#idéesdébats - Romain Huret - Solo on February 14? A fresh look at single people in the United States

From “old maids” to “confirmed bachelors,” single people have long been seen as outsiders. Drawing on the case of the United States, Romain Huret offers a different perspective: being single is a social status that sheds light on major social changes, inequalities, and tensions running through American democracy—caught between the pursuit of independence and the weakening of collective bonds.

Romain Huret is a historian of the United States and Director of Studies at the École des hautes études en sciences sociales (EHESS). On January 22, 2026, he will publish The Forgotten of Valentine’s Day: Lives in the Shadow of Marriage with La Découverte.