Mitchell Barbara A, Wister Andrew V, Gee Ellen M
Department of Sociology/Anthropology Program, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Int J Aging Hum Dev. 2002;54(1):57-84. doi: 10.2190/DN8G-36ER-NHYK-64EN.
This article investigates the propensity for young adults to live in the parental home between the ages of 25 to 34--termed "mature coresidency." Drawing upon a synthesis of life course theory and the concept of social capital, a rationale is developed for examination of emotional closeness to parents during childhood and a number of socio-demographic and structural factors deemed to be important. Using a subset of young adults aged 25 to 34 (N = 1,760) from the 1995 Canadian General Social Survey, it is found that emotional closeness to mothers and fathers are major determinants of mature coresidency. Other important predictors include child's age, gender, marital status, and several family background factors. The implications of the findings are discussed for transitions to adulthood and family development against a changing social and economic landscape.
