Love in the time of ‘settling’ : forbidden knowledge and modern singles advice
Document Type
Journal article
Source Publication
Journal of Sociology
Publication Date
8-1-2017
Volume
Advance online publication
Publisher
Sage Publications Ltd.
Keywords
courtship, dating, forbidden knowledge, Hong Kong, reality TV, romantic love ideal, singles
Abstract
While there has been much feminist criticism over recent discourses that stigmatize single women, little is known about how women actually consume and respond to the advice prescribed in this discourse. This article addresses this shortcoming by looking at a controversy that emerged in Hong Kong over a popular television show that dispensed dating advice to single women. Based on focus group discussions about the show with 39 unwed women, we examine how women negotiate sexist modern dating advice in relation to their normative views about courtship. Using analogies drawn from the sociology of science, we argue that modern dating advice is constructed by our informants as forbidden knowledge, that is, knowledge that is considered too sensitive, dangerous or taboo to produce. By rendering the laws of attraction mysterious or unknowable, our informants continue to search for romantic partners, while bracketing the sexism that they encounter. The implications for agency and choice in this positioning are discussed.
DOI
10.1177/1440783317721351
Print ISSN
14407833
E-ISSN
17412978
Publisher Statement
Copyright © 2017, © SAGE Publications. Access to external full text or publisher's version may require subscription.
Full-text Version
Publisher’s Version
Language
English
Recommended Citation
Groves, J. M. & Chan, A. H.-n. (2017). Love in the time of ‘settling’: Forbidden knowledge and modern singles advice. Journal of Sociology. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1177/1440783317721351