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Women’s agency in living apart together: constraint, strategy and vulnerability
Duncan, Simon
Duncan, Simon
Publication Date
2015
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This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ )which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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Abstract
Recent research suggests that women can use living apart together (LAT) for a
reflexive and strategic undoing of the gendered norms of cohabitation. In this article
we examine this assertion empirically, using a representative survey from Britain in
2011 and follow-up interviews. First, we find little gender differentiation in practices,
expectations, or attitudes about LAT, or reasons for LAT. This does not fit in with
ideas of undoing gender. Secondly, in examining how women talk about LAT in
relation to gender, we distinguish three groups of ‘constrained’, ‘strategic’ and
‘vulnerable’ female interviewees. All valued the extra space and time that LAT
could bring, many welcomed some release from traditional divisions of labour, and
some were glad to escape unpleasant situations created by partnership with men.
However, for the constrained and vulnerable groups LAT was second best, and any
relaxation of gendered norms was seen as incidental and inconsequential to their
major aim, or ideal, of the ‘proper family’ with cohabitation and marriage. Rather,
their agency in achieving this was limited by more powerful agents, or was a reaction
to perceived vulnerability. While the strategic group showed more purposeful
behaviour in avoiding male authority, agency remained relational and bonded.
Overall we find that women, at least in Britain, seldom use LAT to purposefully or
reflexively undo gender. Equally, LAT sometimes involves a reaffirmation of
gendered norms. LAT is a multi-faceted adaption to circumstances where new
autonomies can at the same time incorporate old subordinations, and new arrangements
can herald conventional family forms.
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Citation
Duncan S (2015) Women's agency in living apart together: constraint, strategy and vulnerability. The Sociological Review. 63(3): 589-607.
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