‘So that he would not eat me’ — Navigating the single self amid shifting cultural grounds. A qualitative study of never-married Polish women's singlehood

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dc.abstract.enThis study explored the experiences of never-married single women in Poland, focusing on their narratives of singlehood and its implications for their well-being and life satisfaction. Employing a phenomenologically informed reflexive thematic analysis, we analyzed semi-structured interviews with 18 women aged between 23 and 43. Five key themes were generated in the analysis: 1) Breaking from Stereotypes and Traditional Gender Roles, particularly the cultural figure of the Polish Mother; 2) Balancing Connectedness and Protecting the Self, highlighting tensions between intimacy and autonomy; 3) Perceptions of Masculinity and Men, characterized by devaluation and skepticism; 4) Analyzing the Single Self, that is, the participants' reflecting on their needs, goals, and barriers in relationships and single life, and engaging in the process of meaning-making to navigate societal pressures and construct positive identities; and 5) Living Solo — Possibilities and Challenges, emphasizing both freedom and self-development opportunities as well as occasional struggles with loneliness and the lack of intimacy. The findings revealed that single women participating in the study actively rejected deficit-oriented perspectives on singlehood, embraced autonomy and self-sufficiency, and navigated both societal pressures and evolving gender norms. This study underscored the complexity of singlehood as a psychological phenomenon deeply intertwined with cultural and gendered contexts.
dc.affiliationInstytut Psychologii
dc.contributor.authorMrozowicz-Wrońska, Marta
dc.contributor.authorJanowicz, Kamil
dc.contributor.authorPietrzak, Sebastian
dc.date.access2026-03-04
dc.date.accessioned2026-03-04T12:06:56Z
dc.date.available2026-03-04T12:06:56Z
dc.date.created2026-02-11
dc.date.issued2026-02-20
dc.description.accesstimeafter_publication
dc.description.physical1-9
dc.description.sdgGoodHealthAndWellBeing
dc.description.versionfinal_published
dc.description.volume116
dc.identifier.doi10.1016/j.wsif.2026.103308
dc.identifier.issn0277-5395
dc.identifier.urihttps://share.swps.edu.pl/handle/swps/2206
dc.languageen
dc.pbn.affiliationpsychologia
dc.rightsClosedAccess
dc.rights.explanationWydawca daje 50-dniowy (od 20.02) dostęp do artykułu, ale potem będzie on za paywallem.
dc.rights.questionNo_rights
dc.share.articleOTHER
dc.subject.enSingle women
dc.subject.enQualitative research
dc.subject.enGender roles
dc.subject.enFemininity
dc.swps.sciencecloudsend
dc.title‘So that he would not eat me’ — Navigating the single self amid shifting cultural grounds. A qualitative study of never-married Polish women's singlehood
dc.title.journalWomen's Studies International Forum
dc.typeJournalArticle
dspace.entity.typeArticle