Pages

Labels

Monday, July 2, 2007

Is there a word for animosity toward the unmarried?

Is it just slipping my mind or is there no word for this? I'm looking for a word for the attitude -- something like sexism or homophobia -- to signify hostility toward people for their failure to be married. I don't mean mere discrimination, such as we find in the tax code or employment insurance plans. I mean actual negative feelings toward the disfavored group. And I don't mean the attitude that has to do only with the suspicion that an unmarried person is gay.

I mean something more general that would apply to the way people feel toward someone who remains single for any reason, including the inability to find a suitable partner or an unwillingness to accept monogamy.

If there is no word, do you think it's because there is not general hostility toward the unmarried? But it is helpful to have words to describe phenomena that turn out not to be true, so we can talk about whether it is true. So, if there is not word, can you coin one?

And I don't mean to suggest that there's no hostility toward the married. I think there is. If you have a word for that let me know.

0 comments:

Post a Comment