{"id":3083,"date":"2020-11-05T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-11-05T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/trot\/?p=3083"},"modified":"2020-11-04T15:06:35","modified_gmt":"2020-11-04T21:06:35","slug":"living-together-in-covid-times-multigenerational-families","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/trot\/2020\/11\/05\/living-together-in-covid-times-multigenerational-families\/","title":{"rendered":"Living Together in Covid Times: Multigenerational Families"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Three generations of an Asian family sit together on a couch, smiling up at a camera. Image via Anton Diaz<\/a><\/em>, <\/em><\/strong>CC BY-NC 2.0.<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

With new covid cases<\/a> at an all-time high, coronavirus is front and center in the minds of many Americans. The Centers for Disease Control also recently published a report<\/a> that indicates that household transmission of covid is frequent between both adults and kids. With the rise in covid infection, and concern for household transmission, it is worth thinking about who lives together under one roof and why. In particular, who lives in intergenerational houses where young people might expose older adults to the virus?\u00a0 And how might larger groups of people living together increase the chance of virus spread? Sociological research offers a number of ways to think about the reasons that intergenerational families live together that can inform our answers to these questions and help frame public health responses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pew Research center reports<\/a> that a majority of young adults are living with their parents for the first time since the Great Depression. Over the previous century and a half less and less young people have lived with their parents. However, research shows that intergenerational bonds are of increasing importance. Older adults live longer, increasing the length of shared life among parents and kids, and grandparents and grandchildren. Young adults, particularly in the middle-class, also need to rely on their parents\u2019 financial support through a longer period of \u201ctransitioning to adulthood\u201d that includes getting a college education. With a weak labor market, and many college courses online, it is no surprise that many young adults are remaining or returning home.<\/h5>\n\n\n\n