So today’s program is going to focus on singleness in relation to coupledom.

During a dinner, Iris and I touched upon a common occurence: many of our friends disappeared into coupledom. Funnily enough, Iris had been tinkering over a piece about her relationship status. We noticed a significant variation between how different people approach maintaining friendships. This episode touches upon:

- hierachies in relationships
- the influence of culture on romantic relationships 
- the dynamics of relationships
- coping mechanisms for loosing close friendships
- institutional barriers for single people (particularly in terms of medical care and migration)
- explanations for being "single" 

Due to copyright reasons songs had to be removed. This episode featured a shoegaze mixtape alongside the reading and social commentary. Go listen to these songs after listening to the episode :

- "Strange" by Galaxie 500
- "Vapour Trail" by Ride
- "Alison" by Slowdive
- "Candy Talking" by The Jesus and Mary Chain
- "Sometimes" by My Bloody Valentine

Iris's complete piece about coupledom can be read at Archer Magazine. Go check it out: http://archermagazine.com.au/2018/08/relationship-hierarchies-friendships/