, but to those who seek a work life balance without having children. Not having children does not and should not mean that you are expected to work longer hours or sacrifice your work life balance.
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Trend Futures & Conclusion; The rise in singletons and consumers choosing to be uncoupled is prevalent within society. Singlism is a major issue, and the consequences of ignorance to this discrimination has negative effects on a woman’s self-esteem and feeling of ones self. As singlism is discrimination found in all fields and in daily life, there is an abundance of opportunity for brands. The future for uncoupled living is vast; it is creating a new range of consumers with varying demographics. For brands, this means their current target markets are changing, all brands will have to re-evaluate whom their target audience is, meaning a new approach is needed for marketing, retailing and products. ‘Single-person households are the fastest-growing household type’(Sanderson, C 2019) Aforementioned the uncoupled group in society are the happiest and are more likely to have a larger amounts of friends, in particular, unmarried childless women are the happiest subgroup in society and are more likely to live longer than their married with children peers. Paul Dowland (expert in happiness) states that if you are a man you should probably get married, if you are a woman don’t bother. ‘singlism will be replaced by a broader acceptance of singledom as a lifestyle choice, resulting in new behaviours in the workplace, the home and even for those in relationships’. (2019) Single people have to be selfsufficient and want brands to make their lives easier with affordable services and companionship. The uncoupling of society means there is greater emphasis on the individual than ever before – brands need to focus less on couples, and more individuals and their many ‘emotion-ships’ as that is where the future of relationships lies (2019) This report and research undertaken has acted as a springboard for the stage one report and has provoked the following opportunities and issues to explore, including; -
Women's sexual intimacy and pleasure Marketing and targeting to singletons Self-gifting Singlism being replaced with acceptance Polyamory – If consumers are not relying on one person to fulfil their needs, are they relying on multiple people? - Self sufficiency
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End Of Report
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