MPC Member Publications

This database contains a listing of population studies publications written by MPC Members. Anyone can add a publication by an MPC student, faculty, or staff member to this database; new citations will be reviewed and approved by MPC administrators.

Full Citation

Title: Unmarried Adults and Residential Autonomy: Living Arrangements in the United States, 1880-1990

Citation Type: Dissertation/Thesis

Publication Year: 1999

Abstract: There have been significant changes in American living arrangements over the past century. Most men and women continue to spend much of their lives co-residing with kin. But an increasing proportion of men and women since World War II do not live with their relatives--rather, they reside as unrelated individuals. An important component of this trend has been the rise of the primary individual--typically defined as household heads who do not have co-resident kin. Part of the increase in primary living arrangements during the twentieth century resulted from changes in basic population characteristics among unmarried adults: i.e., sex, age, race, marital status, and migration status, but this was only true until mid-century. After 1950 the rate of change for both primary and secondary individuals (a group historically consisting of servants, farm laborers, boarders, and lodgers) accelerated, and the trends were largely unaffected by changes in basic population characteristics. Although there is a strong positive relationship between higher income levels and living alone as a primary individual, analyses shows that well under half of the increase in primary individuals was attributable to variations in income. Nevertheless, rising income levels were partially responsible for the changes in American living arrangements during the twentieth century. In addition, the broad-based effects of a more affluent society resulted in unmarried adults having a greater range of residential options. The expense and effort of maintaining an autonomous household meant that the living arrangement choices for most unmarried adults a century ago were limited to living with kin or as an unrelated individual in a non-relative's household. This was mainly true because of the time-consuming nature of basic household tasks, especially laundry and meal preparation. The increasing ability of unmarried adults to live as primary individuals resulted largely from a number of structural changes occurring in the decades before and after World War II: the construction of smaller, more economical apartments and the introduction of modern household appliances, which greatly reduced the amount of time required for maintaining an autonomous household.

User Submitted?: No

Authors: Goeken, Ronald

Institution: University of Minnesota

Department: History

Advisor:

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

Publisher Location: Minneapolis, MN

Pages:

Countries:

IPUMS NHGIS NAPP IHIS ATUS Terrapop