Single Women’s Leisure during the Coronavirus Pandemic

Giles, Audrey R.; Oncescu, Jacquelyn

The novel coronavirus has resulted in self-isolation and physical distancing for millions of people. In this critical commentary, we analyze the effects of these practices on our leisure as two single, professional, childless women who live alone. Women face societal expectations that they will play large roles in caregiving. We argue that in the current pandemic, women who are not responsible for the provision of care may face amplified resentment or belittlement for engaging in regular leisure activities. Further, many people have been limited in interacting with those outside of their household. For those who live alone, this is particularly isolating and has a huge effect on the types of leisure in which they can engage and removes them from their established networks of support and safety. We show that removal from our social and care networks can result in feelings of selfishness, shame, and fear during leisure participation.