Coresidence Beliefs in American Society - 1973 to 1991

This article examines trends in beliefs about the desirability of coresidence between adult children and their parents in the U.S. between 1973 and 1991. Despite some clear historic tendencies toward independent living arrangements in the population as a whole, data presented from the General Social Surveys actually show a significant trend toward the acceptability of coresidence. The decomposition of these trends into intra- and intercohort patterns reveals important intercohort differences. A multivariate analysis, including variables measuring sociodemographic experiences, indicates that about 20% of the effects of birth year can be accounted for by these factors, particularly greater kinship contact reported by younger cohorts. The article concludes with a discussion of the meaning of these trends.