Toward a Sociology of Never-Married Adulthood in Later Life: Live Experiences, Social Networks, and Health

• In Event: Implications of Critical Events/Periods Across the Life Course

Abstract

Older never-married adults (ONMA) constitute a rapidly growing segment of the U.S. population, yet sociological research continues to treat marital status primarily as a binary distinction between married and unmarried individuals. This framework obscures substantial heterogeneity within the never-married population and limits theoretical development regarding life course pathways, lived experiences, social networks, and health inequality. Despite evidence that ONMA face distinctive social, economic, and caregiving challenges—and elevated mortality risk relative to other marital-status groups—the mechanisms shaping their health remain poorly understood.

This study advances a sociology of never-married adulthood in later life by conceptualizing never-married status as a socially embedded life course position rather than a residual category. Drawing on data from the first nationally representative pilot survey of ONMA in the United States (NIA R56AG089170), we introduce novel measures capturing never-married experiences and multidimensional egocentric social networks, alongside measures of health and well-being. The probability-based, dual-mode (web and telephone) survey design demonstrates the feasibility of systematically studying this population at the national level. Preliminary analyses reveal substantial heterogeneity across sex, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status in both never-married experiences and network configurations. These patterns challenge deficit-based assumptions that never-married status uniformly reflects social disadvantage and instead suggest multiple life course pathways with distinct relational and health implications.

By moving beyond the married/unmarried binary and integrating lived experiences with network structure and health outcomes, this study establishes conceptual and empirical foundations for examining inequality within the never-married population and situating ONMA within broader debates on family change and health disparities in later life.

Authors

• Lijun Song, Vanderbilt University

• Leping Wang, Vanderbilt University

• Zhe Zhang, Vanderbilt University

• Deborah Carr, Boston University

• Siyun Peng, Indiana University-Bloomington

• Brea Louise Perry, Indiana University-Bloomington

• Qingxia Chen

• Tara A. McKay, Vanderbilt University