Do you have to be in a couple to be a successful adult? In this episode of Talking Europe, we ask how norms around coupledom differ across Europe and how they have changed in recent decades.

The EI’s Claudia Sternberg is joined by Sasha Roseneil, Professor of Interdisciplinary Social Science in the IAS, and UCL’s Dean of Social and Historical Sciences to discuss her latest book ‘The Tenacity of the Couple-Norm: Intimate citizenship regimes in a changing Europe’ (UCL Press, 2020). You’ll also hear from Sasha’s four co-authors and collaborators for this book: 
•	Isabel Crowhurst, Senior Lecturer in Sociology, University of Essex,
•	Tone Hellesund, Professor in Cultural Studies, University of Bergen, Norway,
•	Dr Ana Cristina Santos, Senior Researcher, Centre for Social Studies, University of Coimbra, Portugal, 
•	Dr Mariya Stoilova, Researcher, Department of Media and Communications, London School of Economics.

Together we explore how laws, policies and social institutions in the UK, Bulgaria, Norway and Portugal shape our desires and imaginations, making us want to be in a couple. You’ll also encounter some life stories of individual persons and how they navigate the couple norm. 

‘The Tenacity of the Couple-Norm: Intimate citizenship regimes in a changing Europe’ is available as a free e-book and as paperback/hardback from UCL Press.

Podcast editing by Patrick Robinson.

Photo by Katarzyna Grabowska on Unsplash.

The Tenacity Of The Couple-Norm

Lunch Hour Lectures - Spring 2013

Prof Wendy Carlin, UCL Economics

There was plenty of scepticism among economists about the likely success of a common currency in Europe. The immediate problem is that peripheral countries have seen their public sectors incur large deficits and incautious private sectors incur large debts. In addition, wages in the Southern economies have grown more rapidly, and productivity more slowly, than in the North. This lecture sets out the risks this poses to full political union and explore whether there is a solution.

UCL is consistently ranked as one of the world's top universities. Across all disciplines our faculties are known for their research-intensive approaches, academic excellence and engagement with global challenges. This is the basis of our world-renowned degree programmes. Visit us at ucl.ac.uk.

Can the Eurozone crisis be solved? (19 Feb 2013)

The UCL European Institute, University College London's hub for research, engagement and teaching on Europe

The Tenacity Of The Couple-Norm

Talking Europe: The UCL European Institute podcast

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