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Abstract

Singlism can be defined as the stereotyping, stigmatising, marginalisation, and discrimination against individuals who are single, and is a phenomenon that currently remains overlooked as a significant form of social bias. Much like any social bias, this can often be tied to the role in which the media plays in shaping public beliefs and attitudes. A key motivating factor behind this topic of research, is the fact that singlism receives little attention in comparison to other forms of marginalisation, and this dissertation aims to address this gap by examining instances of singlism within contemporary media landscapes, drawing on examples from factual media, fictional media and social media to do so. This research takes an analytical approach, using the chosen examples to deconstruct the dominant media messages that surround single people as a group in society. Through doing so, it highlights not only the disproportionate attention given to coupled ideals in the mainstream, but also the way in which singles are marginalised both structurally and within the everyday. Building upon the conception of the term singlism by Bella DePaulo and other existing research, this dissertation identifies all the patterns, themes and stereotypes that are perpetuated by the media, all as part of a wider effort to understand the reciprocal relationship between the media and the presence of singlism within our current society. By shedding light on the ways in which media both reflects and reinforces societal attitudes towards single people, this dissertation seeks to promote greater awareness of singlism in contemporary society, something which is achieved over the course of three chapters.

Course: Media Studies - BA (Hons) - C1346

Date Deposited: 2024-08-08

URI/permalink: https://library.port.ac.uk/dissert/dis14436.html