ABSTRACT
My analysis of data has argued that the range of interpretative resources for women alone involves them in trouble of various kinds. In my approach to data for this chapter, I examine in detail some patterns of troubled interaction in the interview itself, and consider the relationship of interactions in the interview to broader issues of stigma and social exclusion. It seems that the privileging of marriage and coupledom over singleness puts pressure on those who are single to account for their status. DePaulo and Morris argue that single adults in the USA are targets of stereotyping, prejudice and discrimination. They call the process `singlism' and view it as
based on uncontested beliefs constituting an ideology of marriage and family (DePaulo 2006; DePaulo and Morris 2005a).
