Introduction
The modern world is very diverse and well combines current trends with the remnants of the past. Once multi-generational households were the absolute norm, different generations could coexist nearby or even under the same roof. The reasons for this could be entirely different, from economic to social causes. Standing together has made it much easier to survive, preserve sources, help each other, and pass on family values and traditions from elders to younger ones (Muenning et al., 2017).
Today’s pace of life is vastly different and actively extols individuality and independence over traditions and the old custom of living. Young people try to leave home, be separated from their parents, and find a place in life as early as possible. However, despite all the current patterns and tendencies of neo-localism, some families still prefer to adhere to one household due to personal purposes or surface influencing factors.
The History and Principal Features of Cohabitation of Multiple Generations
The generic structure of society has prevailed since the appearance of the first people and for many centuries remained the most rational alternative. To a large extent, it was a family union based on collective work aimed at shared survival. Hunting, fishing, cultivation, and carrying the entire household demanded a lot of effort that could not be done alone. Each family member had assigned responsibilities and workloads for the common good.
The younger generation was usually engaged in daily earning money and collecting supplies, while the older generation was supposed to take care of the children and the house. With the advent of industrialization, which transformed the conditions in the labor market and added new opportunities, people began to strive for separation and independent living. The pattern remained from the beginning until the end of the 20th century (Hantrais et al., 2018). However, nowadays, people can witness that the idea of a common household is repeatedly entering the living standards.
Benefits and Weaknesses of Living in Multi-generational Households
As historical patterns have shown, this way of establishing a household is highly efficient, specifically in an unsteady financial position. Recent studies have shown that strong intergenerational bonds have a beneficial effect on the overall psychological, economic and social status of a family. Most of the families from the study confirmed stable mental and physical conditions, living together for up to three generations. However, numerous people on the homestead can cause increased pressure and stress levels for some family members. A significant role is also played by the overall standard of living and the living conditions of such a family.
The home must be large enough to meet the demands for personal space and privacy. The absence of these basics can lead to inevitable outbreaks of aggression, anxiety, and conflicts of interest. Multi-generational families can also cause a serious risk of delayed maturation and enhanced infantility (Rothenberg et al., 2017). It may not be due to overprotective parenting but even to the general parent-child model in the family.
Features of Neo-Local Networks in the Modern World Families and Current Patterns
Today, the choice between multi-generational cohabitation or neo-localism is mostly a personal preference. Separation of relatives inevitably leads to a weakening of ties and a more unstable standard of living. However, it helps the development of individual thinking and independent living. The courses of modern society highly encourage independence, individuality, and an individual life path. What was impracticable 100 years ago can now be accomplished with great confidence and family support, even from a long distance. Most families no longer have to strive to survive and get significant freedom in personally made decisions.
Supermarkets have replaced hunting and daily cooking, technology has made housework much easier, and kindergartens and schools have taken over the most care of children. All generations with this style of living have much more freedom. The older generation prefers to look after the children on weekends as a delightful pastime; the young one has fewer responsibilities for everyone else due to different households. In this state, family ties become more nebulous with a bigger focus on individualism. However, all cases are different, and some families still consider private housing and freedom of action as a highly-priced privilege.
Conclusion
Although the modern world trends are shifting people towards neo-localism, the whole tendency of plural generations living together is still quite relevant due to various personal and interfering surface causes. Both strategies have strengths and weaknesses in terms of the level of family connections, the financial status and mental health condition of relatives, and the distribution of responsibilities. Nowadays, all family cases are precisely individual, and when analyzing the current economic situation in the country, one can notice the returning of households consisting of several generations.
Overall, the number of such families increased from 7 percent in the 2011 survey to 26 percent in 2021 (Hantrais et al., 2018). In this situation, the decision is caused not only by a personal desire to preserve family traditions and provide support to the rest of the family. It is also considered a method to resolve financial difficulties, cope with rapidly increasing housing prices, and overcome instability in the labor market. In other words, the choice inevitably becomes a necessity due to certain surface circumstances, as it was many years ago.
References
Hantrais, L., Brannen, J., & Bennett, F. (2018). Family change, intergenerational relations and policy implications. Contemporary Social Science, 15(3), 275–290. Web.
Muenning, P., Jiao, B., & Singer, E. (2017). Living with parents or grandparents increases social capital and survival: 2014 General Social Survey-National Death Index. National Institutes of Health: Turning Discovery Into Health, 4, 71–75. Web.
Rothenberg, W. A., Solis, J. M., Hussong, A. M., & Chassin, L. (2017). Profiling families in conflict: Multi-generational continuity in conflict predicts deleterious adolescent and adult outcomes. National Institutes of Health: Turning Discovery Into Health, 31(5), 611–628. Web.